ŠAVLI Peter

Slovene composer and theoretician, author of scenic, orchestral, chamber piano, vocal and didactic music. His works were performed by renowned soloists and orchestras all over Europe and the USA.

EDUCATION:

- Academy of Music Ljubljana: degree in music pedagogy (1985) and composition (1988, class of Prof. A. Srebotnjak),

- Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut, USA: Artist Diploma (1993-95). He studied analysis and the theory of sets with Allen Forte, composition with Martin Bresnick, Anthony Davis and Jacob Druckman, the Schenker tonal analysis with Ramon Satyendra, and solfeggio for the 20th century with Michael Friedmann,

- Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, USA: preparing a DMA (Doctor of Musical Arts, 1995-1999) and studying composition with Steven Stucky and Roberto Sierra; doctoral thesis on Harmonic Density in Messiaen’s Music (1999),

- summer school of composition, Long Beach, California (1998): studies with Brian Ferneyhough.

CAREER:

- guest lecturer of music theory at the Syracuse University, NY, USA (1999),

- director of cultural education and humanist science programme at the Culture and Congress Centre Cankarjev dom in Ljubljana (1999-2001),

- secretary general of the Society of Slovene Composers DSS (2002), artistic director / adviser of the Night of Slovene Composers (2002), in charge of the CD production of the Ed.DSS (2002),

- vice-president of the DSS (2003), artistic director of the Concert Atelier (2003),

- lecturer for solfeggio, at the Intermediate Music and Ballet School (SGB©), Ljubljana (2003),

- moderator of musical-educational concert events (2000-03),

- holds the Slovene Ministry of Culture approved status of independent cultural worker (since 2001).

AWARDS AND PRIZES:

- Pre¹eren Prize for best students, University of Ljubljana, 1987,

- First Prize at the composition competition of the Council for music education, Ljubljana, 1993,

- the  Bradley-Keller Award for exceptional achievements in composition, Yale University, 1995,

- the  Blackmore Prize for composition, Cornell University, 1998 and 1999,

- Award of the Council for the Arts at the Cornell University, 1996.

WORKS:

To date his output comprises over 60 works, among them concertos for saxophone, piano, guitar, violin as well as  string, guitar, saxophone and flute quartets. His music features expressive contrapuntal textures and neo-impressionistic harmonic impulsion. ©avli's projects for children are both popular and communicative.

In 1992 the Slovene Philharmonic performed his Saxophonia – Concerto for saxophone and orchestra, with Matja¾ Dreven¹ek as soloist and Hans Graf conducting. In 2001 the Slovene Radio and Television Symphony orchestra, under the baton of Uro¹ Lajovic and with Bojan Gori¹ek as soloist, recorded his Piano concerto.

ORCHESTRAL WORKS:

Variations on the theme Kalenda Maya for chamber orchestra (1987, seven variations, 17'), Concertino for orchestra (1987, three movements, 17'), Saxophonia – concerto for saxophone and symphony orchestra (1992, three movements, the soloist alternates between alto and baritone saxophone, 20'), Concerto for guitar and chamber orchestra (1996, five movements, 24'), Devant une neige (chamber orchestra, 1999, 17'), Concerto for piano and (2001, in one movement, 17'), Concerto for violin and strings (2003, 16'), Favilla for big orchestra (2003, 13').

CHORAL WORKS:

"Kukavica"  The Cuckoo, arrangement of a Slovene folk song, mixed choir (1984), "Oto¾je" -Wistfulness, text by Sreèko Kosovel, mixed choir (1984), "Jezdeèeva pesem" - Rider's Song, text by F. G. Lorca, mixed choir (1984), "©tiri pesmi" - Four Songs, texts by Maja Vidmar, mixed choir (1990), "Nova" - The New One, text by Maja Vidmar, mixed choir (1990), "V svetlobo" - Towards Light, from the poem Samota - Loneliness by Niko Grafenauer, mixed choir (1995), Being Beauteous, text by A. Rimbaud (1998), "Svarjenje" - Warning, canonic apotheosis of a Slovene folk song, mixed choir (1995), Agnus Dei, liturgical text, female choir (2001), "Vpra¹anje" - The Question, text by Josip Murn Aleksandrov, mixed choir (2001), "Liebesgleichnisse" - Parables of Love, German sonnet by France Pre¹eren, Slovene translation by Alojz Gradnik, male choir (2003).

