2012-2013 Featured Composer:
Edwin McLean
It is my great pleasure to introduce this year’s adopted composer, Edwin McLean. We will have the opportunity this year to work with Mr. McLean as each student in the PPLS studies his compositions and is encouraged to compose and improvise original compositions of his/her own. At the end of the year selected students will be invited to perform Mr. McLean’s compositions and several new works commissioned by the PPLS in a recital, masterclass or as part of interactive workshops in the public schools in Pullman. The PPLS teachers will encourage students to write questions to Mr. McLean, and to create poster-sized “cover art” for the compositions. Additionally, we’ll host a Meet the Composer hour for students to ask the composer questions, and request autographs and photographs. This is going to be another exciting year for all of us, and I hope you will join with me in encouraging your students to unleash their creativity in musical expression, improvisation and composition this year at the piano!
Biography
Edwin McLean is a composer living in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. He is a graduate of the Yale School of Music, where he studied with Krzysztof Penderecki and Jacob Druckman. He also holds a master’s degree in music theory and a bachelor’s degree in piano performance from the University of Colorado.
Mr. McLean has been the recipient of several grants and awards: The MacDowell Colony, the John Work Award, the Woods Chandler Prize (Yale), Meet the Composer, Florida Arts Council, and many others. He has also won the Aliénor Composition Competition for his work Sonata for Harpsichord, published by The FJH Music Company Inc. and recorded by Elaine Funaro (Into the Millennium, Gasparo GSCD-331). His complete works for harpsichord are available on the Miami Bach Society recording, Edwin McLean: Sonatas for 1, 2, and 3 Harpsichords.
Since 1979, Edwin McLean has arranged the music of some of today’s best-known recording artists. Currently, he is senior editor for The FJH Music Company Inc.
Adopted Composer Events
Friday, April 19th
- Edwin McLean workshops in the public schools
- Edwin McLean Recital, 6:30 pm in Kimb Concert Hall
Saturday, April 20th
- Masterclass with Edwin McLean, 9:00 a.m. in KCH
- Meet the Composer, 10:30 a.m., KCH
- Edwin McLean Clinic, 2:00 p.m. in Kimb 101
