A choir, chorale, or chorus is a musical ensemble of singers. Choral music, in turn, is the music written specifically for such an ensemble to perform.

A body of singers who perform together as a group is called a choir or chorus. The former term is very often applied to groups affiliated with a church (whether or not they actually occupy the choir) and the second to groups that perform in theatres or concert halls, but this distinction is far from rigid. The term "Choir" has the secondary definition of a subset of an ensemble; thus one speaks of the "woodwind choir" of an orchestra, or different "choirs" of voices and/or instruments in a polychoral composition. In typical 18th to 21st century oratorios and masses, chorus or choir is usually understood to imply more than one singer per part, in contrast to the quartet of soloists also featured in these works. in the quire of the York Minster, showing carved choirstalls. ]]

Structure of choirs

Choirs are often led by a conductor or choirmaster. Most often choirs consist of four sections intended to sing in four part harmony, but there is no limit to the number of possible parts as long as there is a singer available to sing the part: Thomas Tallis wrote a 40-part motet entitled Spem in alium, for eight choirs of five parts each; Krzysztof Penderecki's Stabat Mater is for three choirs of 16 voices each, a total of 48 parts. Other than four, the most common number of parts are three, five, six and eight.

Choirs can sing with or without instrumental accompaniment. Singing without accompaniment is called a cappella singing (although the American Choral Directors Association discourages this usage in favor of "unaccompanied," since a cappella denotes singing "as in the chapel" and much unaccompanied music today is secular). Accompanying instruments vary widely, from only one to a full orchestra; for rehearsals a piano or organ accompaniment is often used, even if a different instrumentation is planned for performance, or if the choir is rehearsing unaccompanied music.

In Worship Services

Accompaniment

, Egypt.]] Eastern Orthodox churches, some American Protestant groups, and some synagogues do not use instruments. In churches of the Western Rite the accompanying instrument is usually the organ, although in colonial America, the Moravian Church used groups of strings and winds. Many churches which use a contemporary worship format use a small amplified band to accompany the singing, and Roman Catholic Churches may use, at their discretion, additional orchestral accompaniment.

Liturgical Function

In addition to leading of singing in which the participates, such as hymns and service music, some church choirs still sing full liturgies, including propers (introit, gradual, communion antiphons appropriate for the different times of the liturgical year). Chief among these are the Anglican and Roman Catholic churches; far more common however is the performance of anthems or motets at designated times in the service.

Contemporary

Although many contemporary churches have replaced the choir with singers, some churches have choirs which are backing vocalists in contrary to front line singers, which are in the Alto, Soprano and Tenor range for both Males and Females. Unlike traditional churches, these choir members clap along to the songs, raise hands and even dance on the pedestal in an act of encouraging the congregation to do likewise. Some of these choirs do not even have a conductor.

Types of Choirs

Mixed choirs (with male and female voices). This is perhaps the most common type, usually consisting of soprano, alto, tenor and bass voices, often abbreviated as SATB. Often one or more voices is divided into two, e.g., SSAATTBB, where each voice is divided into two parts, and SATBSATB, where the choir is divided into two semi-independent four-part choirs. Occasionally baritone voice is also used (e.g., SATBarB), often sung by the higher basses. In smaller choirs with fewer men, SAB, or Soprano, Alto, and Baritone arrangements allow the few men to share the role of both the tenor and bass in a single part.

Male choirs, with the same SATB voicing as mixed choirs, but with boys singing the upper part (often called trebles or boy sopranos) and men singing alto (in falsetto), also known as countertenors. This format is typical of the British cathedral choir.

Female choirs, usually consisting of soprano and alto voices, two parts in each, often abbreviated as SSAA, or as soprano I, soprano II, and alto, abbreviated SSA.

Men's choirs, or Male Chorale, usually consisting of two tenors, baritone, and bass, often abbreviated as TTBB (or ATBB if the upper part sings falsetto in alto range. ATBB may be seen in some barbershop quartet music.

Children's choirs, often two-part SA or three-part SSA, sometimes more voices. This includes boychoirs.

Choirs are also categorized by the institutions in which they operate:

Church choirs

Collegiate and university choirs

Community choirs (of children or adults)

Professional choirs, either independent (e.g.Anúna) or state-supported (e.g., BBC Singers, National Chamber Choir of Ireland, Canadian Chamber Choir, Swedish Radio Choir).

School choirs

Signing choirs (of Deaf or Hearing individuals), using Sign Language rather than voices

Integrated Signing and Singing Choirs, using both Sign Language and Voices and led by both a Signductor and a Musical Director.

Some choirs are categorized by the type of music they perform, such as

Bach choirs

Barbershop music

Gospel choirs

Show choirs, in which the members sing and dance, often in performances somewhat like musicals

Symphonic choirs

Vocal jazz choirs

Arrangements on Stage

There are various schools of thought regarding how the various sections should be arranged on stage. In symphonic choirs it is common (though by no means universal) to order the choir behind the orchestra from highest to lowest voices from left to right, corresponding to the typical string layout. In a cappella or piano-accompanied situations it is not unusual for the men to be in the back and the women in front; some conductors prefer to place the basses behind the sopranos, arguing that the outer voices need to tune to each other.

More experienced choirs often sing with the voices all mixed together. Proponents of this method argue that it makes it easier for each individual singer to hear and tune to the other parts, but it requires more independence from each singer. Opponents argue that this method loses the spatial separation of individual voice lines, an otherwise valuable feature for the audience, and that it eliminates sectional resonance, which lessens the effective volume of the chorus.

For music with double (or multiple) choirs, usually the members of each choir are together, sometimes significantly separated, especially in performances of 16th-century music. Some composers actually specify that choirs should be separated, such as in Benjamin Britten's War Requiem.

Consideration is also given to the spacing of the singers. Studies have found that not only the actual formation, but the amount of space (both laterally and circumambiently) affect the perception of sound by choristers and auditors.

Skills involved in choral singing

Choral singers vary greatly in their ability and performance. The best choral singers possess (among others) the following abilities:

to sing precisely in tune (on the correct pitch) and with a vocal timbre (or color) which complements the other singers;

to sing at precisely controlled levels of volume, matching the dynamics marked in the score or prescribed by the conductor, and not sing so loudly as to be markedly detectable as an individual voice within the section;

to sight-read music fluently;

to read and pronounce the text accurately and in the pronunciation style specified by the leader, whatever the language may be. This includes correct diction, proper vowels and timing of diphthongs, and correct placement of consonants;

to understand and interpret the music and to reflect that understanding in the vocal production of the music;

to remain completely alert for long periods, monitoring closely what is going on in a rehearsal or performance;

to monitor one's own singing and detect errors, correcting them as they go along,

to accept direction from others for the good of the group as a whole, even when the singer disagrees aesthetically with the instructions;

to produce a healthy and pleasing tone through the use of proper vocal technique;

to sing using pure vowels through vowel tracking to match the group;

Singers who have perfect pitch require yet other skills:

to sing music in keys other than that in which it is written, since choirs often sing music in transposed form.

to stay "in tune" with the ensemble, even in the event the ensemble modulates slightly away from "perfect" pitch

to provide ensembles with the key or starting pitch that a piece begins on, usually with unaccompanied pieces

Historical overview of choral music

Antiquity

, showing Dionysus with actresses (possibly from The Bacchae) carrying masks and drums.]]

The oldest unambiguously choral repertory that survives is that of ancient Greece, of which the 2nd century BC Delphic hymns and the 2nd century AD. hymns of Mesomedes are the most complete. The original Greek chorus sang its part in Greek drama, and fragments of works by Euripides (Orestes) and Sophocles (Ajax) are known from papyri. The Seikilos epitaph (2c BC) is a complete song (although possibly for solo voice). One of the latest examples, Oxyrhynchus hymn (3c) is also of interest as the earliest Christian music.

Of the Roman drama's music a single line of Terence surfaced in the 18c.

:See also Ancient music.

Medieval music

Casanatensis (XIV century).]]

The earliest notated music of western Europe is Gregorian Chant, along with a few other types of chant which were later subsumed (or sometimes suppressed) by the Catholic Church. This tradition of unison choir singing lasted from sometime between the times of St. Ambrose (4th century) and Gregory the Great (6th century) up to the present. During the later Middle Ages, a new type of singing involving multiple melodic parts, called organum, became predominant for certain functions, but initially this polyphony was only sung by soloists. Further developments of this technique included clausulae, conductus and the motet (most notably the isorhythmic motet), which, unlike the Renaissance motet, describes a composition with different texts sung simultaneously in different voices. The first evidence of polyphony with more than one singer per part comes in the Old Hall Manuscript (1420, though containing music from the late 14th century), in which there are apparent divisi, one part dividing into two simultaneously sounding notes.

