Draft:Jonathan Sheffer

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Jonathan Sheffer
Born (1953-10-19) October 19, 1953 (age 70)
New York City, U.S.
GenresFilm music, classical, opera, musical theater
Occupation(s)
  • Musician
  • composer
  • conductor
  • author
Instrument(s)Piano
Years active1975–present
LabelsRCA Red Seal

BMG

Telarc

Jonathan Sheffer (born 1953) is a Grammy-nominated American composer and conductor.[1][2][3][4] His musical career spans several genres, including classical music, opera, ballet, film and television.[5][6]

Early life and education[edit]

Born in New York City, Sheffer was raised in Westport, Connecticut, studied viola with Frank Brieff, and played Principal Viola in the All-Connecticut High School Orchestra. He attended Harvard University, where his teachers included Leonard Bernstein, Jay Gottlieb and Burton Fine. He co-composed the score to the Hasty Pudding Theatricals of 1974, Keep Your Pantheon with humorist Mark O’Donnell, then attended Juilliard Extension and the Aspen School of Music, studying with Michael Czajkowski, solfège with Renée Longy and composition with John Corigliano.[7][8]

Career[edit]

Theatrical work: New York (1975–83)[edit]

While attending the BMI Musical Theater Workshop, he teamed up with O’Donnell to write a revue that appeared in 1977 at the Spoleto USA festival, Caught In The Act. With lyricist Alan Poul, he created New Tunes at the Manhattan Theatre Club, and a musical, Ladies in Waiting with Patricia Resnick[9] and with David Zippel, Going Hollywood,[10] and songs for Diamonds, with lyricist Howard Ashman, which also appeared in 2011 off-Broadway in the show, Hundreds of Hats.

Film and television: New York to Los Angeles (1984–1993)[edit]

Sheffer composed scores for the PBS American Playhouse films, The Rise and Rise of Daniel Rocket, On Valentine's Day, Courtship, Bloodhounds Of Broadway, In a Shallow Grave, and completed Danny Elfman’s score for the film, Darkman, The Omen IV, Pure Luck (also with Elfman), and Encino Man. He conducted recording sessions for Elfman and Elliot Goldenthal, including Alien3, Batman Returns, Interview with the Vampire, Batman Forever, Heat, Batman and Robin, Sphere, In Dreams, Titus, Across The Universe, and others.[11][12]

Conductor (1993–present)[edit]

He studied with conductors Michael Tilson Thomas, Jorma Panula, Yuri Simonov, Jorge Mester and Tsung Yeh. Early engagements included the orchestras of San Diego, Oregon, Seattle, Minneapolis and London, appearing with David Byrne in programs of Wagner, Corigliano and Adams. Other early appearances included the European Youth Orchestra and at the Edinburgh Festival with of the Martha Graham Dance Company.

In 1995 Sheffer founded the Eos Ensemble (later called Eos Orchestra),[13][14] playing 75 concerts in New York and on tour, appearing at the White House in 2000[15] and in the 2000 PBS American Masters portrait of Aaron Copland. Eos published four books and recorded for RCA Red Seal, BMG and Telarc, was Grammy-nominated,[16] and received the ASCAP Adventurous Programming Award in 1999.[17]

Concurrently, Sheffer led six seasons of Red {an orchestra} in Cleveland,[18] and was guest conductor at The New York City Opera, American Ballet Theatre, Mark Morris Dance Group, Boston Pops and the festivals at Ravinia, Lincoln Center and Spoleto (Italy). Sheffer has served on several Boards, including The New York State Council on the Arts, as an appointee of governor Andrew Cuomo,[19] the New York City Opera, and represented the New York City Council to the Board of Lincoln Center.

Composer[edit]

Major works include the one-act The Mistake, libretto by Stephen Wadsworth, which premiered at the Central City Opera. Blood on the Dining Room Floor, from a novel by Gertrude Stein, was produced off-Broadway in 2000, received the Richard Rodgers Production Award from the American Academy of Arts and Letters[20] and was seen in the Guggenheim Works & Process series. The Conference of the Birds, at the Cabrillo Festival, was led by Marin Alsop,[21] and Four 10-Minute Operas (Camera Obscura, HBP, Owl Creek Bridge and The Pat & Jerry Show) was recorded in September, 2023 by Royal Scottish National Orchestra, for release in 2024.

Sheffer has had fellowships at Yaddo and the MacDowell Colony,[22] and was a Visiting Artist at the American Academy in Rome in 2003, and was a Visiting Artist/Professor at UCLA, Harvard and New York University.

