Glise, Anthony
Period: 21st Century
Born: Tuesday, January 17, 1956 in St. Joseph, Missouri (USA)
As of September 2023 this composer is still living.
To report updated information, please see the Contact Info page.
Nation of Origin: United States
Major Works:
Messe pour les enfants
Other Information:
Born 17 January, 1956 in St. Joseph, Missouri, USA (first son of Wyllis and
Jeannine Borngesser-Glise), Glise had early musical training from both his
mother (a piano teacher) and father (an amateur bass vocalist).
His musical studies continued from that time and Glise ultimately
matriculated from New England Conservatory with a Masters in classical guitar
performance but while there had additional studies in composition and early
music (under Daniel Pinkham and Julia Sutton, respectively). While finishing
that degree he also studied business management and administration at Harvard
University (Cambridge Mass.) and shortly thereafter also earned a license as
an EMT (Emergency Medical Technical).
Following studies in Boston, Glise moved to Vienna to study at the
Konservatorium der Stadt (classical guitar performance) and the University of
Vienna (Diploma in German Language). Various other diplomas and awards
include the Universite Catholique de Lille (French Language and
Civilization), ARCUM (Rome, for 19th-Century Performance Practice),
Nemzetkozi Gitarfesztival (Hungary, for composition), Ville Sable-sur-Sarthe
(France, for composition), et al.
After his studies in Vienna, Glise took a teaching post in Western Austria
(Nenzing), followed by posts in Northern France (Lille), Italy (at the
"Academy for the Study of 19th-Century Music" [Vigevano]), Southern Germany
(Schwaebisch Gmuend) and since 1995 he has predominantly lived in a small
village outside Lille, France (Sainghin-en-Melantois). Glise periodically
teaches in the at Missouri Western State College (St. Joseph) where he has a
visiting professorship when he is in the US.
In 1991 he became the only American-born guitarist to win the International
Toscanini Competition and that same year was a Pulitzer Prize Nominee for his
"Cavatina--At the Border" for String Orchestra.
He has recorded for a number of international labels including Young
Recording Artists, Dorian Recordings (US), CEH (Hungary) and most notably for
the French label, Eclipse (a subdivision of Aevia Productions, Ltd.) which
Glise took over as acting CEO in 1998.
In addition to over 60 original published compositions, Glise has published
numerous historical editions (Willis Music Company, Cincinnati, under the
series, "The Anthony Glise Critical Editions"). He has also written a number
of books. These include "The Complete Guitar Sonatas for Sor, Giuliani and
Diabelli in Urtext," "Handbook for American Musicians Overseas" and the
internationally-acclaimed university textbook, "Classical Guitar Pedagogy - A
Handbook for Teachers," which is the standard classical guitar pedagogy text
used throughout the US, Canada and Australia as well as at the University of
San Paulo (Brazil), Conservatoire National (Paris), etc.
The majority of Glise's works are published by Mel Bay Publications, USA
under the series title, "The Anthony Glise Urtext Editions".
Glise continues to compose, concertize and teach throughout Europe and the
US. He is particularly active in sailing, fly fishing, hunting, fencing
(epee), gardening and culinary arts (specializing in cuisine of the Flanders
region in France). Glise continues to work with arts organizations in
developing programs for children in music.
Compositions of Anthony Glise
Glise's opus includes works for solo classical guitar, chamber music with
guitar, small ensemble (including works for string trio, lieder, etc.),
chamber orchestra, 2 guitar concerti, one double concerto for 2 guitars, and
ballet (including the ballets "Noah!" for full orchestra and 123 dancers and
"Dream Catcher" for chamber ensemble and 7 dancers).
In the pure classical realm, compositions that have achieved considerable
attention are Glise's "Messe pour les enfants" ("Mass for the Children" for
chamber orchestra, choral and narrators) and "The Missouri Fables" (for small
ensemble and narrators) his massive sonata for violin and classical guitar,
"The Secession" and his works for the self-founded ensemble "The Nova
Project."
The original compositions for The Nova Project combine classical and electric
guitar, violin, 'cello and vocals (sung live and on CD by Glise). The Nova
Project CDs and concerts have featured members of the French National
Orchestra, American rock/jazz guitarists Jason Riley and Michael Fuson (US),
famed rock guitarist Jan Akkerman (Holland, former lead guitarist from the
avant-garde rock group, "Focus") and various leading ethnic musicians.
Glise has performed and premiered his compositions throughout the US and
Europe including concerts at Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center (New York), Vienna
International Centre (Austria), Santa Marie degli Angeli (Rome), Nouveau
Siecle (concert hall of the French National Orchestra-Lille), Festival
Sablonceaux and Festival Hautcombe (France), Estate Chitaristica (Stresa,
Italy), Shore Festival of Classics (for the concert titled, "Mozart and
Glise"), etc.
Essay contributed by:
Anthony Glise
Composer Bibliography:
Summerfield, Maurice. The Classic Guitar. It’s Evolution, Players and
Personalities since 1800. London: Ashley Mark Publishing, 2003.
General Bibliography:
Lampert, Vera; Kemp, Ian; and White, Eric Walter, The New Grove Modern Masters (The New Grove Series), W. W. Norton & Company, November 1997, ISBN: 0393315924
Slonimsky, Nicolas, Music Since 1900, Schirmer Books, July 1994, ISBN: 0028724186
Griffiths, Paul, Modern Music and After: Directions Since 1945, Oxford University Press; 1st edition (April 11, 1996), ISBN: 0198165110
Slonimsky, Nicolas and Kuhn, Laura; Editors, Baker's Biographical Dictionary of Musicians, Gale Group, December 2000, ISBN: 0028655257
Sadie, Stanley and Tyrrell, John; Editors, The New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians, Groves Dictionaries, Inc., January 2004, ISBN: 0195170679
Rutherford-Johnson, Tim, Kennedy, Michael, and Kennedy, Joyce The Oxford Dictionary of Music, Oxford University Press, 6th Edition, 2012, ISBN: 0199578109
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Biographical essay from Wikipedia
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