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Music
- 2005 Blue and Yellow [RAI Trade] for flute and piano a mercurial, compact and virtuosic work written for Andrea Ceccomori and Emanuele Arciuli 6’
- 2005 Sonnet 22 [Onibatan Music] for 3-part men’s chorus and two harps commissioned by James Pinkerton and Jack Harrington text by Elizabeth B. Browning (Sonnet 22) 15’
- 2005 String Quartet no. 3 [Onibatan Music] commissioned by the Caramoor Festival for the Amernet Quartet a compact work in five movements 22’
- 2004 at what price? [Onibatan Music] for solo piano commissioned by the Ohio Music Teachers Association 13’
- 2004 For Bill [Onibatan Music] for solo piano written in memory of William Black 10’
- 2004 Piano Trio 3 on C# [Onibatan Music] for violin, cello and piano commissioned by Christopher Karp for the Karp Trio 20’
- 2004 The Old Machine at Sovereign Hill [Onibatan Music] for intermediate level string orchestra written for the Cincinnati Junior Strings 7’
- 2003 Brave Old Mordechai [Onibatan Music] for clarinet, cimbalom, accordion, voice and strings (text by Mordechai Gebirtig) written for Brave Old World and the Amsterdam Sinfonietta 20’
- 2003 Coast to Coast [Onibatan Music] for percussion, mandolin/banjo and violin commissioned by the Cincinnati Art Museum for the opening of the "Cincinnati Wing" 15’
- 2003 Piano Trio 2: [Onibatan Music] for violin, cello and piano commissioned by Christopher Karp for the Karp Trio 18’
- 2003 Portogruaro Quartet [RAI Trade] for 2 pianos and 2 percussion commissioned by RAI Trade for the Portogruaro Festival, Portogruaro, Italy 5’
- 2003 to listen, to hear [Onibatan Music] for full orchestra commissioned by the Prince William Symphony Orchestra of Virginia in celebration of their 30th anniversary 2222 2210 timp 1 perc hp strings 12’
- 2002 The Memory Game [Onibatan Music] opera in three acts libretto by Henk Romijn Meijer commissioned by the University of Cincinnati first performances May 2003 by the CCM Opera Department; Sandra Bernhard, director 2h 30’
- 2001 Gebirtig Speaks [Onibatan Music] for clarinet, string trio and piano commissioned by BargeMusic, New York 20’
- 2001 Round Midnight Variation [Onibatan Music] for solo piano This is the last piece in a series of pieces inspired by "Round Midnight" of Thelonius Monk. The series was commissioned by the Music02 Festival and premiered by pianist Emanuele Arciuli 4’
- 2001 Self-Portrait with JS [Onibatan Music] for string trio (violin, viola and cello) commissioned by the "Consonances" Festival in St. Nazaire, France This work is based on the Sonata in G major for Viola da Gamba by J.S. Bach 15’
- 2001 The Smile [Onibatan Music] for full orchestra commissioned for the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra by Hebrew Union College in celebration of its 125th anniversary. 12’
- 1999 Krakow Variations [Onibatan Music] for viola sola based on material from the opera "The Memory Game" 10’
- 1999 Reyzele: a Portrait [Onibatan Music] for flt, clt, perc, 2 vln, vla, vc, cb based on material from the opera "The Memory Game" 15’
- 1998 Self-Portrait with Gebirtig [Onibatan Music] for cello and orchestra based on material from the opera "The Memory Game" written for Gary Hoffman and recorded by him with the Berlin Radio Symphony and conductor Christopher Wilkins (to be released on Naxos) 22’
- 1997 Millennium Dances [RAI Trade] for full orchestra commissioned by conductor Jesus Lopez-Cobos for the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra a large-scale work in six movements 3333 4331 timp 3 perc piano/celeste hp strings (large complement) 38’
- 1996 L’Chaim Chantata [Onibatan Music] for 12-part ensemble commissioned by Jeffrey Thickman and Igor Polesitsky in honor of Jeffrey’s parents 20’
- 1996 Portogruaro Sextet [Onibatan Music] for clt, hn, vln, vla, vc, pno commissioned by the Portogruaro Festival; Portogruaro, Italy 9’
- 1996 Stone Soup (English version) [Onibatan Music] for narrator and violin (text adapted by Joel Hoffman) a retelling of the traditional story of greed melting into generosity in a version for all ages 15’
- 1996 Stone Soup (version Francaise) [Onibatan Music] for narrator and violin (text adapted and translated by Joel Hoffman) written for the "Consonances" festival in St. Nazaire, France a retelling of the traditional story of greed melting into generosity in a version for all ages 15’
- 1996 The Music within the Words, Part 1 [Onibatan Music] for flt, ob, vc, pno a set of four short pieces inspired by Jewish folk songs 20’
