NEWS and UPCOMING PERFORMANCES

Plans for Chicago Opera Vanguard Season 1 have been announced! Visit www.chicagovanguard.org for more details.

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Eric was recently commisioned to write a song cycle with texts by Aaron DeLee for VOX3 Vocal Music Collective to be premiered in April 2010 by baritone Brian von Rueden. Working theme: "Gay Icons."

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Eric recently began work on his next opera: "The Passion of Joseph Smitth" with a libretto by playwright Philip Dawkins. This opera will be the second of his trilogy on the lives of American patriarchs.

BIOGRAPHY

Eric Reda is an active composer of acoustic and electro-acoustic music based in Chicago, Illinois. His output includes opera, dramatic incidental music, orchestral works, instrumental and vocal chamber music, choral music, and musique concrete. Distinctly American and consciously accessible, his compositions often incorporate found texts and deconstructed aural samples in order to create soundscapes that are both familiar and unexpected. He has written music for, and received commissions from, numerous professional and academic ensembles and performers. As a composer, music director and director he has been honored with numerous awards and grants.

Eric Reda is currently Artistic Director of Chicago Opera Vanguard, a young progressive music theatre company that explores the delicate marriage needed between music, words, performance and design in order to create an affective opus. Starting from opera’s original meaning as “a work”, COV is dedicated to creating accessible and exciting theatrical experiences by producing new works, giving a second voice to important or overlooked modern pieces, and completely reimagining the standard repertoire.

In addition to his work as a composer, Eric is actively involved in the creation of theatre as a director, writer, designer and performer, and has collaborative relationships with numerous Chicago theatrical and music ensembles, including Accessible Contemporary Music, Fifth House Ensemble, Strawdog Theatre, Stage Left Theatre, Second Story Dance Company, Midsommer Macon and The Around the Coyote Festival.

He has also worked with a number of respected ensembles, including the Goodman Theatre, About Face Theatre and the Museum of Contemporary Art.

Additionally, he participated in the West Coast premiere of composer Meredith Monk and video artist Ann Hamilton’s theatre piece Mercy, and the American premiere of choreographer Pina Bausch’s epic music theatre piece, Nur Du.

Eric studied Music Composition at Arizona State University with Chinary Ung, James DeMars, Randall Shinn and Rodney Rogers. He has had the honor of participating in Materclasses with Philip Glass, Joan Tower, Anthony Braxton, Libby Larson, Brent Michael Davids, and Geoffrey Bush.
 

PRESS

"Pass the Helmet: Bringing Opera to a Bar, Church or Cabaret Near You."
by Deanna Isaacs
The Chicago Reader : July 23, 2009

"Critic's Choice - GREEK"
by Andrew Patner
WFMT Radio : June 17, 2009
[MP3 FORMAT]

"Opera on the Edge: Eric Reda launches a contemporary company"
by William Scott
NewCity : Jan 19, 2009

"World AIDS Day inspires songs of
consolation, hope and remembrance"
by John Von Rhein
Chicago Tribune : Dec 3, 2008

"Sing One for the Gipper"
by Marc Geelhoed
Time Out Chicago / Issue 80 : Sep 7–13, 2006

OPERA and DRAMATIC WORKS

OPERA

REAGAN'S CHILDREN: An Opera-Oratorio - 2004-2008
Stage Premiere: Northwestern University, May 15 & 16, 2009, Evanston, IL
Concert Premiere: Chicago Opera Vanguard, February 18, 2008, Chicago, IL
Workshop: Around the Coyote Festival, September 2006, Chicago, IL
Reading: Around the Coyote Festival, May 2006, Chicago, IL
Developed with the assistance of a 2006 City of Chicago CAAP Grant
[WEBSITE]

Are We There Yet? A Broadcast Opera [with playwright Philip Dawkins]
2006-2008

DRAMATIC

Titus Andronicus
[Incidental Music]
The Shakespeare Theatre, 2000, Phoenix, AZ

Secret Garden
[Incidental Music]
Prescott Fine Arts Association, 1994, Prescott, AZ

Hallelujah Hopscotch
[Dance score for Flute and Piano]
Prescott Fine Arts Association, 1993, Prescott, AZ

FILM SCORE

Cheating, INC.
[Short film by ]
Presented by Accessible Contemporary Music as part of the Sound Of Silent Film Festival, 2009, Chicago, IL

 

INSTRUMENTAL and ELECTRONIC WORKS

ORCHESTRAL

Aw, SNAP! – 2007
[Fanfare for Piano, Turntable, Trap Set and Orchestra]
Arranged for Chamber Ensemble, 2008
[Downloaf MP3 of MIDI realization]

