American Music Center

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http://www.martinhennessy.net

Martin Hennessy has been earning a reputation as a composer through a growing catalogue of art song, chamber music, opera and musical theater. Vox 2006: Showcasing American Composers recently presented an extended excerpt of his opera, A Letter to East 11th Street (libretto: Mark Campbell) with George Manahan conducting the New York City Opera orchestra. His Four Ben Jonson Songs won first prize in the 2005 San Francisco Song Festival and received their San Francisco and Boston premiers to generous critical praise. The Estate Project for Artists with AIDS has commissioned him twice. He has received awards from ASCAP, Meet the Composer, two grants from the American Music Center and his music has been presented by the New York Festival of Song, American Opera Projects, the Guggenheim Works and Process Series, Positive Music and Dancers Responding to AIDS. Hennessy's largest work to date is the musical EDGAR, inspired by Poe's The Tell-Tale Heart, which was developed over two years by Live Arts Theater in Charlottesville, VA and produced as an equity showcase by Vital Theatre Company in New York City. Other recent premiers include Two Poems (by Paul Kiel) for baritone, soprano and piano quintet presented by the Works and Process Series (with the Cassatt Quartet) and Part I of A Letter to East 11th Street which was presented by American Opera Projects at Dance Theatre Workshop. A compact disc featuring seven of his songs, paired with Ned Rorem's cycle Women' Voices can be found on the Newport Classic label with soprano, Heidi Skok. Hennessy’s music is distributed by Glendower Jones at www.classicalvocalrep.com. A keen interest in language and poetry together with his exemplary accompaniments, continue to make him a highly prized recital partner and vocal coach. He has toured throughout the world with the Bel Canto Trio and the Ambassadors of Opera. He also held a two year conducting/coaching fellowship at Juilliard’s American Opera Center and he has served on the faculties of Carlo Bergonzi’s Bel Canto Seminar in Busseto, Italy and Joan Dornemann’s Opera Training Institute in North Carolina as well as Bennington College, VT. He attended the Foreign Service School at Georgetown University and later earned a degree in English magna cum laude at Columbia University. He is a member of the Dramatists Guild of America, Inc.