The musical Dirty Little Secret, about the Harvard Secret Court of 1920, with music and lyrics in collaboration with Bruce Roberts, is in development.

Filmography[edit]

Film[edit]

Year Title Director Film studio
1988 In a Shallow Grave Kenneth Bowser Warner Bros.
1989 Bloodhounds of Broadway Howard Brookner Columbia Pictures
1991 The Omen IV: The Awakening Jorge Montesi and Dominique Othenin-Girard 20th Century Fox
Pure Luck Nadia Tass Universal Studios
1992 Encino Man Les Mayfield Buena Vista Pictures
2008 Parasomnia William Malone E1 Entertainment
2010 Mann v. Ford Maro Chermayeff and Micah Fink HBO
2014 The Decent One Vanessa Lapa Cinephil
2016 Saving Jamaica Bay David Sigal Grounded Truth Productions

Discography[edit]

Music by Jonathan Sheffer[edit]

Year Title Label Notes
1988 In a Shallow Grave Varèse Sarabande Original Motion Picture Soundtrack. Jonathan Sheffer, composer and conductor
1991 The Omen IV: The Awakening Varèse Sarabande Original Motion Picture Soundtrack. Jonathan Sheffer, composer and conductor
Pure Luck Varèse Sarabande Original Motion Picture Soundtrack. Jonathan Sheffer, composer and conductor
2008 Howard Sings Ashman PS Classics "The Straw Boater Rag" from Diamonds. Jonathan Sheffer, composer
2016 Concerto for Soprano Saxophone & Orchestra Navona Records Swedish Radio Symphony Orchestra with Petter Sundkvist, conductor. Anders Paulsson, soprano saxophone
The Conference of the Birds Navona Records Moravian Philharmonic Orchestra with Jonathan Sheffer, conductor. Joyce DiDonato, narrator
2019 Y'did Nefesh (SATB) Navona Records Recorded by The Crossing, Donald Nally, conductor on the CD Evolutionary Spirits. Jonathan Sheffer, composer

Eos Orchestra: Recordings[edit]

Year Title Label Notes
1995 Paul Bowles: Music RCA Red Seal World premiere recordings of compositions from the popular expatriate novelist. Jonathan Sheffer, conductor
1996 Music for Merce BMG Catalyst World premiere recordings of works written for choreographer Merce Cunningham. Jonathan Sheffer, conductor
1998 Aaron Copland: American Master BMG The composer´s original chamber version of Appalachian Spring and a program of American masterworks. Jonathan Sheffer, conductor
Gershwin: The Complete Works For Piano & Orchestra BMG The complete Gershwin piano and orchestra works. Jonathan Sheffer, conductor
2001 Celluloid Copland Telarc World premiere film music by Aaron Copland. Jonathan Sheffer, conductor. Grammy-nomination

Film and television recordings[edit]

Year Title Label Notes
1992 Alien 3 MCA Original Motion Picture Soundtrack. Jonathan Sheffer, conductor
Batman Returns Warner Sunset Original Motion Picture Soundtrack. Jonathan Sheffer, conductor
1993 Sommersby Elektra Original Motion Picture Soundtrack. Jonathan Sheffer, conductor
1994 Cobb Sony Original Motion Picture Soundtrack. Jonathan Sheffer, conductor
Golden Gate Varèse Sarabande Original Motion Picture Soundtrack. Jonathan Sheffer, conductor
Interview with the Vampire Geffen Original Motion Picture Soundtrack. Jonathan Sheffer, conductor
1995 Smoke Hollywood Records Original Motion Picture Soundtrack. Jonathan Sheffer, conductor
Batman Forever Atlantic Original Motion Picture Soundtrack. Jonathan Sheffer, conductor
Heat Warner Brothers Original Motion Picture Soundtrack. Jonathan Sheffer, conductor
1996 A Time to Kill Atlantic Original Motion Picture Soundtrack. Jonathan Sheffer, conductor
Michael Collins Atlantic Original Motion Picture Soundtrack. Jonathan Sheffer, conductor
1997 Batman & Robin Warner Sunset Original Motion Picture Soundtrack. Jonathan Sheffer, conductor
1998 Sphere Varèse Sarabande Original Motion Picture Soundtrack. Jonathan Sheffer, conductor
1999 In Dreams Varèse Sarabande Original Motion Picture Soundtrack. Jonathan Sheffer, conductor
Titus Sony Classical Original Motion Picture Soundtrack. Jonathan Sheffer, conductor
2004 Broadway: The American Musical Columbia Broadway Masterworks Jonathan Sheffer, conductor
2006 The Good Shepherd Varèse Sarabande Original Motion Picture Soundtrack. Jonathan Sheffer, conductor
2007 Across the Universe Interscope Original Motion Picture Soundtrack. Jonathan Sheffer, conductor
2010 Public Enemies Decca Original Motion Picture Soundtrack. Jonathan Sheffer, conductor
The Tempest Alliance Original Motion Picture Soundtrack. Jonathan Sheffer, conductor

