(b. 28 September 1956, New York, New York).
American composer of mostly stage, chamber, vocal, and piano works that have been performed throughout the world.
Ms. Kaminsky studied composition with Joseph Wood at the Oberlin Conservatory of Music in Ohio from 1974–78, where she earned her BA magna cum laude in psychology. She then studied composition with Mario Davidovsky at the City College of New York from 1978–80, where she earned her MA, on the Tuch Foundation Fellowship.
Among her honours are two fellowships from the Millay Colony for the Arts in Austerlitz, New York (1984, 1986), six fellowships from the Virginia Center for the Creative Arts (1985, 1989–92, 1999), a residency in Ghana (1992–93), the Centrum Artist Residency Fellowship in Port Townsend, Washington (2004), and the Złoty Krzyż Zasługi – Gold Cross of Merit from the president of Poland (2016).
She has also held other posts. She founded the ensemble for contemporary music Musicians Accord in 1984, later in residence at the City College of New York, and has served as its artistic director since 1984. She served as Director of the Humanities and Film Programs of the 92nd Street Y in New York, New York from 1984–88, as artistic director of the venue The Town Hall in New York, New York from 1988–92, as Director of Music and Theater Programs at The New School in New York, New York from 1993–96, and as director of the European Mozart Academy in Warsaw in 1996–97. She later served as music curator of the venue Symphony Space in New York, New York from 2007–09, as its associate artistic director in 2009–10 and as its artistic director from 2010–14.
She taught as chair of the department of music at the Cornish College of the Arts in Seattle from 1999–2004 and has taught at the Conservatory of Music of Purchase College, State University of New York since 2004, where she served as dean from 2004–08.
SELECT LIST OF WORKS
STAGE:
As One (opera in 1 act, libretto by Mark Campbell, Kimberly Reed), mezzo-soprano, baritone, string quartet, film (by Kimberly Reed), 2014
Some Light Emerges (opera in 1 act, libretto by Mark Campbell, Kimberly Reed), 2 sopranos, 2 mezzo-sopranos, tenor, baritone, flute (+ alto flute), bassoon, trombone, violin, cello, piano, percussion, 2016
Today It Rains (opera in 1 act, libretto by Mark Campbell, Kimberly Reed), soprano, mezzo-soprano, tenor, bass, mixed chorus (soprano, mezzo-soprano, tenor), flute (+ alto flute), clarinet (+ bass clarinet), bassoon, French horn, 2 percussion, 2 violins, viola, cello, double bass, projections (by Kimberly Reed), 2018
Hometown to the World (opera in 1 act, libretto by Kimberly Reed, after Emma Lazarus), 2 mezzo-sopranos, baritone, 3 female voices/5 mixed voices, clarinet, percussion, violin, viola, cello, double bass, 2021 (one section may be performed separately as a concert work: Tempest-tossed)
Finding Wright (opera in 2 acts, libretto by Andrea Fellows Fineberg), 2 sopranos, 3 mezzo-sopranos, 2 tenors, 2 baritones, bass, small orchestra (harp, piano [+ celesta], percussion, strings), 2021
February (opera, libretto by the composer, Lisa Moore, after Lisa Moore), mezzo-soprano, baritone, vocal cast (soprano, mezzo-soprano, tenor, 3/4 baritones), mixed chorus, folk violin, small orchestra (flute [+ alto flute], oboe, clarinet, bassoon, 2 trumpets, trombone, harp, piano [+ electronic organ], 3 percussion, strings), 2024
Lucidity (opera, libretto by David Cote), young soprano, old soprano, mezzo-soprano, baritone, clarinet, violin, cello, piano, percussion, 2024
ORCHESTRAL:
Spiritlines, piano, string orchestra, 2006
Terra Terribilis: Concerto for Three Percussionists and Orchestra, 3 percussion, orchestra, 2008
Night Storm, string orchestra, 2010 (also version for 2 violins, viola, cello, double bass)
Piano Concerto, piano, orchestra, 2011
Oboe Concerto, oboe, orchestra, 2014
CHAMBER MUSIC:
A Dream Revisited, flute, percussion, 1984
Just Here, Sitting Now, clarinet, piano, 1987
Whence It Comes, cello, percussion, 1989
It Comes and It Goes, flute, guitar, 1990
Infidels, viola, cello, piano, 1991
Spirit Lost and Found, guitar, 1995
Elegy for the Silenced Voice, trumpet, 1995
Interpolations on Utopia Parkway, oboe, piano, 1993–97
Night Flight to Warsaw, oboe, double bass, piano, 1997
Vukovar Trio, violin, cello, piano, 1998–99
Transformations, string quartet, 1998–2000
River Music, flute, piano, percussion, 2000
The Full Range of Blue, flute, clarinet, violin, cello, 2001
Transformations II: Music for a Changing World, string quartet, 2002
Duo for Cello and Piano, cello, piano, 2003
Runaway Anemone, guitar, mandolin, 2003
