Christopher Theofanidis

Press Kit

News

Albany Symphony Wins Second Grammy Award For Recording Of Christopher Theofanidis Work "The Albany Symphony and our buddy, David Alan Miller had a good night last night at the Grammy Awards winning a Grammy for the world premiere recording with Violist Richard O’Neill of Christopher Theofanidis’ Concerto for Viola and Chamber Orchestra. The award was for Best Classical Instrumental Solo category."

2017 Grammy Nomination: Best Contemporary Classical Composition Theofanidis: Bassoon Concerto — Christopher Theofanidis, composer (Martin Kuuskmann, Barry Jekowsky & Northwest Sinfonia)


 

Quotes

"What impresses me about Theofanidis... is his ability to blend several musical languages once thought to be mutually exclusive... there are elements of Asian music, minimalism, high chromaticism, and a sort of brightly colored impressionism... the results are enormously attractive." —The Washington Post

"Theofanidis is an unusually skilled, communicative composer." —The Baltimore Sun

"Not too often does the premiere of a work for a symphony orchestra elicit a standing ovation that is genuinely heartfelt, not obligatory. The rapturous sounding Rainbow Body (2000) by Christopher Theofanidis recieved that accolade Saturday... an authentic hit." —The Houston Cronicle

"... accomplished and appealing. The musical effects are shimmery.. the orchestral writing is piquant and colorful." —The San Francisco Chronicle

"The piece is a pageant of orchestral color, some of it deliciously subtle, much of it unabashedly joyful, all of it economical in its use of modal, rhythmic, and timbral resources." —The Boston Globe

"... lyrical, exotic soul-searching. The acoustical echo created solely by means of instruments is fascinating." —The New York Times

"... ambitious, funny, and remarkably engaging." —Andante.com

"I found the total experience one of the most moving I have ever had at a concert… The music is communicative, powerful, varied, colorful, and it never lets go of its grip on you." —Henry Fogel, former President and CEO of the League of American Orchestras and President of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, writing about The Refuge.


 

Interview

Interview with composer Christopher Theofanidis and librettist Leah Lax (Houston Grand Opera) Excerpt from KUHF-88.7 pre-performance broadcast: Interview with composer Christopher Theofanidis and librettist Leah Lax" by Houston Grand Opera
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NPR Morning Edition, July 8, 2003
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NPR's Jeffrey Freymann-Weyr reports on a new Atlanta Symphony recording that features the works of two young American composers, Jennifer Higdon and Christopher Theofanidis. ASO Music Director Robert Spano compares Higdon's "Blue Cathedral" and Theofanidis' "Rainbow Body" favorably to the other two compositions on the CD, Aaron Copland's "Appalachian Spring" and Samuel Barber's 1st Symphony. (Rainbow Body is on the Telarc label.)

WYNC Interview

During this interview with New York's WYNC, Christopher Theofanidis answers questions about the 2003 Masterprize competition and his then-nominated later-winning work "Rainbow Body". The interview is available as either one large file (16.6 MB) or as three smaller files.

Interview with Christopher Theofanidis Billy Reisinger
ComposersOnline.org
May 1, 2004


 

Reviews

Christopher Theofanidis: Wider Than a Concept, Deeper Than a Sound Transcribed by Julia Lu
Condensed and edited by Molly Sheridan, NewMusicBox
November 1, 2010

A whimsical world premiere of Theofanidis' 'Summer Verses' By Sumi Hahn, The Seattle Times
July 17, 2009

Review: The ASO sets Rumi whirling By Porter Anderson, CNN
March 31, 2008

Not From Here: An Opera for Houston’s Immigrants By Ralph Blumenthal, The New York Times
November 12, 2007