EMMANUEL DUBOIS

COMPOSER

Collaborating with Emmanuel Dubois, Lyrica Classic US-premiered several of his works, including the song cycle "Yulia" for soprano and string quartet performed at Merkin Hall in New York City in 2015; song cycle "Winter Wood" for soprano and harp performed at Weill Recital Hall at Carnegie Hall in 2016; and the oratorio "Requiem for the Fallen" at Zankel Hall at Carnegie Hall in 2019.

BIOGRAPHY

Award-winning and commissioned composer Emmanuel Dubois, born in Brussels in 1947, moved to the United States in his late twenties. Following a fifteen-year career in international finance and college teaching, at the age of 46 he enrolled in the Western Michigan University School of Music where he studied composition, orchestration and counterpoint with C. Curtis-Smith and Ramon Zupko. Dubois’ works are currently being performed in the United States and France.

Having begun his studies at the WMU School of Music in 1992, by 1996 Dubois’ suite, “Of Barbed Wire and Red Roses” op. 1b, for large brass ensemble and timpani, reflecting African civil war strife, had received the Irving S. Gilmore Emerging Artist Award. In 1998, Dubois was awarded the Arts Council of Greater Kalamazoo Arts Outreach Grant for the second piano sonata op. 10 and, in 1999, he was the recipient of the Pharmacia and Upjohn Foundation Grant for the third sonata op. 11. Since 1996, he has written five piano sonatas and numerous works for piano solo, brass ensembles, pipe organ, as well as numerous cycles of melodies and duets for soprano and piano, soprano and strings, and soprano and harp. There are also sets of pieces for carillon, harp and harpsichord. Over the last few years Dubois became interested in broader pieces and wrote several concertos – the Concerto for Clarinet and Orchestra “Florida Concerto: Four Seasons in the Everglades” op. 34, the Concerto for Piano and Orchestra “American West” op. 39, and the Concerto for Trumpet and Strings “Natural Treasures of the American Midwest” op. 40, as well as the “American Fantasy - Promontory Point 1869” op. 41 for piano, winds and timpani. Michigan State University commissioned Dubois to write “Come Ye Who Love” op. 43a, for soprano, horn and piano.

About the interpretation of this piece, written for, and interpreted by, Jacquelyn Wagner, soprano, Corbin Wagner, horn, and Till Haas, piano, the February 2015 review in the “The Horn Call” reads: “Emmanuel Dubois’ contribution is a hauntingly beautiful work with surprises. The moody opening solo is an extended cantabile, which is then joined by the voice in an interweaving tapestry. Opportunities appeared throughout for the solo voice to weave during extended melismas. An unexpected jazzy interlude by the piano provides a good-humored surprise.”

Since early 2015, Dubois has closely collaborated on numerous vocal projects with Yulia Petrachuk, a uniquely talented and promising Russian soprano concertizing in New York, Washington, France and Russia. This cooperation led to the composition of several song cycles and the “Requiem for the Fallen” op, 50, a meditative work for soprano, choir, timpani and orchestra. Dubois is currently composing an opera.

In the late 90’s, while residing in Michigan, Dubois developed, in association with the West Michigan Cancer Center, “Creations” a contemporary music program to help outpatients who had completed therapy treatment socialize with the community, and to help the community become more aware of the Center.

Over the last twenty five years, Dubois’ compositions have been played at more than forty public events including the Nuits musicales en Armagnac summer festival in France; the Jeunes talents concert series under the auspices of the Institut National d’Histoire de l’Art at the Auditorium Colbert, Paris; at the Kauffman Center’s Merkin Hall, New York; and at Carnegie Hall's Weil Hall and Zankel Hall, New York.

RECORDINGS

World Premier of a song cycle "Yulia" for soprano and string quartet 

Performed by soprano Yulia Petrachuk and Nova string quartet at Merkin Concert Hall at Kaufman Music Center, NYC, November 2015.

Detours of Love, op.21 - 3 French songs for soprano and piano.

Yulia Petrachuk - soprano,

\Karolos Zouganelis - piano

US premiere of the oratorio "Requiem for the Fallen" for orchestra, choir and soprano soloist

Zankel Hall at Carnegie Hall on October 2, 2019,

Yulia Petrachuk - Soprano solo, Kurt Schmid - Conductor, Orchestra Symphony in C, Lyrica Classic vocal ensemble