Michael Jamieson Bristow 
MICHAEL TORKE (b.1961)
Born: Milwaukee (USA), September 21 1961
MICHAEL TORKE burst upon the scene in the middle 1980's with a startling suddenness rare in American music. With his two best known pieces, Ecstatic Orange and The Yellow Pages, written in 1985 while still a composition student at Yale, Michael Torke practically defined post-Minimalism, a music in which eclectic young composers utilize the repetitive structures of a previous generation to incorporate musical techniques from both the classical tradition and the contemporary pop world.
WORKS:
Ecstatic Orange, for orchestra (1985) (Duration: 11 mins) (first performed: May 10 1985 - Cooper Union, New York City)
The Yellow Pages, for flute/piccolo, clarinet, violin, cello and piano (1985) (Duration: 7 mins) (first performed: April 08 1985)
Bright Blue Music, for orchestra (1985) (Duration: 9 mins) (first performed: November 23 1985 - Carnegie Hall, New York City)
Green, for orchestra (1986) (Duration: 12 mins) (first performed: November 20 1986 - Uihlein Hall, Milwaukee, Wisconsin)
Purple, for orchestra (1987) (Duration: 7 mins) (first performed: June 11 1987 - New York State Theater, New York City)
Adjustable Wrench, for chamber ensemble (1987) (Duration: 11 mins) (first performed: November 24 1987 - Huddersfield Contemporary Music Festival, UK)
Black & White, for orchestra (ballet) (1988) (Duration: 24 mins) (first performed: May 07 1988 - New York State Theater, New York City)
Copper, for brass quintet and orchestra (1988) (Duration: 12 mins) (first performed: June 03 1988 - Midland Festival, Midland, Michigan)
Ash, for orchestra or chamber orchestra (1989) (Duration: 6 mins) (first performed: February 03 1989 - Ordway Center, St Paul, Minnesota)
Slate, for concertante group and orchestra (1989) (Duration: 32 mins) (first performed: June 15 1989 - New York State Theater, New York City)
Rust, for piano and wind instruments (1989) (Duration: 14 mins) (first performed: November 21 1989 - Huddersfield Contemporary Music Festival, UK)
Bronze, for piano and orchestra (1990) (Duration: 23 mins) (first performed: January 06 1991 - Carnegie Hall, New York)
Red, for orchestra (1991) (Duration: 29 mins) - consists of three movements: Cherry (12 mins), Crimson (5 mins) & Brick (12 mins)
Chalk, for string quartet (1992) (Duration: 17 mins) (first performed: October 01 1992 - Royal Northern College of Music, Manchester, UK)
Run, for orchestra (1992) (Duration: 5 mins) (first performed: April 29 1993 - Avery Fisher Hall, New York)
Chrome, for flute and piano (1993) (Duration: 21 mins)
Bone, for mixed ensemble (1994) (Duration: 8 mins) (first performed: April 15 1994 - Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Rensselaer, New York)
Javelin, for orchestra (1994) (Duration: 9 mins) (first performed: September 08 1994 - Symphony Hall, Atlanta, Georgia)
Nylon, for solo guitar and chamber orchestra (1994) (Duration: 20 mins) (first performed: November 09 1994 - Assembly Rooms, Derby, UK)