E. Gyimah Labi

World Concert Artist Directory

Emmanuel Gyimah Labi

Composer, Conductor

This Ghanaian-American author, composer and conductor Emmanuel Gyimah Labi is a music professor at Essex County College, Newark, NJ. Born in Accra, Ghana, he was educated at the Achimota School in Accra, subsequently taking a BA in music and philosophy from University of Ghana, Legon (1973-76), an MM degree in Theory and Composition from University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaine (1977-79), and a DMA degree in Theory/Composition from College-Conservatory of Music, University of Cincinnati, Ohio.

His output includes: 2 Symphonies; Fantasia #2 for Orchestra (Tunes of the Fisherfolks); String Quartet No. 1 (At the Immaculate Beehive); Trio in 5 movements for Flute, Bass Clarinet & Piano (Visions of Space); 3 Duets for Violin & Piano; Timpani Concertino (Ancient Perspective-3); 2 Pieces for Unaccompanied Tuba, as well as 6 Dialects in African Pianism.

The composer�s works have been performed at these venues: Johannesburg, Cape Town (Republic of South Africa); Munich, Wultzburg, Dresden (Germany); Vancouver, Toronto (Canada); Liverpool, London (England); New Jersey, Massachusetts, St. Louis, Pittsburgh, Los Angeles, Vashon, WA, Wiston-Salem, etc. - here in the United States.

ACTIVITIES AND CURRENT EVENTS

Dr Labi writes: My book entitled "AFRICAN MUSIC THEORY" has been currently published by the Instutute of African Studies Press of the University of Bayreuth. It is being distributed by Amazon.Com and Eckhard Breitinger, Producer/Editor, Bayreuth University, P. O. Box 10 1251, 8580 Bayreuth, Germany.

2002 Aspects of my musical style have been presented by Anne LeBaron in an article entitled: "Reflections of Surrealism in Postmodern Musics." It appears in POSTMODERN MUSIC/POSTMODERN THOUGHT (edited by Judy Lochhead and Joseph Auner), Routledge Publishers, 2002, pp. 27-74.

2002 My contributions to contemporary African art music are included in Cambridge History of Twentieth-Century Music in an essay entitled: Art Music in a Cross-Cultural Context: The Case of Africa by Martin Scherzinger of Eastman School of Music

2001 Biographical information of mine appears online in the New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians: (http://www.grovemusic.com) April 1,

2001 the St, Louis Symphony Orchestra under the baton of Maestro Leon Burke premiered my Symphony-Concertante for 3-pianos and Orchestra

May 3, 2001 My "Timpani Concertino ? Ancient Perspective-3" received its German debut at the Richard Strauss Konservatorium in Munich. This program was organized by Professor Harald Lilmayer of the Konservatorium

March - November 2001 Professor David Hotlzman, a Manhattan concert pianist has performed some of my Dialects in African Pianism at Long Island, NY at CW Post (a subsidiary of Long Island University) and on Monday 26 of March, then in Queensborough Community College, NY as well as on the 6th of May 2001, at the Afrocam Art Museum in Tenafly, NJ.

November 18, 2001 Some of my works were performed in Dresden University, Germany on the 18th of November 2001. This concert was organized by Professor Klauss Stahmer of that university.

November 2000 Ensemble Noir Incorporated (Registered Charity) 53 Beck Avenue, Toronto M4C 4L4 ON. Canada- Advisory Committee-Member.

Summer 2001 Essex County College, Newalk, NJ - Adjunct Professor in Western music appreciation, Jazz appreciation and ear-training, and sight-singing 1988-June 1997 - University of Ghana, Legon. Courses Taught: theory/composition, history of music, analytic techniques, ethnomusicology, anthropology of music, popular-music studies, cultural studies in music, orchestration, ear training as well as in World music at the undergraduate and graduate levels

1990-September 1997 - Ghana National Symphony Orchestra and Chorus. Functioned as the assistant conductor and eventually its director/conductor in 1997 Contact details and further information

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