Four Centuries of Great Music July 12, 2026 Celebrating the Birthday of Composer Kenneth Fuchs

On this episode of Four Centuries of Great Music I a celebrating the 70th birthday of composer Kenneth Fuchs which was on July 1st.  I became  aware of Ken’s music through a shared friendship with conductor JoAnn Falletta.  On my Evening Eclectic episode of March 23, 2025 , JoAnn and I talked about his work “Point of Tranquility”.  So when I discovered he was celebrating his 70th birthday at the beginning of this month, I knew I had to celebrate with him.  

Ken was born in Dumont, New Jersey (a suburb of New York City) on July 1, 1956. He later grew up in Saddle Brook, New Jersey, before relocating with his family to Fort Lauderdale, Florida, in 1966.  He received his bachelor of music degree in composition from the University of Miami and his master of music and doctor of musical arts degrees in composition from The Juilliard School. Fuchs’s composition teachers included Milton Babbitt, David Del Tredici, David Diamond, Vincent Persichetti, and Alfred Reed.  Ken has recorded for Naxos five albums with the London Symphony Orchestra conducted by JoAnn Falletta.  The first, released in August 2005, was nominated for two GRAMMY Awards (“Best Instrumental Soloist Performance with Orchestra” and “Producer of the Year, Classical”).The third album, released in August 2012 was nominated for a GRAMMY Award in the category “Producer of the Year, Classical. And the last of these albums won the 2018 GRAMMY Award for “Best Classical Compendium”.  In addition to his recordings on Naxos,  his music has also been recorded by Albany, Cala, and Chandos labels.  Ken presently serves as Professor of Music Composition at the University of Connecticut. 

I will be opening this first hour of today’s episode of Four Centuries of Great Music with his work Glacier which is a concerto for electric guitar and orchestra.  It is in five movements entitled I. Glacier; II. Rivulets; III. Vapor; IV. Stone andV. Going to the Sun.   By the way the last movement V. Going to the Sun is one of his favorite pieces he has written.

Here is a performance of Kenneth Fuchs’ Glacier by D. J. Sparr, electric guitar and JoAnn Falletta conducting the London Symphony Orchestra from the album  FUCHS: Piano Concerto, "Spiritualist" / Poems of Life / Glacier / Rush. Naxos

You have been listening to performance of Kenneth Fuchs’ Glacier by D. J. Sparr, electric guitar and JoAnn Falletta conducting the London Symphony Orchestra from the album  FUCHS: Piano Concerto, "Spiritualist" / Poems of Life / Glacier / Rush

Let’s close this first hour of Four Centuries of Great Music  which today is our celebration of the 70th birthday of composer Kenneth Fuchs which was on July 1st with his work 
Light Year.  Light Year is a Suite for Orchestra after Six Paintings by Helen Frankenthaler

There are six movements- one for each painting

I. Star Gazing. marked Adagio misterioso
II. Stella Polaris. marked Allegro energico - Andante espressivo (più mosso)
III. Lunar Valley. marked Grave - Poco più mosso -
IV. Hot Ice. marked Allegro energico - Doppio movimento -
V.  Constellation. marked Adagio flessibile - Grave (poco agitato) 
VI.  Light Year. marked Allegro energico

Here is a performance of Kenneth Fuchs’ Light Year by John Wilson and Sinfonia of London from the album KENNETH FUCHS: Orchestral Works, Volume 2.  Chandos

For this second hour of Four Centuries of Great Music which is our celebration of the 70th birthday of composer Kenneth Fuchs which was on July 1st we will have some chamber music.  We will open with 

String Quartet No. 5 (“American”), commissioned for the Delray String Quartet, completed January 2012.  This work is a theme and variations that explores the contrapuntal possibilities of a single ‘American’ theme. It is in 4 movements

I. marked  Adagio semplice - Allegro giocoso - Poco agitato (l'istesso tempo) - Adagio misterioso
II. Allegro agitato - Presto agitato
III. Elegia: Lento cantabile - Allegro satirico (alla valzer) - Lento - Allegro satirico, poco agitato - Adagio lamentoso
IV. Allegro giocoso - Larghetto, poco misterioso - Allegro giocoso

This is a performance by the Delray String Quartet from the album FUCHS: String Quartet No. 5, "American" / Falling Canons / Falling Trio Naxos

Next in this celebration of the 70th birthday of composer Kenneth Fuchs which was on July 1st is Falling Canons for solo piano.  This is a seven movement work based upon the principal theme from his work Falling Man for baritone and orchestra.  This is a performance by an acquaintance of mine Christopher O’Riley from the album FUCHS: String Quartet No. 5, "American" / Falling Canons / Falling Trio  

We will be concluding this second hour of this episode of Four Centuries of Great Music which is our celebration of the 70th birthday of composer Kenneth Fuchs which was on July 1st with his Falling Trio,

Falling Trio is a  one-movement work that grows out of the same falling theme expanded here by the sonorities of a piano trio.  From its ethereal opening, it presents a series of seven fantasy variations.  This is a performance by Trio 21 which features Jeffrey Biegel, piano; another acquaintance of mine Kinga Augustyn, violin and Robert deMaine, cello again from the album FUCHS: String Quartet No. 5, "American" / Falling Canons / Falling Trio