Renaissance music

's Cantoria. Museo dell'Opera del Duomo, Florence.]]

During the Renaissance, sacred choral music was the principal type of formally-notated music in Western Europe. Throughout the era, hundreds of masses and motets (as well as various other forms) were composed for a cappella choir, though there is some dispute over the role of instruments during certain periods and in certain areas. Some of the better-known composers of this time include Dufay, Josquin des Prez, Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina, and William Byrd; the glories of Renaissance polyphony were choral, sung by choirs of great skill and distinction all over Europe. Choral music from this period continues to be popular with many choirs throughout the world today.

The madrigal, a partsong conceived for amateurs to sing in a chamber setting, originated at this period. Although madrigals were initially dramatic settings of unrequited-love poetry or mythological stories in Italy, they were imported into England and merged with the more dancelike balletto, celebrating carefree songs of the seasons, or eating and drinking. To most English speakers, the word madrigal now refers to the latter, rather than to madrigals proper, which refers to a poetic form of lines consisting of seven and eleven syllables each.

The interaction of sung voices in Renaissance polyphony influenced Western music for centuries. Composers are routinely trained in the "Palestrina style" to this day, especially as codified by the 18c music theorist Johann Joseph Fux. Composers of the early 20th century also wrote in Renaissance-inspired styles. Herbert Howells wrote a Mass in the Dorian mode entirely in strict Renaissance style, and Ralph Vaughan Williams's Mass in G minor is an extension of this style. Anton von Webern wrote his dissertation on the Choralis Constantinus of Heinrich Isaac and the contrapuntal techniques of his serial music may be informed by this study.

Baroque music

The Baroque period in music is associated with the development around 1600 of the figured bass, with dramatic implications in the realm of solo vocal music such as the monodies of the Florentine Camerata and opera. This innovation was in fact an extension of established practice of accompanying choral music at the organ, either from a skeletal reduced score (from which otherwise lost pieces can sometimes be reconstructed) or from a basso seguente, a part on a single staff containing the lowest sounding part.

A new genre was the vocal concertato, combining voices and instruments; its origins may be sought in the polychoral music of the Venetian school. Claudio Monteverdi (1567–1643) brought it to perfection with his Vespers and his Eighth Book of Madrigals, which call for great virtuosity on the part of singers and instruments alike. His pupil Heinrich Schütz (1585–1672) (who had earlier studied with Giovanni Gabrieli) introduced the new style to Germany. Alongside the new music of the secunda pratica, contrapuntal motets in the stile antico or old style continued to be written well into the 19th century.

It should be remembered that choirs at this time were usually quite small and that singers could be classified as suited to church or to chamber singing. Monteverdi, himself a singer, is documented as taking part in performances of his Magnificat with one voice per part.

Independent instrumental accompaniment opened up new possibilities for choral music. Verse anthems alternated accompanied solos with choral sections; the best-known composers of this genre were Orlando Gibbons and Henry Purcell. Grand motets (such as those of Lully and Delalande) separated these sections into separate movements. Oratorio, pioneered by Giacomo Carissimi, extended this concept into concert-length works, usually loosely based on Biblical stories.

The pinnacle of the oratorio is found in George Frideric Handel's works, notably Messiah and Israel in Egypt. While the modern chorus of hundreds had to await the growth of Choral societies and his centennial commemoration concert, we find Handel already using a variety of performing forces, from the soloists of the Chandos Anthems to larger groups (whose proportions are still quite different from modern orchestra choruses):

Lutheran composers wrote instrumentally-accompanied cantatas, often based on chorales (hymns). While Dieterich Buxtehude was a significant composer of such works, it was largely up to the next generation to undertake cantata cycles on texts for the entire church year. Telemann wrote choral cantatas for Frankfurt (later published in solo versions as the Harmonische Gottesdienst) and Graupner cycles for Darmstadt, but Johann Sebastian Bach (1685–1750) made a truly monumental contribution: his obituary mentions five complete cycles, of which three comprising some 200 works are known today, in addition to motets, (Bach himself did not use the term "cantata," motet here refers to his "church music" without orchestra) passions, masses and the Magnificat.

A point of hot controversy today is the so-called "Rifkin hypothesis," which re-examines the famous "Entwurff," Bach's 1730 memo to the Leipzig City Council (A Short but Most Necessary Draft for a Well Appointed Church Music) calling for at least 12 singers. In light of Bach's responsibility to provide music to four churches and be able to perform double choir compositions with a substitute for each voice, Joshua Rifkin concludes that Bach's music was normally written with one voice per part in mind. A few sets of original performing parts include ripieni who reinforce rather than slavishly double the vocal quartet.

Classical and Romantic music

Composers of the late 18th century became fascinated with the new possibilities of the symphony and other instrumental music, and generally neglected choral music. Mozart's choral music generally does not represent his best work, with a few exceptions (such as the "Great" Mass in C minor and Requiem in D minor). Haydn became more interested in choral music near the end of his life following his visits to England in the 1790s, when he heard various Handel oratorios performed by large forces; he wrote a series of masses beginning in 1797 and his two great oratorios The Creation and The Seasons. Beethoven wrote only two masses, both intended for liturgical use, although his Missa solemnis is suitable only for the grandest ceremonies. He also pioneered the use of chorus as part of symphonic texture with his Ninth Symphony and his Choral Fantasia.

In the 19th century, sacred music escaped from the church and leaped onto the concert stage, with large sacred works unsuitable for church use, such as Berlioz's Te Deum and Requiem, and Brahms's Ein deutsches Requiem. Rossini's Stabat mater, Schubert's masses, and Verdi's Requiem also exploited the grandeur offered by instrumental accompaniment.

Oratorios also continued to be written, clearly influenced by Handel's models. Berlioz's L'Enfance du Christ and Mendelssohn's Elijah and St Paul are in the category. Schubert, Mendelssohn, and Brahms also wrote secular cantatas, the best known of which are Brahms's Schicksalslied and Nänie.

A few composers developed a cappella music, especially Bruckner, whose masses and motets startlingly juxtapose Renaissance counterpoint with chromatic harmony. Mendelssohn and Brahms also wrote significant a cappella motets.

The amateur chorus (beginning chiefly as a social outlet) began to receive serious consideration as a compositional venue for the part-songs of Schubert, Schumann, Mendelssohn, Brahms, and others. These 'singing clubs' were often for women or men separately, and the music was typically in four-part (hence the name "part-song") and either a cappella or with simple instrumentation. At the same time, the Cecilian movement attempted a restoration of the pure Renaissance style in Catholic churches.

20th and 21st centuries

As in other genres of music, choral music underwent a period of experimentation and development during the 20th century. While few well-known composers focused primarily on choral music, most significant composers of the early century produced some fine examples that have entered the repertoire.

The late-Romantic composers, such as Richard Strauss and Sergei Rachmaninoff, contributed to the genre. Ralph Vaughan Williams's Mass in G minor harks back to the Renaissance style while exhibiting the vibrancy of new harmonic languages. Vaughan Williams also arranged English and Scottish folk songs. Arnold Schoenberg's Friede auf Erden is a tonal kaleidoscope, whose tonal centers are constantly shifting (his harmonically innovative Verklärte Nacht for strings dates from the same period).

The advent of atonality and other non-traditional harmonic systems and techniques in the 20th century also affected choral music. Serial music is represented by choral works by Arnold Schoenberg, including the anthem "Dreimal Tausend Jahre," while the composer's signature use of sprechstimme is evident in his psalm "De Profundis." Paul Hindemith's distinctive modal language is represented by both his a cappella Mass and his Six Chansons on texts by Rilke, while a more contrapuntally dissonant style comes through in his secular requiem, When Lilacs Last in the Dooryard Bloom'd. Olivier Messiaen also demonstrates dissonant counterpoint in his Cinq Rechants, which tell the Tristan and Isolde story. Charles Ives' psalm settings exemplify the composer's incomparably radical harmonic language. Tone clusters and aleatory elements play a prominent role in the choral music of Krzysztof Penderecki, who wrote the St. Luke Passio, and György Ligeti, who wrote both a Requiem and a separate Lux Aeterna. Milton Babbitt incorporated integral serialism into works for children's chorus, while Daniel Pinkham wrote for choir and electronic tape. Meredith Monk's Panda Chant and Astronaut Anthem explore overtones in an unconventional text setting. Though difficult and rarely performed by amateurs, pieces that demonstrate such unfamiliar idioms have found their way into the repertories of the finest semi-professional and professional choirs around the world.

