Edward Lein (b.1955) lives in Jacksonville, Florida, and holds Master's degrees in Music (major professor: John Boda) and Library Science from Florida State University. As a tenor soloist (now retired) he has appeared in recitals, oratorios and dramatic works throughout his home state, and drawing on his performance experience the majority of his earliest compositions were vocal works. Following the premieres by the Jacksonville Symphony Orchestra of his Meditation, for Cello, Oboe and Orchestra (June 2006), and In the Bleak Midwinter (December 2007) his instrumental catalog has grown, largely due to requests from Symphony players for new pieces. He endeavors to imbue his instumental pieces with a singing lyricism similar to that of his vocal works.
By day, Ed is Music Librarian for the City of Jacksonville and was the driving force behind the monthly Intermezzo Sunday Concerts series at Jacksonville's Main Library from March 2006 through June 2008. The Sunday concerts, which featured prominent musicians from the greater Jacksonville area, proved to be the best-attended series of adult programs in the history of Jacksonville Public Library, and Ed is now directing efforts toward developing midweek Music@Main evening concerts.
Until just the last couple of years composition has been only a secondary interest. My M.M. degree is in theory, but I never had training in composition per se because frankly I wasn't interested in writing the often ugly musical contrivances that seemed more or less expected of "serious" composers in the 1970s. While I was singing I was directly involved with church choirs, and since choral service music pretty much demands the tonal idioms that most interest me--and because there seemed a greater chance for performance--that is mostly what I wrote.
In 2004 I first became aware of the Jacksonville Symphony Orchestra’s biennial “Fresh Ink” composers' competition, for which they select ten or so finalists and give those Florida composers the opportunity to hear their works played, and offer a commission to the "winner." I attended the 2004 readings and was mightily impressed, so when 2006 rolled around and a piece I wrote made it to the finals I was surprised and delighted, especially when the Symphony performed the Meditation movement in concert. No commission from the Symphony (although they've since played another piece I wrote), but my work was well received by both the players and the audience, and I have since gotten requests from several of the players for solo and chamber pieces.
--Ed Lein (January, 2009
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Un Dulcito ("A Little Sweet")
1. Hoodoo (Samba, for String Orchestra) 2. Tangle (Tango, for String Orchestra) 3. La llorona ("The Weeping Woman," for String Orchestra) 4. Rumor (Rumba, for String Orchestra)
Here are the kids from the 2009 Prelude Chamber Music Camp in Jacksonville, Florida, under the direction of Vernon Humbert performing the 1st movement from the string orchestra version, called Hoodoo. The kids did a great, especially considering they pulled this together in just 3 or 4 rehearsals, in addition to all their other camp activities!
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