Alexis Alrich

Alexis Alrich is a vibrant composer in the Bay Area. She has studied at the New England Conservatory, California Institute of the Arts and with Lou Harrison at Mills College where she received her Masters degree in music composition. She has been the recipient of numerous grants and commissions from groups such as the Park Chamber Orchestra, the American Music Center, and Contra Costa College. Her works range from the orchestral piece Avenues to the childrens opera The Snow Queen which have been performed across the United States by groups including Earplay, the Womens Philharmonic, and the Rohnert Park Chamber Orchestra. She is a member of the San Francisco Bay Area composers group Ottava which recently released a CD titled with the groups name. Alexis Alrich presents Night Air (a flute and piano duo), and Driving to Salt Lake (a clarinet, cello, and piano trio) on this new CD. Her music reflects aspects of nature combined with a tonal structure introducing melodies and themes one could hear over and over.

Alexis Alrich began composing when she was only fourteen, urged by her first music teacher Mary Martindale. From her first piano lesson Alexis composed and after a lecture from her teacher, she began to identify herself as a composer. This instilled confidence in Alexis which has supported her throughout her career. Throughout her educational career Alexis was influenced greatly by the compositions of Henry Cowel, Virgil Thompsin, Charles Ives, and Lou Harrison. Her work has ranged from the Avant Guard to tonal music. In her graduate study at Mills College Lou Harrison introduced tonal music and Indonesian music to her which are still aspects in her work.

Now Alrich finds inspiration for her work in the sounds in nature. She told me that she takes one long vacation in nature every year and stores up all of the things she sees and hears to be used throughout the coming year in her compositions. When asked about moments in her work when she really feels self inspiration she told me that when she sits at the piano composing and feels truly peaceful and timeless everything comes together and composition makes sense.

I was very interested to know how Alexis felt about being a woman composer and how the experience of education and then participation in the professional world of composition had been effected by her gender. She answered by voicing her support for affirmative action saying that she was very happy women were receiving some kind of support. At the same time her answer was very realistic in that she spoke about the music world and how it works. Much of getting compositions played has to do with connections, who you know...and most conductors of orchestras know male composers. She also mentioned that women have always been those who helped her in every career step.

When I asked Alexis about the financial struggles of being a composer, she laughed and said the whole issue was annoying. She explained to me that she does more than just compose. She has several very good students and receives commissions, grants and royalties from B.M.I. for her compositions. She is a very active member of a small composing group that meets at least once a month to critique each others work, give concerts, and record together. This has been a great help to her although she told me that she would like to have another woman in the group.

Success in her eyes is having her compositions played over and over. She told me that she wanted her music to be a part of people, that audience members would leave the concert hall and remember the themes of her works, the tunes, and want to hear them again. She would like someday soon to be a composer in residence for an orchestra. At present Alexis is at work on her First Symphony which will be written for Dancers and Chamber players.

Rohnert Park Chamber Orchestra, May, 1997.
(Island of the Blue Dolphins for narrator and chamber orchestra.)
Earplay, Center for the Arts Yerba Buena Gardens, March, 1996.
(Driving to Salt Lake for clarinet, cello and piano.)
Composers group, San Francisco, February, 1996. (Night Air for flute and piano.)
Rohnert Park Chamber Orchestra, March, 1995. (Avenues.)
Cumberland Valley Chamber Players, Chambersburg, Pennsylvania, October, 1994. (Avenues.)
Women in Music - Columbus Symphony Orchestra Columbus, Ohio, May, 1994. (Avenues.)
Women Composers Orchestra, Baltimore, Maryland, January, 1992. (Avenues.)
Bay Area Womens Philharmonic, February, 1991. (Avenues.)
San Francisco Performances, (Sundays at Three series) June, 1989. (Three Colors.)
U.C.S.F. Arts and Lectures, October, 1988. (Three Colors.)
International Congress on Women in Music, Atlanta, Georgia, 1986. (Variation for Two Pianos.)
New College Gallery, San Francisco, July, 1985;
sponsored by Meet The Composer. (Set for Piano.)
Recordings Ottava, chamber and orchestral music of four Bay Area composers,
Ottava Records, 1997.
Three Colors and Yolla Bolly Variations, for guitar and keyboard;
released on cassette by Ron Galen and Alexis Alrich, 1990.
Prelude and Jig, for mandolin and guitar; Opus One Records (record # 140)
Palm Boulevard, for Mandolin, marimba and piano ; Opus One Records (record (#119)

Music for Theater, Dance, Film, and Video
Andrew Goldsworthy, video pilot for series on visual artists, 1994.
Songs for Foozle and Freud, childrens music video. 1994.
The Snow Queen, a childrens opera. Live Oak Theater, Berkeley, May, 1993.
Incidental music for The Velveteen Rabbit, ODC/San Francisco, California, 1989.
Chevron Video Report #88, 1990.
The Lion in Winter, the Masquers at Point Richmond, 1989.
The Gift of the Magi, EXITheater, San Francisco, 1988.
A Man For All Seasons, Actors Ensemble of Berkeley, 1988.
Two films, Educational Film Department, CSU Northridge, 1978 - 80