Daniel Theaker
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Daniel George Theaker (born March 30, 1967 in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada) is a neoclassical composer, conductor and woodwind instrumentalist. He is a self-described champion of the bass oboe and heckelphone, and a practitioner of the "Elastic Scoring" orchestration techniques first conceived by Percy Grainger.
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[edit] Biography
Mr. Theaker holds a Bachelor of Music (B.Mus) from Mount Allison University in Sackville, New Brunswick, Canada, where he studied composition with Carleton Weir Elliott and conducting with James Mark. He has also taken masterclasses in Wind Ensemble conducting and direction from the esteemed North American conducting instructor Eugene Corporon. From 1991 to 1998, Mr. Theaker was Principal Flute and Piccolo with the Regimental Band of the Governor General's Foot Guards. During this time, he also performed with the Ceremonial Guard and earned certificates in woodwind performance from the Canadian Armed Forces School of Music. It was here that he conducted a performance of Stravinsky's, L'Histoire du Soldat (The Soldier's Tale) and a performance of Gustav Holst's Second Suite in F for Military Band.
His flute quartets are well known in the classical music flute community and his 'Scale and Arpeggio' books for Woodwind and Brass instruments are also well known on the educational/conservatory music scene. He has also arranged music by Glenn Gould and Calixa Lavallée.
Mr. Theaker currently resides in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.
[edit] Influences
An ardent admirer of the music of Alban Berg, and of the original compositions written by the celebrated Canadian pianist Glenn Gould, Daniel Theaker's music is influenced by the works of Modest Mussorgsky, Igor Stravinsky, Gustav Holst, Aram Khatchaturian, Percy Grainger, and Philip Glass.
[edit] Musical Works (Unpublished)
- Portrait of Memory/Portraits of Imagined Memory - Quartet No.1, Op.11 for Tuba Quartet or Bassoon Quartet (1998/2002/3)
- The Beautiful Shoreline Op.14 - An opera in three acts (1999-2001)
- Violin Concerto No.1, Op.17 for Violin and Orchestra (2004-2006; a contracted reduction version for Violin and Piano is also available)
- Flute Concerto No.1, Op.17b for Flute and Orchestra (2005-2006; a contracted reduction version for Flute and Piano is also available)
- Elegy of Loss, Misery and Grief for Orchestra (2006)
The works for tuba or bassoon quartet are elastically scored for two euphoniums and two tubas and for four bassoons or heckelphone, two bassoons and contrabassoon.
[edit] Musical Works (Published)
- Three Preludes Op.1 for piano solo (1989/1996)
- Flute Quartet No.1, Op.6 for four C flutes or two C flutes, also and bass (1993)
- Flute Quartet No.2, "Three English Landscapes" for four C flutes (1996)
- Flute Quartet No.3, "Rêves et Cauchemares" for four C flutes (1997)
- Clarinet Quartet No.1 for three B♭ clarinets and bass clarinet (1998)
- Symmetry for piano solo (2005)
The majority of Mr. Theaker's music is published by Mayfair Montgomery Publishing of Toronto.
[edit] Musical Arrangements
- Sonata for Flute and Piano by Glenn Gould ISMN M-001-13338-8
- Pieces for String Trio by Glenn Gould ISMN M-001-13334-0
- Pieces for Woodwind Trio by Glenn Gould ISMN M-001-13335-7
These arrangements of Glenn Gould's music by Mr. Theaker are forthcoming from Schott Musik International, Mainz, Germany.
[edit] Educational Materials
- Complete Scales and Arpeggios for Bassoon ISBN 0-921965-46-X
- Complete Scales and Arpeggios for the Flute (Forthcoming)
- Scales and Arpeggios for the Flute (Volumes One ISBN 0-921965-38-9 & Two ISBN 0-921965-39-7)
- Scales and Arpeggios for the Clarinet (Volumes One ISBN 0-921965-37-0 & Two ISBN 0-921965-41-9)
- Scales and Arpeggios for the Oboe ISBN 0-921965-40-0
- Scales and Arpeggios for the Alto & Tenor Saxophone ISBN 0-921965-42-7
- Scales and Arpeggios for the Trumpet ISBN 0-921965-17-6
- Scales and Arpeggios for the French Horn ISBN 0-921965-15-X
- Scales and Arpeggios for the Trombone & Euphonium ISBN 0-921965-18-4
- Scales and Arpeggios for the Tuba ISBN 0-921965-13-3
[edit] See also
- List of Canadian composers
- List of 20th century classical composers
- List of 21st century classical composers
- Mayfair Montgomery Publishing