INCIDENTAL MUSIC:

Ballet "PSYCHE" - scenario, script, staging by P. ©avli, based on a fragment of the ancient Greek myth about Psyche and Eros (1988, 40'), children's comic opera  "Pastir" - The shepherd, libretto by P. ©avli, based on a folk tale from Tolmin (1992, fragment, 14'), Live music for the marionette performance Lili Goro (2001, marimba, djembe, claves, 40'), music and arrangements (co-arr. G. Forjaniè) for the children's dance performance "Pedenjped" - Littleman (2002, 35').

CHAMBER MUSIC:

Suite in ancient style (fl, ob, fg or ob, cl, fg, 1986, five movements, 8'), "Septet dvoliènosti" - Septet of Duplicity (Cor, Tpt, piano quintet three movements, 13'), Primavera (vn, pf, 1987, 3'), Teenager Rondo (two recorders, 2a also alto, two guitars, 7'), The Road Less Travelled (saxophone quartet, 1989, 12'), "Plesni ambienti" - Dance Ambiences (two guitars, 1991, 7'), Puer aeternus I (guitar, 1 perc, piano, 1991), Puer aeternus II (fl incl. picc, cl incl. cl. basso, harp, vn, vc, perc, 1993, 12'), Post Magic Quintet (2 tpt, cor, tbn, tba, 1993, 12'), Puer aeternus III (Eng horn. French horn, guitar, harp, cb, 1994, 7'), Arcades (two string quartets and piano, 1994, 12'), In memoriam Carl Sagan (fl, cl, fg, 1996, 3'), Melos solem (string quartet, 1997, 11'), Personae (marimba solo, 1997, 8'), "Skozi mete¾ dreves in lahkega zraka" – Through the storm of trees and  lightness of air (six percussionists, 1997, 12'), Les bras de cristal I, (1998, tpt solo, 7'), Avant le devant (fl, ob, cl, harp, mandolin, guitar, pf, 1 perc, vn, cb, 1998, 3'), Sfumato (guitar quartet, 2000, 16'), Jobimesque (guitar solo, 2000, 10'), Les Bras de cristal II, (tpt, pf, 2000, 7'), Attractio (flute quartet, 9', 2003), "Ni trjeba èrne tinte" – No black ink is needed (alto sax, pf, 2003, 6').

VOCAL SOLO MUSIC:

"Pet Murnovih pesmi" - Five Songs by Murn, texts by Josip Murn Aleksandrov, soprano, piano (1995/6, 20'), "Tri slovenske ljudske" - Three Slovene Folk Songs for soprano and guitar (2003, 7').

PIANO MUSIC:

Study Nr. 1 (1994, revised under the title Je dois m'abattre, 1998, 7'), Study Nr. 2 - Juggler's Song (1995, 7'), Three Hommages (to Debussy, Schönberg, Messiaen, 1997, 7'), Requieto-Irrequieto (fortepiano or piano, 2002, 10').

ELECTRO-ACOUSTIC MUSIC:

LISP Etude (LISP software, Next computer, 1994).

DIDACTIC MUSIC:

45 short exercises for guitar (2000), 45 short exercises for piano (2000), 17 little songs for children "Navihanke" - Mischievous Girls, texts by Damjana Kenda and Peter ©avli (voice or unisono choir and piano or chordal / harmonic accompaniment, 2000), 17 little songs for children "Pedenjped" - Littleman, texts by Niko Grafenauer - (voice or unisono choir and piano or chordal / harmonic accompaniment, 2001), 12 plus one Song for Matej for piano (2002, four arranged for piano quintet), 14 songs of Anja ©tefan (unisono and two-voice children's choir and piano), Six little pieces for piano four-hands (2003).

DISCOGRAPHY:

- "Navihanke" - Mischievous Girls sung by Helena Adamiè, performed by Peter ©avli, programming: P. Penko, 2000,

- "Pedenjped" - Littleman, sung by Helena Adamiè, Peter ©avli and the children's choir Dom¾alèki, co-arr. G. Forjaniè,

- Devant une neige, Ljubljana, 2002: Sfumato for guitar quartet, The Road Less Travelled for saxophone quartet, Devant une neige for chamber orchestra, Saxophonia - Concerto for a Saxophone Player and symphonie orchestra, Piano Concerto (Ed. DSS: 200034).

CONTACTS:

address: Brejèeva 13a, 1230 Dom¾ale

telephone: + 386 (0) 1 721 32 86

mobile: + 386 (0) 40 36 59 08

e-mail: petersavli@yahoo.com