Raymond Luedeke

Biography

Born in New York City, composer Ray Luedeke attended the Eastman School of Music, the Vienna Academy of Music, Northwestern University, and Dartmouth College, where he studied with George Crumb. His output is extensive and varied. It runs the gamut from entertaining theater pieces for children, through a long list of sophisticated solo and chamber music to colorful, carefully crafted pieces for orchestra.

Recordings of his music include Shadow Music with the Louisville Orchestra, The Transparency of Time with pianist Andre LaPlante and the Winnipeg Symphony, The Moon in the Labyrinth and The Lyre of Orpheus with harpist Judy Loman and the Orford String Quartet, Brass Quintet with the New Mexico Brass Quintet, Circus Music with the Hannaford Street Silver Band, and Ah, Matsushima! with violin/marimba duo Jacques and Michael Israelievitch.  Quartetto Gelato has recorded Ray’s brilliant arrangement of Maurice Ravel’s Le Tombeau de Couperin and has performed it worldwide.

 The striking originality and meticulous craftsmanship of his music have been recognized by numerous grants and awards, among them prizes from the Manhattan Choral Ensemble, from the Percussive Arts Society, from the International Horn Society, and from Northwestern University. His contest winning orchestral Fanfare, opened Toronto’s Thomson Hall and his overture The North Wind’s Gift was performed throughout Europe in the 1991 tour of the Toronto Symphony. Six Canadian orchestras jointly commissioned Tales of the Netsilik for narrator and orchestra.

 Ray Luedeke is an experienced librettist. He collaborated with playwright Sean Dixon for his first opera, Wild Flowers, produced at The Guelph Spring Festival. Subsequently, he worked with acclaimed director/dramaturge Tom Diamond to write the libretto for his second opera, The Magical Singing Drum, and the script for The Art of Love/Into the Labyrinth for two pianos, visuals and actor. The distinguished Canadian playwright Guillermo Verdecchia served as dramaturge for Ray’s script for his third opera, Viva Pablo Neruda (I Confess, I Have Lived).

 In the summer of 2007, Ray started a music theater company, Voice Afire Pocket Opera and Cabaret, and produced three shows, each reflecting a particular passion of the composer/arranger. Viva Pablo Neruda (I Confess, I Have Lived) is based on the poetry of Pablo Neruda. Butterfly’s Trouble is an re-invention of Puccini’s great masterpiece. Close Embrace relives the Golden Age of Argentine Tango and includes 8 performers: a Master of Ceremonies, 2 dancers, 4 musicians, and a singer.

 From 1981-2010 Ray served as Associate Principal Clarinet of the Toronto Symphony Orchestra. In the summer of 2010 Ray moved back to New York City.

  • wind ensemble
  • ACE Publications

    110 title(s)
    Composer Title SCORING/INSTRUMENTATION Year
    Raymond Luedeke DISASTERS OF THE SUN
    SATB, SSATTBB, gamelan OR SATB, SSATTBB, pf
    Raymond Luedeke Divertimento No. 1 for 2 clarinets and bassoon 2 cl, bsn
    Raymond Luedeke Divertimento No. 2 for 2 clarinets and bassoon 2 cl, bsn
    Raymond Luedeke Doll's House - Piano/Vocal Score 6 Singers and Piano
    Raymond Luedeke Doll's House - Version With Keyboard Duo 6 Singers With Piano and Synthesizer
    Raymond Luedeke Doll's House - Version With Orchestra 6 Singers and Orchestra
    3(3=picc)3(3=EH)3(2+ebcl,3=bcl)3(3=cbsn) - 4231- timp, 2 perc hp, cel - strings
    Raymond Luedeke DUO FOR OBOE AND CELLO
    ob,vcl
    Raymond Luedeke Elemental Dances
    guitar, string quartet
    Raymond Luedeke ERSTES KONZERT cl, wind ens: 2-2-Ebcl-6bcl-2; 4-2-3-1; timp; cb
    Raymond Luedeke FANCIES & INTERLUDES 1
    tba, pf
    Raymond Luedeke FANCIES & INTERLUDES 2
    sax,pf
    Raymond Luedeke FANCIES & INTERLUDES 3
    hrn, perc
    Raymond Luedeke FANCIES & INTERLUDES 4
    bcl,perc
    Raymond Luedeke FANCIES & INTERLUDES 5
    vcl,org
    Raymond Luedeke FANCIES & INTERLUDES 6
    vln,pf
    Raymond Luedeke FANCIES & INTERLUDES 7
    bsn,pf
    Raymond Luedeke FANFARE org & orch:pic-2-2-2-ehn-Ebcl- 2 bcl-2-cbsn,6-12-3-1, timp,perc(3),pf,hp,str,
    Raymond Luedeke FIFTH OF BEETHOVEN - for oboe and cello oboe, cello
    Raymond Luedeke FIVE PRELUDES FOR GUITAR
    gtr
    Raymond Luedeke FOUR CANTOS orch:2-2-2-2,4-2-3-1,4perc,str
    Raymond Luedeke FOUR SONGS, THE DREAM AND OLD SONG
    satb a capella
    Raymond Luedeke FROM THE MOUNTAIN TOP 4 trombones
    Raymond Luedeke GARBAGE DELIGHT
    sax qnt:satbb,narration,opt cb
    Raymond Luedeke GIPSY SONGS
    ww qnt 1-1-1-1,hn

    Additional Works

    Lyon & Healy
    Fairy Tales - flute, harp