Mark Abel
Mark Abel | |
|---|---|
| Born | April 28, 1948 United States |
| Occupation(s) | Composer, journalist |
| Years active | 1970s–present |
| Known for | Classical music composition |
Mark Abel (born April 28, 1948) is a composer from the United States specializing in classical music.
Background
Following a short period at Stanford University during the late 1960s, Abel became involved in the New York rock circuit throughout the 1970s and early 1980s. He led his own bands, produced acts such as The Feelies and The Bongos, and participated in recordings with artists including Tom Verlaine and Michael Brown, formerly of Left Banke. In 1983, Abel returned to California, where he dedicated twenty years to mainstream journalism, ultimately serving as foreign editor for the San Francisco Chronicle. During this era, he distanced himself from rock music, immersed in classical traditions, and crafted a distinctive hybrid musical language.
Career
In the last twelve years, Abel has issued eight albums. His initial self-produced works, Journey Long, Journey Far and Songs of Life, Love and Death, received modest attention. Nevertheless, his 69-minute song cycle The Dream Gallery, portraying quintessential Californian characters, caught the interest of pianist Carol Rosenberger from Delos Productions, resulting in a recording led by USC Thornton conductor Sharon Lavery alongside the La Brea Sinfonietta.
Delos’ 2012 release of The Dream Gallery broadened Abel's listener base and earned praise for its innovative approach and emotional richness. In 2013, Abel’s composition “The Benediction” was featured on tenor Kyle Bielfield’s debut album Stopping By, reflecting on societal divisions within America.
His sophomore Delos album, Terrain of the Heart (2014), comprises art song cycles performed by Los Angeles vocalists Jamie Chamberlin and Ariel Pisturino with pianist Victoria Kirsch. Critics lauded its inventive songwriting and heartfelt expression, drawing parallels to classic tragic cycles by Schubert and Mahler.
In 2016, Delos issued Home Is A Harbor, a double-disc set containing Abel’s inaugural opera alongside the song cycle "The Palm Trees are Restless," which sets poetry by Los Angeles poet Kate Gale. This project initiated a creative partnership with Grammy-winning soprano Hila Plitmann, who premiered “The Palm Trees Are Restless” in Pasadena and subsequently performed other Abel-Gale collaborations such as “Those Who Loved Medusa.” Plitmann recorded these works for Abel’s fourth Delos album, Time and Distance (2018), which also features compositions for mezzo-soprano Janelle DeStefano. The release received commendations for its emotional intensity and compositional scope.
Abel’s fifth album with Delos, The Cave of Wondrous Voice (2020), marked a turn toward chamber music, showcasing performances by distinguished artists including David Shifrin and Fred Sherry. The collection was widely praised for its poetic qualities and solidified Abel’s reputation as an important voice in chamber music composition.
In 2021, his duo piece Approaching Autumn was included on cellist Jonah Kim’s Delos recording. Critics from leading classical music publications hailed the work as compelling and an exemplary modern American composition.
October 2022 saw the release of Spectrum, an extensive compilation of Abel’s recent vocal and chamber pieces featuring performers such as soprano Isabel Bayrakdarian and mezzo Kindra Scharich. Reviews highlighted Abel’s distinctive fusion of rock sensibilities with classical forms through tonal yet inventive harmonies. Particular acclaim was given to cycles like “Trois Femmes du Cinéma” and “1966” for their emotional impact and significance within contemporary repertoire.
Awards
- Global Music Awards - Received the "Award of Excellence" recognizing the lyrics in The Dream Gallery
- Global Music Awards - Honored with the "Award of Merit" for outstanding creativity and originality
Discography
- Spectrum (2022)
- The Cave of Wondrous Voice (2020)
- Time and Distance (2018)
- Home Is A Harbor (2016)
- Terrain of the Heart (2014)
- The Dream Gallery (2012)
- Journey Long, Journey Far (2008)
- Songs of Life, Love and Death (2006)
External links
- 1948 births
- Living people
- American male classical composers
- Musicians from Hartford, Connecticut
- 20th-century American classical composers
- 21st-century American classical composers
- 20th-century American male journalists
- Journalists from Connecticut
- San Francisco Chronicle people
- 20th-century American journalists
- 20th-century American male musicians
- 21st-century American male musicians