- 1996 The Music within the Words, Part 1 [Onibatan Music] alternate version for flt, clt, bsn, hn and pno a set of four short pieces inspired by Jewish folk songs 20’
- 1996 The Music within the Words, Part 2 [Onibatan Music] for vla, vc, hp, pno a set of six short pieces inspired by Jewish folk songs commissioned by BargeMusic, New York 30’
- 1995 ChiaSsO [RAI Trade] for full orchestra commissioned by the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra in celebration of its 100th anniversary 3343 4331 timp 2 perc pno hp strings 9’
- 1995 L’Immensita dell’Attimo [Onibatan Music] flt, pno written for Michele Marasco and the Maremusica Festival in Ischia, Italy an adaptation of the song cycle of the same name in three movements 15’
- 1995 L’Immensita dell’Attimo (song cycle) [Onibatan Music] for mezzo-soprano, pno (text by Mario Luzi) in three movements 15’
- 1994 Music for Chamber Orchestra [Onibatan Music] for chamber orchestra written for the Cincinnati Chamber Orchestra and its music director, Keith Lockhart 15’
- 1994 Self-Portrait with Mozart [RAI Trade] for solo violin, solo piano and orchestra a unique composition which incorporates an unfinished fragment by Mozart and expands on it in the context of a four-movement work 2222 2200 timp 1 perc vln solo pno solo strings: at least 6 5 4 3 2 31’
- 1993 String Quartet no.2 [RAI Trade] for 2 vlns, vla, vc commissioned by May and Charles Westheimer in celebration of their 50th wedding anniversary 18’
- 1992 Metasmo [Onibatan Music] for percussion trio a work which includes the percussionists in the composing process: the musicians choose the instruments they play 15’
- 1992 Music in Blue and Green [Onibatan Music] for full orchestra written for the Buffalo Symphony Orchestra 14’
- 1991 Cubist Blues [RAI Trade] for violin, cello and piano commissioned by the Golub-Kaplan-Carr Trio 22’
- 1991 Each for Himself? [RAI Trade] for solo piano a virtuoso work in seven movements 22’
- 1990 Crossing Points [Onibatan Music] for 20 solo strings a one-movement multi-section work 14’
- 1990 Partenze [Onibatan Music] for violin solo a virtuoso work in ten connected parts published also in "The Violexchange" vol. 6 no. 2 23’
- 1988 26 x 3 for 3 (and E.C. at 80) [Onibatan Music] for percussion trio a short companion work to "Metasmo" which celebrates Elliott Carter’s 80th birthday 4’
- 1988 Fantasia Fiorentina [RAI Trade] for vln + pno an exuberant one-movement work 16’
- 1987 Hancock Trio [Onibatan Music] for ob, hn, pno commissioned by The Hancock Trio 18’
- 1987 Ricordanza [Onibatan Music] for vc + pno a compact, slow and lyrical work 8’
- 1987 Sendup, Countdown [Onibatan Music] for SATB chorus + optional pno (text: William Shakespeare and Joel Hoffman) Shakespeare with a few unexpected humorous twists and a Marx Brothers reference thrown in... in three movements 12’
- 1986 Hands Down [Onibatan Music] for solo piano a work written in graphic notation with a strong improvisatory nature 11’
- 1986 Violin Concerto [E.C. Schirmer] for vln + full orchestra commissioned by the National Endowment for the Arts a large-scale, three movement piece 3343 4331 hp 3 perc vln solo strings 36’
- 1985 Between Ten [Onibatan Music] for full orchestra a colorful, compact work which explores some of the paintings of Kandinsky 11’
- 1984 Double Concerto [Onibatan Music] for vla, vc + full orchestra commissioned by Ann Santen and WGUC-FM (Cincinnati) a large-scale three-movement work 31’
- 1984 Duo for Viola and Piano [Onibatan Music] for vla + pno written for and recorded by Toby Hoffman 14’
- 1984 Music for Two Oboes [E.C. Schirmer] for 2 obs written for Richard Woodhams and Sara Lambert Bloom 8’
- 1983 Chamber Symphony [E.C. Schirmer] for chamber orchestra (1980, rev. 1983) commissioned by the Tanglewood Festival in one movement 14’
- 1983 Five Pieces for Two Pianos [E.C. Schirmer] for 2 pnos in five compact movements 16’
- 1982 Music for Trumpets and Strings [Onibatan Music] for 2 tpts + string quartet commissioned by the Eastman School of Music for Charles Geyer, Barbara Butler and the Cleveland Quartet in one extended movement 18’
- 1982 Sonata for Cello and Piano [Onibatan Music] for vc + pno written for Gary Hoffman in 2 movements 22’
- 1982 Sonata for Harp [E.C. Schirmer] for solo harp written for Deborah Hoffman in one extended movement 15’
- 1981 Lyric Variations [Onibatan Music] for trombone choir (six tbns) 10’
- 1981 Nirvana, the Waterfall [Onibatan Music] for sop, vc, pno (text: Shunryu Suzuki) 16’