More accessible styles of choral music include that by Benjamin Britten, including his War Requiem, Five Flower Songs, and Rejoice in the Lamb. Francis Poulenc's Motets pour le temps de noël, Gloria, and Mass in G are often performed. A primitivist approach is exemplified by Carl Orff's widely performed Carmina Burana. In the United States, Aaron Copland, Samuel Barber, and Randall Thompson wrote signature American pieces. In Eastern Europe, Béla Bartók and Zoltán Kodály wrote a small amount of music for choirs. Frank Martin's Mass for double choir combines modality and allusion to Medieval and Renaissance forms with a distinctly modern harmonic language and has become the composer's most performed work.

The so-called holy minimalists are represented by Arvo Pärt, whose Johannespassion and Magnificat have received regular performances; John Tavener (Song for Athene) and Henryk Gorecki (Totus Tuus) share this label. American minimalism and post minimalism are represented by Steve Reich's Desert Music, choral excerpts from Philip Glass's Einstein on the Beach and John Adams' The Death of Klinghoffer, and David Lang's Pulitzer Prize-winning Little Match Girl Passion.

At the turn of the 21st century, choral music has received a resurgence of interest partly due to a renewed interest in accessible choral idioms, and the influence of innovative and popular young composers such as Eric Whitacre. Multi-cultural influences are found in Osvaldo Golijov's St. Mark Passion, which melds the Bach-style passion form with Latin American street music, and Chen Yi's Chinese Myths Cantata melds atonal idioms with traditional Chinese melodies played on traditional Chinese instruments. Some composers began to earn their reputation based first and foremost on their choral output, with the highly popular John Rutter being the most well-known example. The large scale dramatic works of Karl Jenkins seem to hearken back to the theatricality of Orff, and the music of James MacMillan continues the tradition of boundary-pushing choral works from the United Kingdom begun by Britten, Walton, and Leighton. Meanwhile, primarily media music composers such as John Williams and Kentaro Sato, and prominent concert orchestral composers such as Augusta Read Thomas, Sofia Gubaidulina, Aaron Jay Kernis, and Thomas Ades also contribute vital additions to the choral repertoire.

A number of traditions originating outside of classical concert music have enriched the choral repertoire as well as provided new outlets to composers:

At the end of the 19th century, male voice choirs became popular with the coal miners of South Wales, and numerous choirs were established including the Treorchy Male Choir, Morriston Orpheus Choir and Cor Meibion Pontypridd Male voice choirs. Although the mining communities which gave rise to these choirs largely died out in the 1970s and 1980s with the decline of the Welsh coal industry, many of these choirs continue, and are seen as a traditional part of Welsh culture and perform worldwide. Not all of the choirs were based on coal – some started in the rugby clubs, such as Cardiff Arms Park Male Choir and Morriston Rugby Choir, while others such as Pontarddulais Male Choir were formed out of a youth choir.

Black Spirituals entered the concert repertoire with the tours of the Fisk College Jubilee Singers, and arrangements of such spirituals are now part of the standard choral repertoire. Notable composers and arrangers of choral music in this tradition include William Dawson, Jester Hairston and Moses Hogan.

During the mid 20th century, barbershop quartets began experimenting with combining larger ensembles together into choruses which sing barbershop music in 4 parts, often with staging, choreography and costumes. The first international barbershop chorus contest was held in 1953 and continues to this day.

During the late 20th century, one of the major areas of growth in the choral movement has been in the areas of LGBT choruses. Starting around 1979, gay men's choruses were founded within a period of months in major U.S. cities such as New York, Los Angeles, Seattle and Dallas. Over the last quarter century the number of such groups, men's, women's and mixed, has exploded. GALA Choruses, an associative group, now has well-over 100 member choruses throughout the world.

See also

Come and sing

References

External links

ChoralNet

International Federation for Choral Music

Choral Public Domain Library

Musica International - choral music repertoire database

Global Chant Database – Index of Gregorian Chant - online database of plainchant melodies and texts

Sacred Classics - online radio program of choral music

Art of the States - information and free recordings of several choral works

The Boy Choir & Soloist Directory

Male Voice Choirs

A history of UK cathedral choirs and choir schools

The Association of Gaelic Choirs

British Choirs on the Net, UK

St.Luke's Choir – Coptic Orthodox Church

Gerontius - choirs and choral music resources UK

National Association of Choirs, UK

Category:Musical groups Category:Vocal music

Name	Eric Whitacre
Background	non_performing_personnel
Born	January 02, 1970
Died
Occupation	Composer Conductor Lecturer
Url	http://ericwhitacre.com/

Eric Whitacre (born January 2, 1970 in Reno, Nevada) is an American composer, conductor and lecturer. He is one of the most popular and performed composers of his generation. In 2008, the all-Whitacre choral CD Cloudburst (released by the British ensemble Polyphony on Hyperion Records) became an international best-seller, topping the classical charts and earning a Grammy nomination. Robert Hollingworth commented: "what hits you straight between the eyes is the honesty, optimism and sheer belief that passes any pretension. This is music that can actually make you smile." Whitacre's Virtual Choir projects on YouTube exposed his music to a new audience. Whitacre signed a long-term recording deal with Decca in 2010 and continues to develop his award winning musical Paradise Lost. A condensed concert version was given at Carnegie Hall in 2010. Plans for the stage show and soundtrack extend into 2011.

Biography

Whitacre began his musical training while an undergraduate at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, where he studied composition with avant garde Ukrainian composer Virko Baley and choral conducting with David Weiller. He wrote his setting of Go, Lovely Rose for his college choir and presented the composition as a gift to David Weiller. Eric went on to earn his Master's degree in composition at the Juilliard School, where he studied with John Corigliano. Since then, Whitacre has received many commissioning awards and honors, with sheet music sales of over 1,000,000 copies worldwide. His works Water Night, Cloudburst, Sleep, Lux Aurumque, and A Boy and a Girl are among the most popular choral works of the last decade, and his Ghost Train, Godzilla Eats Las Vegas and October have achieved success in the symphonic wind community. His cutting edge musical Paradise Lost: Shadows and Wings, which combines influences including trance, electronica, and anime with choral, cinematic, and operatic traditions, won the ASCAP Harold Arlen Award, the Richard Rogers award, and 10 Ovation Award nominations. He has received composition awards from the Barlow International Composition Competition, the American Choral Directors Association and the American Composers Forum. In 2001, Whitacre became the youngest recipient ever awarded the coveted Raymond C. Brock commission by the American Choral Directors Association.

Since 2000, he has conducted concerts of his choral and symphonic music in Japan, Australia, China, Singapore, South America and much of Europe, as well as in American Universities and colleges where he regularly conducts seminars and lectures with young musicians. 2010-11 commissions include works for Chanticleer, The King's Singers and Conspirare.

Whitacre's first recording, The Music of Eric Whitacre, was named by the American Record Guide as one of the top ten classical albums of 1997. In 2006, a full collection of his a cappella music, Cloudburst and Other Choral Works, was released on the British label Hyperion Records. The album became an international best seller, appearing in the top ten of both Billboard's and iTunes Top Classical Albums charts. Two years after its release, it continues to be a top-seller and won a 2007 Grammy nomination for Best Choral Performance. In 2010, Whitacre signed a long-term contract with Decca as a performer. "Light & Gold," Whitacre's first album with the label, was released in October 2010, and features Whitacre himself as conductor and musical director.

In October 2010 Whitacre was named Composer-in-Residence and Visiting Fellow at Sidney Sussex College, Cambridge University. He lived on campus for the duration of the 2010 Michaelmas term.

Whitacre divides his time between conducting and teaching throughout the world and the demands of his composing. He lives in Los Angeles with his wife, Grammy-award winning soprano Hila Plitmann and their son.

Style

Whitacre writes music that incorporates contemporary sounds and influences while demanding precision, intonation and ensemble. He is probably best known for his choral works; however, both his choral and instrumental styles use his signature "Whitacre chords," or pan-diatonic clusters usually arranged in successive increasing or decreasing density. Whitacre achieves this growth and decay by splitting voices divisi—in one case up to 18 parts. These sonorities can often be read as seventh or ninth chords, with or without suspended seconds and fourths. Perhaps his most famous chord is a root-position major triad with an added major second and/or perfect fourth. Whitacre makes frequent use of quartal, quintal and secundal harmonies, and is also known for his use of unconventional chord progressions. His use of rhythm often involves mixed, complex, and/or compound meters. His pieces sometimes include frequent meter changes and unusual rhythmic patterns. Another trademark of Whitacre's pieces is the use of aleatoric and indeterminate sections, as well as unusual score instructions involving, in some cases, hand actions and/or props.