Until a Name, flute, 2003
Piano Quartet, violin, viola, cello, piano, 2003–04
Cadenza Variations, flute, oboe, clarinet, French horn, bassoon, 2004
Transformations III, string quartet, 2004
Monotypes, string quartet, 2004–05
Music for Thelma, violin, piano, 2005
Isole from L'arcipelago delle delizie, cello, 2005
Duo for Flute and Piano, flute, piano, 2005–06
Duo for Violin and Piano, violin, piano, 2006
Piano Trio, violin, cello, piano, 2007
American Nocturne, string quartet, 2009
Blast, French horn, 2009
Wave Hill, violin, piano, 2009
Cadmium Yellow, string quartet, 2010
The Great Unconformity, cello, 2010
Night Storm, 2 violins, viola, cello, double bass, 2010 (version of work for string orchestra)
Horizon Lines, oboe, bassoon, piano, film, 2011
Inlets, flute, cello, piano, 2011
Catastrophe, flute, oboe, 2 guitars, violin, cello, 2012
Rising Tide, string quartet, 2012
Homage to Havel, flute, oboe, 2 guitars, violin, cello, 2013
Deception, clarinet, violin, cello, piano, 2014
Dreaming Absinthe, flute, oboe, 2 guitars, violin, cello, 2015
undercurrent, violin, piano, 2015
202-456-111, flute, piano, 2017
Piano Quintet, piano, 2 violins, viola, cello, 2018
Desert Portal, dance troupe ad libitum, 2 flutes, clarinet, trombone, cello, 2 percussion, projections ad libitum, 2020
Uncover, flute, clarinet, violin, cello, 2022
Reading Nafisi, clarinet, cello, piano, 2023
Overflow for String Quintet, 2 violins, viola, cello, double bass, 2023
Pentimento, string quartet, 2023
Vanishing Point, string quartet, 2023
Ruminations, guitar, 2023
Arboreal, string quartet, 2024
CHORAL:
There is a Season (text from the Book of Ecclesiastes), mixed chorus, clarinet, cello, piano, percussion, 1986
Libra (text by Marcus Manilius), mixed chorus, 2002
The Seasons (texts by nieces of the composer), children's chorus/female chorus, 2003
For Lee Krasner (text by Rebecca Allan), children's chorus/female chorus, 2005
Tempest-tossed, 5 mixed voices, 2021 (section of Hometown to the World; may be performed separately as a concert work)
A Brighter Light, mixed chorus, piano, 2022
VOCAL:
Twilight Settings (texts from anonymous sources from Indonesia), soprano, percussion, 2 violins, viola, cello, 1985, revised 1988
Nightpiece (text by James Joyce), tenor, flute, clarinet, cello, piano, 1985
Proverbs of Hell (text by William Blake), soprano, piano, marimba, 1989
Whitman Songs (text by Walt Whitman), baritone, piano, 1992
And Trouble Came: An African AIDS Diary (texts by the composer, the Bible, Georgia Douglas Johnson, Claude McKay, Pablo Neruda), speaker, viola, cello, piano, 1993
Aluta Continua (text from the words "a luta continua"), soprano, flute, harp, 1996–97
Rise, My Love (text from the Song of Solomon), high voice/medium voice, piano, 2003
Five Songs on Texts by Fauset and Grimké (texts by Jessie Redmon Fauset, Angelina Weld Grimké), tenor/baritone, piano, 2013
1968 – 10,000 Go-Go Boots (text by Kimberly Reed), mezzo-soprano, piano, 2016 (section of Fierce Grace: Jeannette Rankin, a collaboration with Ellen Reid, Kitty Brazelton, Laura Karpman; may be performed separately)
Right To Life (text by Leah Maddrie), mezzo-soprano/baritone, piano, 2016
Marriage Equality (text by Elaine Sexton), mezzo-soprano, piano, 2019
Ida Up Front (text by Leah Maddrie), soprano, mezzo-soprano, piano, 2020
PIANO:
Fred's Piece, 1989
Triftmusik, 1991
Future Conditional, piano, live electronics ad libitum, 1995
musica piccola, 2002
Music for Artur, 2006
Calendar Music, 2008
Fantasy, 2010
Reckoning: Five Miniatures for America for Piano Four Hands, piano 4 hands, 2019
Alluvion, 2020
Threnody...October 2024, 2024
DISCOGRAPHY (as composer)
Twilight Settings. Christine Schadeberg, soprano; Musicians Accord (Mode Records: mode 23, 1990)
And Trouble Came: An African AIDS Diary. Mark Lamos, speaker; Fidelio Trio (Composers Recordings, Inc.: CRI 729, 1996)
Triftmusik. Sara Laimon, piano (Composers Recordings, Inc.: CRI 864, 2000)
DISCOGRAPHY (as producer)
Chamber Music with Voice (& a Little Jazz). (Mode Records: mode 23, 1990)
The Great Works for Voice (Luciano Berio). (Mode Records: mode 48, 1995)
Transience: Music by Joel Feigin. (North/South Recordings: N/S R 1011, 1996)
And Trouble Came: Musical Responses to AIDS. (Composers Recordings, Inc.: CRI 729, 1996)
An Eye-Sky Symphony: The Music of Robert Savage. (Composers Recordings, Inc.: CRI 790, 1998)
Mosaic (Henry Cowell). (Mode Records: mode 72/73, 1999)
Hallelujah Games (Amy D. Rubin). (Mode Records: mode 79, 1999)
Piano Fantasy (Aaron Copland); Sonata No. 1 (Charles Ives). (Mode Records: mode 93, 2000)