| Country | United States of America |
|---|
| Occupation | Composer |
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| Categories | Classical |
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Stan Grill was raised in the Bronx, studied at the Bronx House School of Music, and later graduated from the Manhattan School of Music with undergrad and graduate degrees in music theory. He studied piano with Robert Helps and Leon Kushner and composition with Ursula Mamlok and Joseph Prostakoff.
Working for most of his career outside of the music field, Stan continues to compose a broad variety of music, mostly for chamber ensembles. Major works include music for string orchestra and voice, string orchestra and clarinet, a nonet for winds and strings, and several song cycles for mixed voices and chamber ensemble. Performances have been produced by the composer, as well as presented by the Composers Guild of New Jersey, the St. Paul’s Church Festival of the Arts, the Leonia Chamber Players, the New York Composers Circle, the Northern New Jersey Camerata and the Bronx Arts Ensemble.
He is composer in residence at One World Symphony, a New York City based orchestra. One World Symphony has premiered several major works, including “Invisible Ballet” for orchestra, “Two Sad Songs” setting poems by W.B. Yeats for soprano & string orchestra, and a cycle of songs for two cellos and two mezzo sopranos setting poems by the New Jersey poet William Carlos Williams. In 2006, One World commissioned three works – a setting of the Ophelia songs from Shakespeare’s “Hamlet” for soprano, harp and string orchestra, an orchestral work, "Pluto," for a program featuring Holst’s “The Planets,” and a setting of poetry for a concert honoring those who lost their lives on 9/11.
In 2009, a concert of Stan's music was performed by the Duo + Ensemble in Tokyo, Japan; the Camerata Arkos premiered a commissioned cycle of songs setting poems by Fernando Rielo for soprano, viola and string orchestra. In 2010, Stan's recent concerto for viola and string orchestra, The Four Elements, was performed in Boston.
Stan's music is melodic, modal, contrapuntal, characterized by extended, interweaving lines. His musical influences span the centuries, and include Machaut, Josquin, Palestrina, Monteverdi, Lassus, Britten, Ives, Vaughn Williams and Shostakovich. Two main themes permeate many of the pieces - music intended to influence the minds and hearts of those who hear it in such a way as to encourage thoughts about the possibility of world peace - and music composed in an attempt to translate something about the nature of the physical world.