Projects

Virtual Choir

Whitacre's Virtual Choir projects began with a test run of Sleep, then Lux Aurumque in 2009 and was followed again by Sleep in 2010. The video for Lux Aurumque, featuring a virtual choir of 185 voices from 12 countries, was described as a "musical experience that works better than anyone might have expected", their video receiving over 1,000,000 hits in the first two months of its release.

The 2010 version of "Sleep" began in October 2010, and the video submission process was completed on January 10, 2011. The 1,987 individual video submissions from 55 countries, is a new world record for any Online Virtual Choir.

Recording Projects

Whitacre's first album with Decca, Light & Gold was released in October 2010. From October to December 2010, Whitacre was a visiting Fellow at Sidney Sussex College, Cambridge during Michaelmas (Autumn) Term. He composed a piece for the college choir, and worked with students in masterclasses and workshops. The concert version of his musical Paradise Lost: Shadows and Wings was performed to a sold out audience at Carnegie Hall in June 2010.

Performance Projects

Whitacre has worked collaboratively with Distinguished Concerts International New York (DCINY) and will collaborate with them again in 2011 in New York, Vancouver and Los Angeles. He was described by the New York Times as a "younger, hipper Andrew Lloyd Webber, with fleeting hints of Bernstein and Sondheim".

Awards and honors

Whitacre has won awards from the Barlow international composition competition, American Choral Directors Association, American Composers' Forum and in 2001 became the youngest recipient ever of The Raymond C Brock Commission given by the American Choral Directors Association. His musical Paradise Lost: Shadows and Wings earned him a ASCAP Richard Rodgers Award|Richard Rodgers Award and received 10 nominations at the 2007 Los Angeles Stage Alliance Ovation Awards. The album Cloudburst and Other Choral Works received a Grammy nomination in 2007 for Best Choral Performance.

Since July 2004, Australia has hosted an annual Eric Whitacre Wind Symphony Festival. The Italian cities of Venice and Florence both host annual Whitacre Festivals.

Works

Wind symphony

Equus

Ghost Train Triptych

* Ghost Train

* At the Station

* Motive Revolution

Godzilla Eats Las Vegas!

Noisy Wheels of Joy

October

Sleep (choral transcription)

The Seal Lullaby (choral transcription for wind symphony and piano)

Lux Aurumque (choral transcription, transposed a semitone lower from C-Sharp Minor to C Minor)

Cloudburst (choral transcription)

Winter (choral transcription)

Libertas Imperio (From Paradise Lost: Shadows and Wings)

SATB choral

Animal Crackers, Volume 1 (Poems by Ogden Nash)

* The Panther

* The Cow

* The Firefly

Animal Crackers, Volume 2 (Poems by Ogden Nash)

* The Canary

* The Eel

* The Kangaroo

A Boy and A Girl (poem by Octavio Paz)

Cloudburst (poem by Octavio Paz)

Five Hebrew Love Songs (poem by Hila Plitmann)

* Temuna

* Kala Kalla (Light Bride)

* Larov (Mostly)

* Eyze Sheleg! (What snow!)

* Rakut (Tenderness)

Her Sacred Spirit Soars (poem by Charles Anthony Silvestri)

Leonardo Dreams of His Flying Machine (libretto by Charles Anthony Silvestri)

Little Birds (poem by Octavio Paz)

little tree (poem by E. E. Cummings)

Lux Aurumque (poem by Edward Esch; translated into Latin by Charles Anthony Silvestri) (also set for male chorus)

Nox Aurumque (poem by Charles Anthony Silvestri)

The Seal Lullaby (poem by Rudyard Kipling)

She Weeps Over Rahoon (poem by James Joyce)

Sleep (originally a setting of Robert Frost's poem, "Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening"; for copyright reasons the published version uses a specially-written text by Charles Anthony Silvestri)

Sleep, My Child (Choral transcription from Paradise Lost: Shadows and Wings)

The Stolen Child (setting of a poem by William Butler Yeats, commissioned in 2008 by the National Youth Choir of Great Britain and The King's Singers for their respective 25th and 40th anniversaries)

This Marriage (poem by Jalal al-Din Rumi)

Three Flower Songs

* I Hide Myself (poem by Emily Dickinson)

* With a Lily in Your Hand (poem by Federico García Lorca)

* Go, Lovely Rose (poem by Edmund Waller)

Three Songs of Faith (poems by E. E. Cummings))

** i will wade out

* hope, faith, life, love

i thank You God for most this amazing day

Water Night (poem by Octavio Paz; translated by Muriel Rukeyser)

When David Heard (from II Samuel 18:33)

Winter (poem by Edward Esch)

What If (lyrics by David Norona and Eric Whitacre)

SSA choral

She Weeps Over Rahoon (text by James Joyce)

Five Hebrew Love Songs (poem by Hila Plitmann)

The Seal Lullaby (text by Rudyard Kipling)

TTBB choral

Lux Aurumque (poem by Edward Esch, translated into Latin by Charles Anthony Silvestri)

The Seal Lullaby (text by Rudyard Kipling)

Choral works not yet published

The City and the Sea (poems by E. E. Cummings)

* i walked the boulevard

* the moon is hiding in her hair

* maggie and millie and molly and may

* as is the sea marvelous (commissioned by the Greater Washington Independent Schools Choral Festival)

* little man in a hurry (Written for Mahtomedi High School, among others.

Songs of Immortality

* Lie still, sleep becalmed (poem by Dylan Thomas)

After Great Pain (poem by Emily Dickenson)

Orchestral

October

Winter

A Boy and a Girl

Lux Aurumque

Water Night (Horse Water)

Solo voice

The City and the Sea (poems by E. E. Cummings)

Five Hebrew Love Songs (poem by Hila Plitmann)

Orchestra

Winter (for strings, choir and sitar)

Music Theatre

, an opera featuring electronic, world, and orchestral instruments; classical singers; and many different styles of music.

Other arrangements

Rak HaHatchala (Only the Beginning) [aka Five Hebrew Love Songs]; for soprano voice, solo violin, piano

Publishers

Whitacre is published by Chester Music Walton Music

References

External links

Eric_Whitacre on WikiMusicGuide

Biography on Hyperion Records

NPR Review of Cloudburst and choral audio. September 28, 2006

Music Productions Ltd (Management company of Eric Whitacre)

Eric Whitacre write-up on ChesterNovello web site

Category:1970 births Category:Living people Category:20th-century classical composers Category:21st-century classical composers Category:American composers Category:University of Nevada, Las Vegas alumni Category:Juilliard School of Music alumni

Name	Lenny Kravitz
Background	solo_singer
Birth name	Leonard Albert Kravitz
Alias	Lenny Kravitz, Lenny, Romeo Blue (former)
Born	May 26, 1964New York City, New York, United States
Instrument	Vocals, guitar, bass guitar, drums, harmonica, keyboards, percussion, sitar, piano, synthesizer
Genre	Rock, hard rock, funk rock, neo-psychedelia, rhythm and blues
Occupation	Singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, composer, lyricist, record producer, arranger, actor, interior designer, clothing designer
Years active	1988–present
Label	Virgin Records America
Associated acts	Karl Denson, Dan Dyer, Vanessa Paradis, Madonna, Slash, Aerosmith, Mick Jagger, Guns N' Roses, Baha Men, Michael Kamen, Angie Stone, Cree Summer, Lionel Richie, Zoro, Velvet Revolver, Craig Ross, Jay-Z, Jazzanova, Michael Jackson, David Bowie, Draco Rosa
Url	www.lennykravitz.com
Notable instruments	Guitars:Gibson Flying VGibson Les PaulWhite Gibson SG

Leonard Albert "Lenny" Kravitz (born May 26, 1964) is an American singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, record producer and arranger, whose "retro" style incorporates elements of rock, soul, funk, reggae, hard rock, psychedelic, folk and ballads.

In addition to singing lead and backing vocals, Kravitz often plays all the guitar, bass, drums, keyboards and percussion himself when recording. He is known for his elaborate stage performances and music videos. Kravitz has had multiple number 1 hits on the US Top Singles Charts, though none by himself on the Hot 100, and many more worldwide. He won the Grammy Award for "Best Male Rock Vocal Performance" four years in a row from 1999 to 2002, breaking the record for most wins in that category and most consecutive wins in one category. He has been nominated and won other awards, namely American Music Awards, MTV Video Music Awards, Radio Music Awards, BRIT Awards and Blockbuster Entertainment Awards.

Early life

Kravitz was born in New York City, New York on May 26, 1964, the son of Roxie Roker, an actress known for her character Helen Willis in the 1970s hit television sitcom The Jeffersons, and Sy Kravitz, an NBC television news producer. Kravitz's father was of Russian Jewish descent and his mother was of Bahamian descent. Kravitz was named after his uncle, PFC Leonard Kravitz, who was killed in action on March 6, 1951 near Yangpyeong, Korea at the age of 20.

