One of the most performed American composers of his generation * Hailed by The Times (London) as “a master icon maker” with a “maverick imagination, fearless structural sense and meticulous ear” * First came to international attention in the 1990s with a series of witty, dark-humored, brilliantly-scored pieces inspired by 20th-century pop-culture phenomena * Recent works have shown a broadening of expressive range and lyricism, with increasing musical subtlety and elegance of orchestration * His idiom bears the stamp of classic modernism, with colliding tonalities and blocks of sound; at the same time, his melodies can be eloquent and stirring * Works commissioned by Detroit Symphony, National Symphony, Philadelphia Orchestra, Kronos Quartet, and many others
Works by Michael Daugherty include: Brooklyn Bridge (2005) for clarinet and symphonic band Fire and Blood(2003) for violin and orchestra Time Machine (2003) for three conductors and orchestra
Looking Ahead:Troy Jam, commissioned by the National Symphony Orchestra, receives its world premiere at the Kennedy Center on May 18
“Not only does Daugherty's concerto resonate with the energy, the heat, the lyricism, the very rhythms of its nominal subject, but it also rivets the ear with a bold palette of colors and the skillful elaboration of vibrant themes.” – Detroit News (on Fire and Blood)
