Alison Nowak

Biography

Based in New York City,  Alison Nowak has been active as a composer, violinist and teacher for over 50 years. She is descended from musicians on both sides, her father being Lionel Nowak, pianist, composer (ACA member) and Bennington College faculty member (1948-1993). From birth, she heard his daily practicing of Beethoven, Chopin, Schubert, his own music and that of family friend, Carl Ruggles. She grew up listening to the weekly faculty concerts at Bennington College and to concerts of brand new music at the annual Composers Conference (where she herself was a young composer in the mid- 70s).

She received her BA in music from Bennington College, where she studied composition with Louis Calabro, Henry Brant and Vivian Fine and violin with Eric Rosenblith, Sylvia Rosenberg and Jacob Glick.  

It was Jack Glick who encouraged her to apply to the Columbia University graduate school program in music composition in order to study with Charles Wuorinen. Wuorinen became her principal teacher and his music an inspiration to her. 

During her first decade in New York, her musical life was further invigorated by her experience as personal assistant for seven years to Otto Luening (he was writing his autobiography, “Odyssey of an American Composer” at the time) and as composer/violinist for five years with the Composers Ensemble — a group of six composers who produced and performed concerts of music they wrote for each other. 

After receiving her MA and DMA from Columbia, she taught at Union College, the 92nd St. Y, the New School and Columbia University Teachers College. As a violinist, she had the great good fortune of studying in New York with Joyce Robbins and was a member of the Greenwich (CT) Symphony Orchestra for over 25 years, as well as a long-time chamber music coach.

She is the recipient of commissions, awards, grants and residencies; and her music has been performed to wide acclaim. Her catalog of works at ACA include solos, vocal, chamber and orchestral music and a one-act opera.

ACE Publications

44 title(s)
Composer Title SCORING/INSTRUMENTATION Year
Alison Nowak THREE SHORT PIECES cl, 2vln, vcl
Alison Nowak TWELVE-TONE PIANO PIECE pf
Alison Nowak FOUR SHORT PIECES 2fl,cl,vcl
Alison Nowak FOUR PIECES 3 cl
Alison Nowak THREE SONGS Tenor, pf
Alison Nowak PIECE tpt,tbn,2perc
Alison Nowak STRING TRIO Violin, Viola, and Cello
Alison Nowak PIECE FOR STRINGS String Quartet
Alison Nowak THREE SHORT MOVEMENTS pf
Alison Nowak QUID PRO QUO orch:2-2/ehn-3/bcl-3,4-3-3-1,timp,str
Alison Nowak DIVERSION & DIVISION 1-act opera:sop,ten,actor, orch:1-1-1-1,0-1-1-0,pf,str
Alison Nowak KLAVIERSTÜCK pf
Alison Nowak FIVE BAGATELLES pf
Alison Nowak QUINTET - Flute Bassoon Guitar Violin Piano fl, bsn, gtr, vln, pf
Alison Nowak VIOLIN SOLO vln
Alison Nowak TRIO FOR WOODWINDS Flute, Clarinet, and Bassoon
Alison Nowak QUARTET - Flute Clarinet Violin Cello fl, cl, vln, vcl
Alison Nowak TOCCATA pf
Alison Nowak MUSICA COMPOSITA 1 Piano and Chamber Ensemble: fl, cl, bsn, tpt, vln, vcl, perc, pf
Alison Nowak MUSICA COMPOSITA 2 solo perc
Alison Nowak VARIATIONS vln,pf
Alison Nowak WEDDING organ
Alison Nowak CYCLORAMA Solo Cello
Alison Nowak SHIFTING SANDS Flute

Additional Works