Kravitz grew up spending weekdays on the Upper East Side of Manhattan with his parents, attending P.S.6 for elementary school and weekends at his grandmother Bessie Roker's house in the Bedford-Stuyvesant neighborhood of Brooklyn. Kravitz began banging on pots and pans in the kitchen, playing them as drums at the age of three. At the age of five, he wanted to be a musician. He began playing the drums and soon added guitar. Kravitz grew up listening to the music his parents listened to: R&B;, jazz, classical, opera, gospel, and blues. "My parents were very supportive of the fact that I loved music early on, and they took me to a lot of shows," Kravitz said. Around the age of 7, he saw The Jackson 5 perform at Madison Square Garden, which became his favorite group. His father, who was also a jazz promoter, was friends with Duke Ellington, Sarah Vaughan, Count Basie, Ella Fitzgerald, Bobby Short, Miles Davis and other jazz greats. Ellington even played "Happy Birthday" for him one year when he was about 5. Kravitz wanted to be a session musician. He also appeared as an actor in television commercials during this time.

Kravitz went to school enough to pass, but was spending more and more time jamming with friends. His parents became concerned, wanting him to have something to fall back on. At the age of 15, determined to have a music career, Kravitz moved out of his house. He stayed with friends, slept in friends' cars, and at one point was even sleeping in his Ford Pinto and R &B;'s "Ivory Queen of Soul" Teena Marie took him in when he was homeless. In a YouTube message he recorded, Lenny Kravitz says, “I wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for Teena.” The singer said Marie took him in when he was 16 years old and living on the street. “She gave me a bedroom,” he says. “She fed me, she cooked for me, she took care of me. She gave me instruments to play; she took me to all her recording sessions. She took me to concerts, she nurtured me and helped me to become who I am.” He adds: “She changed my life, not only as an artist, but as a person who truly loved me for who I was.” Inspired by David Bowie, Kravitz adopted the nom de guerre, "Romeo Blue," a new persona complete with straightened hair and blue contact lenses, and began performing. Kravitz's music at this time was heavily influenced by the synth-laden funk pop of Prince. In 1982, Kravitz graduated from Beverly Hills High School and convinced his father to give him money to record instead of spending money on college. With his first demo, Kravitz received offers from several record labels, including I.R.S. Records, but Kravitz was told he needed to change his music to make it "black enough" to fit in with current radio-friendly R & B styles. "I refused," Kravitz told the Los Angeles Times in 1989. amid rumors of an affair between him and Madonna. Kravitz has denied any infidelity. Kravitz's biggest single yet, "It Ain't Over 'Til It's Over", went to #2 on the Billboard Hot 100. The single "Always on the Run", a tribute to his mother, One song, "Eleutheria", was influenced by the island Eleuthera in The Bahamas where Kravitz built a house and recording studio at that time.

Kravitz released a Greatest Hits album in 2000. It proved to be his most successful album, reaching #2 on the Billboard 200 and selling nearly 11 million copies worldwide and ultimately becoming one of the most commercially successful albums of the decade. The single "Again" earned him his third consecutive Grammy for the Best Male Rock Vocal in the Grammy Awards of 2001. Kravitz also co-wrote the song "God Gave Me Everything" with Mick Jagger in this period, appearing on Jagger's 2001 solo album Goddess in the Doorway and in the film Being Mick.

2001-05: Lenny and Baptism

Kravitz released his sixth album Lenny in October 2001. The album was recorded in Miami. Kravitz wrote the song "Bank Robber Man" after the Miami Police Department detained and cuffed him while walking to the gym with his trainer because police stated that he matched the description of a bank robber. Lenny did not have any identification with him at the time and the police on the scene did not believe that he was indeed Lenny Kravitz. The bank teller who was robbed was then brought to the scene and said Lenny was not the bank robber. Miami Police later sent officers to Lenny's home to apologize for the detention. When asked if he thought the incident was a case of racial profiling, Kravitz said he wasn’t sure although some of the lyrics in the song suggest otherwise. The first single from the album, "Dig In", went to number 1 in Argentina and the top 10 in Italy and Portugal. The video for "Dig In" was originally supposed to be shot at the top of the Empire State Building on September 12, 2001 but the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center on September 11, 2001 caused the location to be moved. The video was later shot off the coast Miami. He won his fourth Grammy in 2002. "Stillness of Heart", "Believe in Me", and "If I Could Fall In Love" were subsequent singles from the album.

Kravitz was the subject of a photo book by former chief photographer for Rolling Stone, Mark Seliger. Published in November 2001, Seliger captures Kravitz on tour, with family, with friends and in posed portraits.

Jay-Z invited Kravitz to appear on the track "Guns and Roses" on his 2002 . Kravitz would also join P. Diddy, Pharrell and Loon on the track "Show Me Your Soul" from the Bad Boys II Soundtrack.

In September 2002, Kravitz appeared alongside other rock stars in the episode "How I Spent My Strummer Vacation" of The Simpsons. In early 2003, Kravitz released the track "We Want Peace" as a download-only track as a protest against the 2003 invasion of Iraq, he performed this alongside famous Iraqi singer Kazem Al Saher at Rock The Vote. The track reached #1 on the world internet download charts and MP3.com download chart. Kravitz also appeared on Unity, the official album of the 2004 Athens Olympics.

In late 2004, Kravitz dated superstar actress Nicole Kidman and reportedly dedicated his hit song "Lady" to her. They split in 2005.

Kravitz's seventh album Baptism was released in May 2004. The first single was "Where Are We Runnin'?". The single "California" failed to be commercially successful, but "Storm", featuring Jay-Z, reached the charts. "Calling All Angels" was successful in various countries and a huge hit in Brazil, however it was "Lady" that became the album's surprise hit, making the US Top 30 and propelling "Baptism" to gold status. Also in 2004, he appeared on N.E.R.D's album Fly or Die. From March 2005, Kravitz toured all over the world with the tour Electric Church, which ended at the Brixton Academy, London in July 2005. Kravitz served as the opening act for Aerosmith who are long term friends of Kravitz on their fall 2005 tour. The tour began on October 30 at the Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Connecticut. The night before that tour started, October 29, 2005, Lenny's father TV Producer Sy Kravitz died. During that first show, Lenny broke the news to the stunned crowd and stated it was not a time to be sad but rather a time to celebrate because he is now in Heaven. Lenny then dedicated Let Love Rule to his father. That tour was so successful that it was extended through February 25, 2006 and ended in Anaheim, California.

2006-present: Live Earth, charity work and It Is Time For A Love Revolution

In January 2006, Kravitz contributed "Breathe" to absoluttracks, a project sponsored by Absolut Vodka. This song was re-mixed by ten musical producers and distributed via the internet.

Kravitz appeared in the audience of Madonna's Confessions Tour (2006) during numerous shows. He would later join Madonna live on stage to play guitar on the song, "I Love New York," at the last of four Paris shows.

Lately, Kravitz has founded a design firm named Kravitz Design, stating if he hadn't been a musician he would have been a designer. Kravitz Design, focused on interior and furniture design, has designed residential spaces, as well as a chandelier for the crystal company Swarovski, named "Casino Royale."

On July 7, 2007, Kravitz performed at the Brazilian leg of Live Earth in Rio de Janeiro, making him one of major international rock star to perform two huge free concerts at the world-famous Copacabana Beach along with Macy Gray and the Rolling Stones. Kravitz had already played there on March 21, 2005, drawing 300,000 people on a concert of his own. The Live Earth concert, with eight other acts on the bill, including Pharrell and Macy Gray, took 400,000 to the beach.

Also in 2007, Kravitz released a version of "Cold Turkey" by John Lennon on the charity CD . Kravitz also spent time recording his latest album, It Is Time for a Love Revolution, released February 5, 2008.

On September 25, 2007, the Fats Domino tribute album "Goin' Home ; A Tribute To Fats Domino" was released. Kravitz was on the song "Whole Lotta Lovin'" along with Rebirth Brass Band, Troy "Trombone Shorty" Andrews, Fred Wesley, Pee Wee Ellis and Maceo Parker.

Kravitz performed at the Grey Cup halftime show in Toronto at the Rogers Centre on November 25, 2007, where the Saskatchewan Roughriders beat the Winnipeg Blue Bombers 23-19.

The original video for "I'll Be Waiting" was shot in Central Park in New York City with Marc Webb directing but that video was later shelved and a new version, which Kravitz co-directed with Philip Andelman, was filmed in Lenny's New York City recording studio. The video premiered on VH1's Top 20 Countdown at number 3.