CHAMBER

Trinity Threnody -1999
[String Trio]
Arranged for Accordion Trio, 2008
[Download MP3 of Mvt I on Accordion]

Five Minutes of Rush Hour - 1998
[Violin, Viola, Piano]

Left of Autumn - 1997
[Clarinet, Vibraphone, Piano]

Small Change Ranch Suite - 1996
[Flute, Oboe, Harp]

Cow Quartet - 1996
[Flute, Oboe, Bassoon, Piano]

ELECTONIC

A Mighty Fortress – 2008
Soundtrack for a video installation by Catherine Forster
[Download MP3 of finale]

 

VOCAL and CHORAL WORKS

SOLO VOICE

POETIC MANIFESTO: A Solo Cantata – 2009
[Song Cylcle based on "Poetic Manifesto" by Dylan Thomas]
Premiered as part of Caffeine Theatre's Dylan Thomas Cabaret at the Chicago Department of Cultural Affiars' Storefront Theatre, September 2009

ATRIPLA! – 2008
[Art Song for Voice, Flute, Cello and Piano based on the indication label of an HIV medication]
Premiered as part of the Chicago AIDS Quilt Songbook 2008 at the Court Theatre, Hyde Park, IL
[Download MP3 - Laura Quest, mezzosoprano; Trevor Wilcock, flute; William Jason Raynovich, cello; James Morehead, piano]
[Review]

FOUND: Cabaret Songs – 2006-2008
[Art Songs to found texts]
[Download MP3 of Mvt I: "Plastic Surgeon"]

Five-Finger Exercises - 1993, 1997
[Song Cycle on the poems of T. S. Eliot for Voice and Piano]

The Red Cravat - 1998
[Song Cycle on the poems of Emily Dickinson for Voice and Piano]

Song - 1998
[Poem by Christina Rosetti]

CHORAL

Psalm 134 – 2009
A Capella

Psalm 134 – 2009
A Capella

“Prelude for the Modern Theatre” – 2006
A Capella
Text by Philip Dawkins

Festival Sanctus – 2007
[Choir and Orchestra]

Pie Jesu - 1998
[Soprano, Choir, Organ]

Missa Solaris - 1998
[Soprano, Vocal Quartet, Choir]

Landscapes - 1995
[Five a cappella choral pieces on the poems of T. S. Eliot]

SELECTED WRITINGS

DRAMATIC WORKS

Equinox [Play in one-act]
Production: Bailiwick Theatre, 2001, Chicago, IL, Dir. Natalie Berning
Workshop: American Theatre Company, 2001, Chicago, IL, Dir. Natalie Berning

smallTown Clowns: A play in very few words
Workshop: Childsplay, 2000, Tempe, AZ, Dir. Jon Gentry

FEATURE FILMS

Equinox
Screenplay by Eric Reda, Natalie Berning and Jason Denuzak
Released 2006 - Produced by New Theatre Collective, Chicago IL

SELECTED DIRECTING CREDITS

Yes to Everything
Philip Dawkns, World Premiere
Around the Coyote Festival, 2007, Chicago, IL

Ugly Baby
Philip Dawkns, World Premiere
Strawdog Theatre, 2006, Chicago, IL
[WEBSITE]

564 Things to Do with a Peanut
Philip Dawkns, World Premiere
Around the Coyote Festival, 2005, Chicago, IL

Home Repair Horror Story
Joe Tracz, Workshop / Reading
Goodman Theatre, 2005, Chicago, IL

Narcissus Shrugged
Philip Dawkns, Workshop
Around the Coyote Festival, 2005, Chicago, IL

Turn of the Screw
Adapted by Jeffrey Hatcher
Midsummer Macon, 2005, Macon, GA

Lost Sheep
Joe Fedorko, Workshop Production
Stage Left Theatre, 2004, Chicago, IL

Capitalization
Mark Nowak, World Premiere
Stage Left Theatre, 2004, Chicago, IL

Prized Possessions
Jenny Connell, World Premiere
Around the Coyote Festival, 2004, Chicago, IL

The Impresario
Mozart
Kerr Cultural Center, 1999, Scottsdale, AZ

L'Enfant et les Sortileges
Maurice Ravel / Collette
Arizona State University, 1998, Tempe, AZ

An Evening of Schubert Opera
Schubert
Arizona State University, 1998, Tempe, AZ

 

SELECTED FINE ART and DESIGN WORK

 

CONTACT ERIC

For performance, score and general inquiries, please contact:

eric [at] ericreda [dot] com

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