- 1980 Divertimento [Onibatan Music] for string quartet, hp + pno written for the Hoffman Chamber Soloists in three movements 12’
- 1980 September Music [Lyra Music] Co. for cb + hp a single-movement work in a lyrical, minimalist language 8’
- 1980 Suite [Onibatan Music] for ob, bsn, vc, cb + perc. commissioned by the Florida Gulf Coast Chamber Players in five movements 16’
- 1980 Three Bagatelles [Onibatan Music] for ob, bsn, pno 14’
- 1978 Concert-Study for solo flute [Onibatan Music] for solo flt 7’
- 1978 Concert-Study for solo piano [Onibatan Music] for solo pno based on material from Triple Concerto 4’
- 1978 Music from Chartres [G. Schirmer] for 2 tpts, 4 hns, 2 ten tbns, 1 bs tbn,1 tba commissioned by the Chicago Symphony Brass additional support from the American Music Center 10’
- 1978 Triple Concerto [Onibatan Music] for vln, vla, vc and full orchestra in three movements 22’
- 1977 Abbassare [RAI Trade] for viola sola 4’
- 1977 Bagatelles for harp and piano [Onibatan Music] for hp + pno in five movements 14’
- 1977 Concert-Study (Fantasie) for solo cello [Onibatan Music] for solo vc based on material from Triple Concerto 10’
- 1977 Horn Concerto [Onibatan Music] for solo hrn + clt, vln, vc, pno in three movements 18’
- 1977 Variations for Four Flutes [Onibatan Music] for 4 flts 9’
- 1975 Fantasy Pieces [Onibatan Music] for solo piano in five connected movements 18’
- 1975 Nocturne for violin and piano [Onibatan Music] for vln + pno 5’
- 1975 Variations for violin, cello and harp [Lyra Music] Co. for vln, vc, hp (or pno) winner of Columbia University’s Bearns Prize 8’
- 1974 Three Englynion [Onibatan Music] for 5-part unaccompanied chorus (text: Euros Bowen) 10’
Life
Born in Canada in 1953, Joel Hoffman received degrees from the University of Wales and the Juilliard School. He is part of a distinguished musical family that includes brothers Gary and Toby, cellist and conductor, and Deborah, harpist. Honors include a major prize from the American Academy-Institute of Arts and Letters, two grants from the National Endowment for the Arts, the Bearns Prize of Columbia University, a BMI Award, ASCAP awards since 1977, and three American Music Center grants.
Joel Hoffman Currently, Hoffman is Professor of Composition at the University of Cincinnati’s College-Conservatory of Music. During the 1993-94 season, he served as composer-in-residence with the National Chamber Orchestra of Washington, DC and in 1991–92, he held the position of New Music Advisor for the Buffalo Philharmonic. He has been a resident composer at the Rockefeller, Camargo and Hindemith Foundations, the MacDowell Colony and Yaddo. Hoffman is also an active pianist, having appeared as soloist with, among others, the Chicago Symphony, the Belgian Radio and T.V. Orchestra, the Costa Rica National Symphony and the Florida Orchestra.
Hoffman’s works draw from such diverse sources as Eastern European folk musics and bebop, and are pervaded by a sense of lyricism and rhythmic vitality. They have been performed by many ensembles such as the Chicago Symphony Brass, the BBC Orchestra of Wales, the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra, the Cleveland Quartet, the Shanghai Quartet, and the Golub-Kaplan-Carr Trio. "Self-Portrait with Gebirtig", for cello and orchestra, has been performed in New York, Paris, Tel Aviv, San Jose (Costa Rica), Washington, Baltimore, Pittsburgh, Cincinnati, Santa Barbara, Kronberg (Germany), and has been recorded by the Berlin Radio Symphony, the Kiev Chamber Orchestra as well as by the Slovenian Radio Symphony in Lubliana. Hoffman’s recent opera, "The Memory Game", received its first performances in May of 2003. A new work, “Brave Old Mordechai” was recently taken on tour in Holland by the Amsterdam Sinfonietta and Brave Old World in November, 2003.
His music has been frequently heard at summer festivals such as Portogruaro, Korsholm, Evian, St. Nazaire, Newport, Chamber Music Northwest and the Seattle Chamber Music Festival. Organizations that have commissioned Hoffman’s music include the Berkshire Music Center at Tanglewood, the Fromm Foundation, the Cincinnati Symphony, the National Chamber Orchestra and the American Harp Society.
All of Joel Hoffman’s music is published, either by his own publishing house Onibatan Music or by RAI Trade, E.C. Schirmer, G. Schirmer and Lyra Music. There are recordings on the CRI, Koch, Stradivarius, Centaur, EMA and Deutsche Welle labels. A disc devoted to Hoffman’s chamber music is available on the Gasparo label.