On January 17, 2008, Kravitz embarked on a 9 city mini-tour to promote his new album It Is Time for a Love Revolution. The tour started in Santa Monica, California and ended in New York City on February 1. The tour was done in association with Myspace and called the "Get on the Bus" tour. At each stop on the tour, they would pick up one contest winner and their guest and they rode on the "Love Revolution" bus until the end of the tour. Steven Tyler of Aerosmith, a close friend of Lenny's would appear at The Orpheum Theater in Boston. The New York City winner, Tyrone Good was presented a train ticket from Penn Station to travel to Philadelphia and rode with the tour the rest of the way starting in Philadelphia (The Electric Factory), Boston (The Orpheum Theater), and finally New York City (The Hammerstein Ballroom). The winners were featured in the YRB February Edition alongside Lenny Kravitz in a magazine pull-out. The photo shoot took place at the Electric Factory in Philadelphia on stage. The winner's pull out was featured in another issue of YRB which had Lil' Wayne on the cover.

On February 11, 2008, Kravitz was admitted to Miami Hospital suffering from severe bronchitis. He had been suffering from a series of severe respiratory tract infections since mid-January, and the illness developed into bronchitis.

Kravitz's illness had forced him to postpone Canadian dates & his trip to Europe to promote his album It Is Time for a Love Revolution. On March 19, 2008 he canceled the South American part of his tour due to the same illness. The decision affected planned concerts in Colombia, Mexico, Brazil and Argentina. In Argentina Kravitz had a performance in the biggest rock festival there, Quilmes Rock Fest.

On July 15, Lenny was honored in Milan, Italy with the key to the city in a special toast ceremony for his work with the United Nations Millennium Campaign to end world poverty.

Kravitz made his feature film acting debut in Precious which premiered at the Sundance Film Festival in January 2009.

on May 2, 2009.]] During the Italian leg of his 53 date Let Love Rule (20)09 European tour, Kravitz had been instructed to cancel some shows due to a bad bout of bronchitis. Under strict orders from his doctor, the singer was told to rest so that he could make a quick recovery and return to the stage for the rest of his tour. Shows scheduled for Rome on June 5 and Brescia on June 6 were postponed to late July.

Kravitz's next album, tentatively titled Funk, was tentatively re-titled Negrophilia and was due out sometime in 2010. This is believed to be a project that Kravitz has been working on since 1997. Some of the original tracks for Funk were recorded while he was in New Orleans at Allen Toussaint's studio while taking a break for several months from recording in New York City. A video on Kravitz's Twitter page shows him working on one of the songs for the album, called Super Love, in his GTS studios in the Bahamas . Another video shows him working on another track titled Life Ain't Never Been Better Than It Is Now in his GTS Studios. On his Twitter page, Kravitz said that the album title "felt like something else." Eventually the album was later named Black and White America.

It was announced that Kravitz would be supporting U2 on their highly successful 360 Tour on the second North American leg in 2010. Kravitz agreed to support them for 4 shows. Though the shows were postponed until 2011, Kravitz remains committed for 4 of the shows.

In June 2010 it was announced that Kravitz would guest star on an episode of the upcoming season of Entourage.

Personal life

In 1985, Kravitz's parents divorced, which had a profound impact on him. His relationship with his father became extremely strained. Kravitz focused on his music to help him get through this period. That year, Kravitz met actress Lisa Bonet backstage at a New Edition concert. Bonet worked on The Cosby Show, the number one rated show on television. They were close friends for two years before falling in love. Kravitz moved back to New York City where The Cosby Show was produced in 1987, moving in with then girlfriend Bonet. Kravitz and Bonet eloped on November 16, 1987, her 20th birthday, in a Las Vegas ceremony. Kravitz, still known as Romeo Blue at the time, suddenly found himself in the headlines of tabloid newspapers. They had a daughter, Zoë Isabella Kravitz, born on December 1, 1988. Kravitz and Bonet divorced in 1993.

Kravitz identifies himself as a Christian, "through choice but I'm also a Jew, it's all the same to me". He also notes that spirituality "has been an important issue in my growth", given his upbringing by parents of different faiths. Such spirituality is prominently featured on many of his songs, such as the lyrics on his album Baptism, and having his back inscribed with a tattoo stating, "My Heart Belongs to Jesus Christ." During another, "I'm half black, I look in-between."

In 2002, Kravitz was rumored to be engaged to Adriana Lima, although he denied the rumors. In 2003, Lenny Kravitz started to date Nicole Kidman. Later in 2004, the couple broke up. In the September 2007 issue of Vanity Fair, Kidman revealed that she had been secretly engaged to someone after her divorce with Tom Cruise and before her marriage to Keith Urban. Some sources have reported that the "mystery man" is Lenny Kravitz.

Discography

Let Love Rule (1989)

Mama Said (1991)

Are You Gonna Go My Way (1993)

Circus (1995)

5 (1998)

Lenny (2001)

Baptism (2004)

It Is Time for a Love Revolution (2008)

Black and White America (2011)

Filmography

{| border="2" cellpadding="4" cellspacing="0" style="margin: 1em 1em 1em 0; background: #f9f9f9; border: 1px #aaa solid; border-collapse: collapse; font-size: 90%;" |- bgcolor="#B0C4DE" align="center" ! Year ! Film ! Role ! Notes and Awards |- | 1998 | The Rugrats Movie | Newborn baby | Voice role, minor |- | 2001 | Zoolander | Himself | Cameo role |- | 2001 | Being Mick | Himself | Supporting role |- | 2004 | Rebelde | Himself | Guest Star |- | 2007 | The Diving Bell and the Butterfly (film) | Himself | Cameo role |- | 2009 | Precious | Nurse John | Supporting roleNominated — NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Motion Picture |- | 2011 | Selma | Himself | Cameo role |}

Tours

H.O.R.D.E. (1995)

Universal Love Tour

Circus Tour

The Freedom Tour

Lenny Tour

The Baptism Tour

Celebration Tour

Electric Church Tour: One Night Only

Get On The Bus Mini-Tour

Love Revolution Tour

LLR 20(09) Tour

2011 U2 360 Tour

Lenny Kravitz will be the opening act for the 2011 U2 360 tour in Seattle (June 4, 2011), Oakland (June 7, 2011) and Anaheim (June 17 & 18,2011).

Awards

MTV Video Music Awards

*1993 - Best Male Video ("Are You Gonna Go My Way?")

Brit Awards

*1994 - International male

VH1/Vogue Fashion Awards

*1998 - Most Fashionable Artist, Male Award

Grammy Awards

*1993 - Best Rock Vocal Solo Performance ("Are You Gonna Go My Way" - Nominee only.)

*1995 - Best Male Rock Vocal Performance ("Rock and Roll Is Dead" - Nominee only.)

*1999 - Best Male Rock Vocal Performance ("Fly Away")

*2000 - Best Male Rock Vocal Performance ("American Woman")

*2001 - Best Male Rock Vocal Performance ("Again")

*2002 - Best Male Rock Vocal Performance ("Dig In")

*2003 - Best Male Rock Vocal Performance ("If I Could Fall In Love" - Nominee only.)

Radio Music Awards

*2001 - Artist of the Year/Pop Alternative Radio

My VH1 Awards

*2001 - Favorite Male Artist

Blockbuster Entertainment Awards

*2001 - Favorite Male Artist - Rock

American Music Awards

*2002 - Favorite Pop/Rock Male Artist

Microsoft Windows Media Innovation Awards

2002 - Microsoft Windows Media Innovation Award

See also

List of artists who reached number one on the U.S. Mainstream Rock chart

List of artists who reached number one on the U.S. Modern Rock chart

List of artists who reached number one on the UK Singles Chart

List of artists who reached number one on the Australian singles chart

List of blues musicians

List of Gibson players

List of Number 1 albums from the 1990s (UK)

List of Number 1 singles from the 1990s (UK)

List of performers on Top of the Pops

List of Saturday Night Live hosts and musical guests

Notes

References

Anderson, Ashely (November 9, 2000). "Brown eyes blue". The Silhouette. Volume 71, Number 12. Retrieved on March 11, 2007.

Cooper, Carol (1990). "Let love rule - Lisa Bonet and husband Lenny Kravitz". Essence Magazine. Retrieved on March 11, 2007.

Halbersberg, Elianne (November 1, 2004). "Flying (Almost) Solo". Mix. Retrieved on March 13, 2007.

"Behind The Music: Lenny Kravitz". Harper, William & Williams, Paulina (Directors). Behind The Music. VH1. June 27, 1999. No. 35, season 2.

