Steven Gellman

Steven Gellman (born 16 September 1947) is a Canadian composer, pianist and professor. He has been commissioned to write works for the Besançon International Music Festival, the CBC Symphony Orchestra, the Hamilton Philharmonic, McGill University, Musica Camerata, the National Arts Centre Orchestra, the Ottawa Symphony Orchestra, Opera Lyra, the Pierrot Ensemble, the Stratford Festival, and the Toronto Symphony Orchestra among others. Since 1976 he has taught music composition and theory at the University of Ottawa.

Early life He was born in Toronto. Gellman began his musical training there with Samuel Dolin with whom he studied piano and music composition. He began his career as a concert pianist while still a teenager, first drawing acclaim for his 1964 performance of his own piano concerto with the CBC Symphony Orchestra. For that composition he won the BMI Student Composer Award. A performance later that year at Expo 86 in Vancouver, featured the Vancouver Symphony. Further performances followed, at the Festival de Lanaudiere with the Orchestre Metropolitan de Montreal and in Ottawa with the Ottawa Symphony. Composed with funding from the Canada Council and the Ontario Arts Council. It is dedicated "to all beings in the aspiration for World Peace". Universe Symphony brought further international recognition.

In the wake of "Universe Symphony", Jon Kimura Parker commissioned Steven Gellman to compose a work for him. The result was: "Keyboard Triptych" for Piano/Synthesizer with which Parker toured Canada, the U.S and Britain.

Major works Gellman has composed a variety of works

"Love's Garden", for Soprano and Orchestra; "Canticles of Saint Francis", for Choir and Orchestra, for the 150th anniversary of the Red Cross; "Burnt Offerings" for String Orchestra; "Musica Eterna", for String Quartet; "Red Shoes" (for the S.M.C.Q. ); "Chiaroscuro"; Album for Piano (published by Frederick Harris Co.) ; "Sonata for Cello and Piano"; "Jaya Overture" (for the N.A.C.O.) "Fanfare for the New Millennium" Piano Quartet (commissioned by Radio Canada, world premiere on 3 April 2004 in Montreal, performed by Musica Camerata. Viola Concerto (world premiere on 29 January 2007 at the National Arts Centre in Ottawa) "Musings" for Piano Trio (premiered by the Gryphon Trio at The Ottawa International Chamber Music Festival (2009)

Personal life Steven Gellman lives in Ottawa with his wife, Cheryl, a visual artist. They have two grown children, Dana and Misha.

Recognition

Canadian Composer of the Year (1987)