Born in Vancouver, Anthony Genge worked as a jazz performer for a number of years before studying classical composition formally. Dr. Genge received his Ph.D. in composition from the State University of New York at Buffalo in 1984, where he was a student of Morton Feldman. His other principal composition teachers included Rudolf Komorous and Martin Bartlett at the University of Victoria and Bruce Mather at McGill University. He traveled to Japan 1979 where he began an association with the Japanese composer Jo Kondo. He also made several trips to Pacific-Rim countries, in particular Japan and Indonesia, studying their traditional music.
Genge's more than 50 compositions have been commissioned and performed by many leading soloists and ensembles. His music has been performed extensively throughout Canada, the United States, and many countries in Europe and in Japan, and is available on several recordings. He was a first prize winner in the C.B.C. Young Composers' Competition.
His diverse compositional influences include the traditional music from the Far East (notably Japan and Java), various techniques of Medieval and Renaissance European music, the music of the New York school of composers of the 1950's, the early music of Anton Webern and the work of Igor Stravinsky.
His works are noted for their quiet beauty, elegant orchestration and their careful blending of tonal and atonal musical elements. Since 1995 his music has also displayed a distinctive, 'postmodern' mix of several of the influences noted above.
In addition to his work as a composer, Dr. Genge also maintains an active career as one of Canada's leading jazz pianists, educators and authors. He has performed with many leading Canadian and international jazz artists and released the jazz piano trio CD 'Blues Walk'‚ to critical acclaim. He has also published a groundbreaking book on the jazz pianist Red Garland (The Jazz Piano Solos of Red Garland).
Anthony Genge currently lives in Antigonish, Nova Scotia where he teaches in the music Department of St. Francis Xavier University.
ANTHONY GENGE est né à Vancouver le 22 mai 1952. Il est titulaire d'un doctorat en composition décerné par la State University of New York à Buffalo (1982-1985), où il a été l'élève de Morton Feldman. Parmi ses autres principaux professeurs de composition, se trouvent Bruce Mather de l'Université McGill (maîtrise en musique/1979-1981) et Rudolf Komorous de l'Université de Victoria (B.Mus./1976-1979). Il a aussi étudié à Tokyo en 1979 sous la direction du compositeur Jo Kondo. En 1979, et plus tard en 1982, il a passé un certain temps dans plusieurs pays de l'Extrême-Orient, tels que le Japon et l'lndonésie.
On a beaucoup joué sa musique au Canada, aux États-Unis et en Europe, musique qui se distingue surtout par sa douceur et sa belle sonorité. Les principales influences que l'on retrouve dans ses compositions sont celles de la musique traditionnelle du Japon et de Java, de même que certaines idées rythmiques et harmoniques adaptées de la musique de l'Europe médiévale, notamment en ce qui concerne l'emploi de la technique du hoquet.
Après plusieurs années passées à Victoria, C.-B., il habite présentement à Antigonish, Nouvelle-Écosse, où il est professeur à l'Université Saint-François-Xavier.
Ligue canadienne de compositeurs, SOCAN
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