Henderson, Ashyia N. (2002). Contemporary Black Biography: Profiles from the International Black Community. Gale Group. ISBN 9780787660499

Pepper, Tracey (July, 1998). "Deep joy - musical artist Lenny Kravitz - Interview". Retrieved on March 12, 2007.

"Artist Profile - Lenny Kravitz". EMI Music Publishing. Retrieved on March 11, 2007.

"HELLO! Profiles - Lenny Kravitz". Hello!. Retrieved on March 11, 2007.

"Lenny Kravitz". Allmusic. Retrieved on September 19, 2007.

"Romeo Blue Discography, Biography and Links". Mr. Bill's I.R.S. Records Corner. Retrieved on March 11, 2007.

Scarlett MacDougal's book series: "Have A Nice Life", refers to the main girl's "intergalactic angel/fairy godmother" as a Lenny Kravitz look-a-like, though his actual name is Clarence Terence. ISBN 0141310200

Sources

Blanc, Michael la (Ed.). Contemporary musicians, Vol. 5, Gale Research, 1991.

Gregory, Hugh. 1000 Great Guitarists. Rock, Jazz, Country, Funk ..., Balafon Books, 1994.

Larkin, Colin. The Guinness Encyclopedia of Popular Music, Guinness Publishing, 1992.

Martino, Dave di. Singer-songwriters, pop music's performer-composers, from A to Zevon, Billboard Books, 1994.

Whitburn, Joel. The Billboard book of top 40 hits, 5th edition, Watson-Guptill Publications, 1992.

External links

Lenny Kravitz official site

Lenny Kravitz official blog

Lenny Kravitz's French Board

Lenny Kravitz - The Artists Organization - Management

Lenny Kravitz interview by Pete Lewis, 'Blues & Soul' July 2009

Photos of the final concert of the latest tour

|- ! colspan="3" style="background: #DAA520;" | Grammy Award |- |- ! colspan="3" style="background: #DAA520;" | MTV Video Music Awards |-

Category:1964 births Category:1980s singers Category:1990s singers Category:2000s singers Category:2010s singers Category:African American rock musicians Category:African American guitarists Category:African American singers Category:American child actors Category:American Christians Category:American composers Category:American furniture designers Category:American film actors Category:American male singers Category:American multi-instrumentalists Category:American music video directors Category:American pop musicians Category:American pop singers Category:American record producers Category:American rock guitarists Category:American rock singer-songwriters Category:American voice actors Category:American people of Bahamian descent Category:American musicians of Russian descent Category:American people of Russian descent Category:People of Jewish descent Category:BRIT Award winners Category:English-language singers Category:Grammy Award winners Category:Lenny Kravitz Category:Living people Category:Musicians from New York City Category:People from Brooklyn Category:Virgin Records artists

Name	Josh Groban
Background	solo_singer
Birth name	Joshua Winslow Groban
Born	February 27, 1981Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Instrument	Vocals, piano, drums, percussions, flute
Genre	Classical, pop, vocal, Operatic pop
Occupation	Singer-songwriter, musician, actor, record producer
Years active	1997–present
Label	143, Reprise
Url

Joshua Winslow "Josh" Groban (born February 27, 1981) is an American singer-songwriter, musician, actor, and record producer. His four solo albums have been certified at least multi-platinum, and in 2007, he was charted as the number one best selling artist in the United States.

Groban originally studied acting but as his voice changed, it developed into a "significant instrument". The event that changed Groban's life was when his vocal coach, Seth Riggs, submitted a tape of Josh singing, "All I Ask of You", from The Phantom of the Opera, to Riggs' friend, renowned producer, composer and arranger David Foster. Foster called him to stand in for an ailing Andrea Bocelli to rehearse a duet, "The Prayer," with Celine Dion at the rehearsal for the Grammy Awards in 1998. Groban, being shy, reluctantly agreed. Rosie O'Donnell was so impressed that she immediately invited him to appear on her daytime talk show. His name and career soared with the public recognition he received, after being cast on Ally McBeal by the show's creator David E. Kelley, who asked him to perform "You're Still You" for the show's 2001 season finale. and Jack Groban, a businessman. His father is of Jewish background and a descendant of Russian and Polish immigrants. His mother is Norwegian American, the daughter of immigrants from the eastern Norwegian district of Toten. His parents joined the Episcopal Church after his father's conversion from Judaism to Christianity. Chris, his younger brother, shares the same birthday four years later.

Groban debuted as a singer in seventh grade. His music teacher chose the curly-headed, skinny kid for a solo of "S'wonderful" at the school's Cabaret Night, and Josh sang alone on stage for the very first time. When his mother, Lindy, heard his voice from outside the auditorium, she didn't even recognize the voice, and when she realized it was her son singing, it brought her to tears. David E. Kelley, creator of the television series Ally McBeal, created a character, Malcolm Wyatt, for Groban in the season finale aired in May 2001. The character of Malcolm Wyatt was so popular, prompting 8,000 emails from viewers, Under Foster's influence, Groban's first album focused more on classics such as "Gira Con Me Questa Notte" and "Alla Luce Del Sole."

Groban performed "There For Me" with Sarah Brightman on her 2000–01 La Luna World Tour, and was featured on her "La Luna" concert DVD. He recorded "For Always" with Lara Fabian on the movie soundtrack to A.I.: Artificial Intelligence (2001). Groban performed in many benefit shows, including: "The Andre Agassi Grand Slam Event For Children," singing alongside Elton John, Stevie Wonder, Don Henley, and Robin Williams; "Muhammad Ali's Fight Night Foundation" which honored Michael J. Fox and others; "The Family Celebration" (2001), which was co-hosted by President Bill Clinton and his wife, Hillary Rodham Clinton, and David E. Kelley and his wife, Michelle Pfeiffer; and Michael Milken's CapCure event, which raises funds for cancer research.

The singer's self-titled debut album Josh Groban was released on November 20, 2001. Over the next year, it went from gold to double-platinum.

On February 24, 2002, Groban performed "The Prayer" with Charlotte Church at the closing ceremonies of the Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City, and by November, he had his own PBS special, "Josh Groban In Concert" (2002). In December 2002, he performed "To Where You Are" and sang "The Prayer" in a duet with Sissel Kyrkjebø at the Nobel Peace Prize Concert in Oslo, Norway. He joined The Corrs, Ronan Keating, Sting, Lionel Richie, and others for a Christmas performance at the Vatican in Rome, Italy. In 2003, Groban performed at the David Foster concert for World Children's Day, singing "The Prayer" with Celine Dion and the finale song, "Aren't They All Our Children?" with artists including Yolanda Adams, Nick Carter, Enrique Iglesias, and Celine Dion.

Recent years

in Manchester, NH|right]]

Groban's second album Closer, produced and written by Foster, was released on November 11, 2003. Groban said that he believed that this second album was a better reflection of him, and that his audience would be able to get a better idea of his personality from listening to it. "What most people know about me, they know through my music. This time, I've tried to open that door as wide as possible. These songs are a giant step closer to who I really am and what my music is all about. Hence the title." as well as on The Ellen Degeneres Show, Larry King Live, The Rosie O'Donnell Show, The Jay Leno Show, 20/20, The Today Show, Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, Super Bowl XXXVIII, the Walt Disney World Christmas Day Parade, the Rockefeller Tree Lighting, and Glee (TV series).

During the first week of September 2006, Groban's single entitled "You Are Loved (Don't Give Up)" was released exclusively on AOL's First Listen. His third studio album Awake was officially released on November 7, 2006. Groban performed "You Are Loved (Don't Give Up)" as well as two other tracks from Awake at his recording session for Live from Abbey Road at Abbey Road Studios on 26 October 2006. On that album, Groban also collaborated with British musician and songwriter Imogen Heap, on the single "Now or Never". He performed two tracks with the South African group Ladysmith Black Mambazo, "Lullaby" and "Weeping." Groban's "Awake" world tour visited 71 cities between February and August 2007, and travelled further to Australia and the Philippines with Lani Misalucha as his special guest in October 2007. He performed a duet with Barbra Streisand ("All I Know of Love") and with Mireille Mathieu ("Over the Rainbow"). As to his future, Groban is open to a plethora of possibilities. He said, "I am fortunate enough to have had many really big moments in my career. I think the mistake a lot of people in my position make is to always search for the next big thing. I am looking forward to playing some small theaters. I'm looking forward to writing more. I want to delve further into my acting career and explore some of the film and TV opportunities that I haven't had time for. My outlook is to expect the unexpected. And when the next step comes, I'm prepared to take it."

Groban has twice appeared on hit British TV Music Quiz show, Never Mind The Buzzcocks. His first appearance was as a guest on Noel Fielding's team and the second appearance was as the host/quiz master of an episode.

