Nicolas Roussakis

Biography

Nicolas Roussakis (1934-1994), composer and founder of the American Composers Orchestra, was born in Athens, moved to the United States at the age of 15 and was granted U.S. citizenship at 21. He earned a doctorate in music at Columbia University, where he taught from 1968-77, and he studied in Germany on a Fulbright grant. He served on the faculty at Rutgers University in New Brunswick, N.J. and won several awards for his compositions. He received commissions from the National Endowment for the Arts and the New York State Council on the Arts and received two fellowships from the New Jersey State Council on the Arts.

Among his works are the symphonic poem "Fire and Earth and Water and Air," the "Hymn to Apollo" for small orchestra and "Ephemeris" for string quartet. Mr. Roussakis was an energetic promoter of contemporary music. He was the Executive Director of the Group for Contemporary Music from 1971-85, President of the American Composers Alliance from 1975-81 and Vice President of the American Composers Orchestra, of which he was a co-founder in 1976 with Dennis Russell Davies, Francis Thorne and Paul Lustig Dunkel.

  • ACE Publications

    38 title(s)
    Composer Title SCORING/INSTRUMENTATION Year
    Nicolas Roussakis CINQ ETUDES v. Allegro piano
    Nicolas Roussakis COMPOSITION FOR BRASS TRIO Brass Trio
    trumpet, horn, trombone
    Nicolas Roussakis CONCERT TRIO Dbl bass, oboe, piano
    Nicolas Roussakis CONCERTINO fl,ob,cl,bsn,2perc
    Nicolas Roussakis EPHEMERIS string quartet
    Nicolas Roussakis ESSERCIZIO hpschd
    Nicolas Roussakis FIRE & EARTH & WATER & AIR orch:2-pic-2-ehn-2-bcl- 2-cbsn,4-4-3-btbn-tb,4perc,pf,str(2-1-1-1)
    Nicolas Roussakis GOD ABANDONS ANTONY narr, choir and cham orch: 2-2-0-0,2hn,perc,hp,str
    Nicolas Roussakis GOD ABANDONS ANTONY - Choral score SATB choral book
    Nicolas Roussakis HYMN TO APOLLO cham orch:1-1-1-1, 1-1-1-0,perc,hp,pf,str
    Nicolas Roussakis Mi e Fa Piano
    Nicolas Roussakis MOVEMENT Brass Quintet
    two trumpets, horn, trombone and bass trombone or tuba
    Nicolas Roussakis NIGHT SPEECH speaking chorus, 2 perc
    Nicolas Roussakis ODE AND CATACLYSM orch: 2-2-2-2, 4-2-2-0, pf, perc(4), strings
    Nicolas Roussakis OVERTURE FOR STRING ORCHESTRA string orchestra
    Nicolas Roussakis PAS DE DEUX - Viola and Piano Viola, Piano
    Nicolas Roussakis PAS DE DEUX - Violin and piano Violin, Piano
    Nicolas Roussakis PIANO SONATA solo piano
    Nicolas Roussakis RUTGERS VARIATIONS - "On the Banks of the Old Raritan" pf
    Nicolas Roussakis SEXTET fl,cl,vln,vla,vcl,pf
    Nicolas Roussakis SIX SHORT PIECES FOR TWO FLUTES 2 fl

    Additional Works