Other works[edit]

  • Camera Obscura (1978) – Ten-minute opera
  • The Mistake (1981) – Opera in one-act
  • Ladies in Waiting (1982) – Musical
  • Going Hollywood (1983) – Musical comedy
  • Three Sisters (1983) – Incidental Music
  • Six Easy Pieces, for piano solo (1995)
  • Classical Action (1997) – Variations
  • Romp: Concerto for Soprano Saxophone & Orchestra (1998)
  • Blood on the Dining Room Floor (2000) – Opera
  • Filmusic #1 (2003)
  • 25.VI.95 (1983) – String quartet
  • Owl Creek Bridge (2004) – Ten-minute opera
  • Filmusic #2 (2006)
  • A Red Couch Floating in Lake Erie (2007) – Symphony for voices and orchestra
  • Rumpus, Piano Trio #1 (2012)
  • Parasomnia, Piano Trio #2 (2014)
  • The Conference of the Birds (2014)
  • Fanfare: CBST (2016)
  • Y’did Nefesh (SATB)
  • Four 10-Minute Operas (2024)

References[edit]

  1. ^ Wright, David (April 30, 2000). "MUSIC; An Orchestra's Success Breeds a Sequel". The New York Times. Retrieved October 1, 2023.
  2. ^ Ballen, Sian (August 22, 2008). "Jonathan Sheffer". New York Social Diary. Retrieved October 1, 2023.
  3. ^ "How did your education shape your attitudes about music? Jonathan Sheffer, Composer; Founder, Conductor and Artistic Director of the Eos Orchestra". New Music USA. Retrieved October 1, 2023.
  4. ^ "Jonathan Sheffer". Grammy Awards. Retrieved October 1, 2023.
  5. ^ "Jonathan Sheffer". Navona Records. Retrieved October 1, 2023.
  6. ^ "Jonathan Sheffer & the Eos Orchestra". Fanfaire. Retrieved October 1, 2023.
  7. ^ "Jonathan Sheffer Biography by Joseph Stevenson". All Music. Retrieved October 1, 2023.
  8. ^ "Jonathan Sheffer". Musician Bio. Retrieved October 1, 2023.
  9. ^ "Ladies in Waiting – Chicago Creative Team". Broadway World. Retrieved October 1, 2023.
  10. ^ Purcell, Carey (January 22, 2014). "Reading of Going Hollywood,, Starring Vicki Lewis, Adam Wylie, Anneliese van der Pol and Tim Martin Gleason, Presented Jan. 22–23". Playbill. Retrieved October 1, 2023.
  11. ^ "Jonathan Sheffer". Navona Records. Retrieved October 1, 2023.
  12. ^ "Films with music composed by Jonathan Sheffer". Letterboxd. Retrieved October 1, 2023.
  13. ^ Sisario, Ben (December 23, 2004). "Arts, Briefly; Eos Orchestra Folds". The New York Times. Retrieved October 1, 2023.
  14. ^ Shen, Ted (June 21, 2001). "EOS Orchestra". Chicago Reader. Retrieved October 1, 2023.
  15. ^ Jepson, Barbara (January 17, 2001). "Eos Orchestra Confronts The Perils of Success". The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved October 1, 2023.
  16. ^ "Jonathan Sheffer". Grammy Awards. Retrieved October 1, 2023.
  17. ^ "ASCAP Awards Honor Adventurous Programming". MTV. Retrieved October 1, 2023.
  18. ^ Rosenberg, Donald (April 2, 2008). "Troubles bubbling under the surface led to undoing of Red (an orchestra)". Cleveland. Retrieved October 1, 2023.
  19. ^ Spector, Joseph (May 16, 2013). "Lawsky, Milgrim Get New Jobs With Cuomo". Democrat and Chronicle. Retrieved October 1, 2023.
  20. ^ Hofler, Robert (April 24, 2000). "Blood on the Dining Room Floor". Variety. Retrieved October 1, 2023.
  21. ^ "The Conference of the Birds". Navona Records. Retrieved October 1, 2023.
  22. ^ "Jonathan Sheffer". MacDowell. Retrieved October 1, 2023.

External links[edit]



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