(2010–present)

Groban finished his fifth studio album, entitled Illuminations and the album was released on November 15, 2010. Most of the songs on the album are about "specific situations that I've had where love has existed and ultimately failed," Groban told The New York Times, adding: "And other songs are about the quest, and it just not working out." Groban wrote 11 of the 13 songs on the album. The first single from the album, "Hidden Away," was made available for free download via Facebook on September 8. “For me to sit in a room with a piano in one take with some of Johnny Cash’s musicians — that was totally new for me.” Josh added. “and I think that excitement is on the record.” This song is sung in Brazilian Portuguese and was written by Brazilian artist Carlinhos Brown. The Washington Post said: "Illuminations" isn't a revelation, but it offers a perfectly fine, and often quite lovely, glimpse at a pop-classical crossover artist in the middle of crossing over." Josh plans on making one more record with Rubin.

Film

In a comedy called Crazy, Stupid, Love, an upcoming movie starring Emma Stone and Steve Carell, scheduled for released on April 22, 2011, Groban plays a character named Richard, a caddish lawyer, much of the humor coming simply from the sheer unlikelihood of Groban in that role. Recently, Groban has received recognition for his skit on Jimmy Kimmel Live, where he sings the tweets of controversial rap artist Kanye West.

Notable performances

On April 14, 2007, Groban joined Idina Menzel for a PBS Soundstage taping. The next day, he held his own taping for the same PBS TV series at Lincoln Center's Rose Hall at Jazz in New York City.

In June 2007, Groban recorded a Christmas album in London with the London Symphony Orchestra and the Magdalen College Choir, which he discussed on the DVD from "The Making of Noël". It was released on October 9, 2007 and is titled Noël. The album has been highly successful in the US breaking numerous records for a Christmas album, as well as becoming the best selling album of 2007 in only its tenth week of release, at sales of 3.6 million.

On July 1, 2007, Groban performed with Sarah Brightman at the Concert for Diana at Wembley Stadium; it was broadcast to over 500 million homes in 140 countries.

On August 23, 2007, Groban performed "You Raise Me Up" on Episode 14 of the talent show Last Choir Standing.

Groban was nominated for the 2008 Juno Award for International Album of the Year for Noël. In collaboration with French legend Charles Aznavour, he recorded Aznavour's signature song La Bohème as a duet in English and French. It is due to be released on Aznavour's next album, titled Duets.

On February 10, 2008, Groban performed at the 2008 Grammy Awards with Andrea Bocelli in a tribute to Luciano Pavarotti.

On May 12 and 13, 2008, Groban performed as Anatoly Sergievsky in "Chess in Concert" at the Royal Albert Hall in London.

On July 15, 2008, Groban performed "God Bless America" during the 7th inning stretch at the 79th All-Star Game in New York City at Yankee Stadium.

On August 29, 2008, Groban appeared on the final episode of The Charlotte Church Show for a brief interview. The show ended as Groban performed "The Prayer" with host Charlotte Church.

On September 21, 2008, Groban performed a comical medley of well-known TV theme songs at the 60th Annual Primetime Emmy Awards.

In December 2008, Groban appeared on Never Mind the Buzzcocks. He performed a duet with Only Men Aloud! at the Royal Variety Show at the London Palladium for the Prince of Wales and Duchess of Cornwall.

On January 18, 2009, Groban performed as part of the Presidential Inauguration ceremonies, performing "My Country 'Tis of Thee" in duet with Heather Headley.

On January 20, 2009, Groban performed at the Warner Theatre - Heroes Red, White & Blue Inaugural Ball, Washington, DC

On March 28, 2009, Groban performed a duet of "Bridge over Troubled Water" with Jordin Sparks for the charity event Celebrity Fight Night.

In March 2009, Groban covered the hits of the late Casey Tatum and his brother on Tim and Eric Awesome Show, Great Job!. On September 14, 2009, Groban appeared on the Oprah Winfrey Show and surprised an audience member. Two days later he made a cameo appearance on Glee.

Groban was also featured in Nelly Furtado's song "Silencio", which was released on September 1, 2009. This song is from Nelly's first full length Spanish album Mi Plan.

At the 2010 BCS National Championship Game, he performed the Star Spangled Banner on Jan. 7, 2010 with Red Hot Chili Peppers bassist Flea, at the historic Rose Bowl Stadium in Pasadena, California.

On November 30, 2010, Groban performed at the New York Rockefeller Christmas Tree Lighting.

On December 18, 2010, Groban performed at the Carols in the Domain in Sydney, Australia.

On December 21, 2010, Groban returned to BBC Two's Never Mind the Buzzcocks, this time as guest host and ending the show duetting with Michael Ball in a version of "I Dreamed a Dream" from Les Miserables.

Vocal technique

Various music critics have described Groban's voice in different ways, with some referring to him as a tenor and others as a baritone. In performance, Groban's music goes as low as G2 (as in the song "To Where You Are") and extends up to at least B♭4 (as heard in "You Raise Me Up" or "February Song"). This places his voice lower than the tenor range on the low end, and just short of Tenor C, and therefore above the baritone range, on the high end. There is currently no authoritative system of voice classification in non-classical music. The problem lies in the fact that classical terms are used to describe not merely various vocal ranges, but specific vocal timbres each unique to those respective ranges, and produced by the classical training techniques with which most popular singers are not intimately familiar and which are not universally employed by the few that are. In a 2002 New York Times article, Groban described himself as a "tenor in training".

Charity

Under the guidance of his mentor David Foster, Groban performed for many charity events that included VH1 Save the Music (2005), Tsunami Aid: A Concert of Hope (2005), Fifth Adopt-A-Annual Minefield concert (2005), 2nd Annual Grammy Jam (2005), Live 8 (2005), The Heart Foundation Gala (2005), and David Foster and Friends Charity Gala (2006). He also sang a solo on the recording of We Are The World 25 for Haiti (2010). Inspired by a visit with Nelson Mandela during a 2004 trip to South Africa, he established the Josh Groban Foundation to help children in need through education, healthcare and the arts. Mandela appointed Groban as an Official Ambassador for Mandela's Project 46664, a campaign to help raise Global awareness of HIV/AIDS in Africa. On April 25, 2007, Josh Groban performed with the African Children's Choir on American Idol's "Idol Gives Back" episode. Also on September 2, 2007, Groban donated $150,000 to Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools to fund music education. On February 28, 2008, he appeared in One Night Live at the Air Canada Centre in Toronto, Canada with Bryan Adams, Sarah McLachlan, Jann Arden and RyanDan in aid of the Sunnybrook Hospital Women and Babies Program. In honor of his 27th birthday, his fans set out to raise $27,000 in a project called "Raise 27". They ended up raising a total of $44,227 for the Josh Groban Foundation, to benefit the Noah's Ark children's orphanage called Siyawela in South Africa. Groban has since referred to this donation as "the best birthday present ever". For those who could afford the $1500 ticket, Josh Groban performed at the The Angel Ball on October 21, 2010. Proceeds went to the Gabrielles Angel Foundation for cancer research.

Impact

Some of Groban's musical influences have been Radiohead, Steve Perry, Paul Simon, Sting, Peter Gabriel, Freddie Mercury and Björk. He cites as vocal influences "anyone who told a story with their songs," including Mandy Patinkin, Klaus Nomi, George Hearn, and Luciano Pavarotti.

He was named the #1 Best Selling Artist of All Time on Barnes & Noble in 2007. Groban has sold more than 20 million albums in less than ten years.

In 2002, Groban was listed as "100 Sexiest Newcomer" and in 2008, he became one of People's "100 Most Beautiful People".

Personal Life

Groban dated January Jones from 2003–06. Although maintaining a home in Los Angeles, he recently moved his primary residence to New York to an apartment on a high floor of the Time Warner Center, where he indicates that "dating can be very easy or very tough".

Discography

2001: Josh Groban

2003: Closer

2006: Awake

2007: Noël

2010: Illuminations

References

External links

BroadwayWorld: Idina Menzel & Josh Groban to Star in 'Chess' Musical UK Concert?

Chess in Concert (2008)

Brown, Bob. "A Star in the Making: Who is Josh Groban?." ABCNews. com: 20/20

Category:1981 births Category:1990s singers Category:2000s singers Category:2010s singers Category:American Christians Category:American Episcopalians Category:American people of Jewish descent Category:Christians of Jewish descent Category:American male singers Category:American pop pianists Category:American pop singers Category:Carnegie Mellon University alumni Category:English-language singers Category:Living people Category:American musicians of Norwegian descent Category:People from Los Angeles, California Category:American musicians of Russian descent Category:Warner Music Group artists Category:American performers of Christian music