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EDWARD LEIN composer 

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 (long since retired) he 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 instrumental pieces with a singing lyricism similar to that of his vocal works.

Now retired, Ed was Music Librarian for the City of Jacksonville. He founded the monthly Intermezzo Sunday Concerts series at Jacksonville's Main Library. The Sunday concerts, which feature prominent musicians from the greater Jacksonville area as well as guest artists from around the state and country, have been the best-attended series of adult programs in the history of Jacksonville Public Library. (For concert information, visit jplmusic.blogspot.com.)

More Information About Ed

Composition mostly 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 unengaging 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  in response I got requests from several of the players for new pieces.

--Ed Lein (January, 2009)