Eleanor Aversa

Eleanor Aversa has recently completed her Master's degree in Music Composition at Queens College CUNY, where studied with Bruce Saylor. After obtaining a B.A. in Russian Language and Literature from Princeton University she spent two years in Russia prior to attending Queens College. In Moscow she accompanied harpist Simeon Kulkov at the Tchaikovsky Conservatory and sang as a soprano in the choir of the Immaculate Conception Cathedral, performing both Latin and Russian Orthodox sacred music.

In the past two years, Ms. Aversa has completed two commissions for choreographer Danuta Petrow-Sek, the second of which was supported by a grant from the Queens Council on the Arts. Excerpts from both scores have been played at new music festivals at California State Fullerton University (2007) and at Ball State University (2008). She was recently named a finalist for ASCAP's Morton Gould Young Composer Award. Ms. Aversa will begin her Ph.D. in Composition this fall at the University of Pennsylvania on full fellowship.



Program note:

Something Gleamed Like Electrum (2007) takes its title from Ezekiel's mystical and ecstatic vision of the four cherubim. The prophet sees "a huge cloud with flashing fire enveloped in brightness; from the midst of the fire something gleamed like electrum" (1:4). Electrum is an alloy of gold and silver.

Something Gleamed Like Electrum was premiered by Second Instrumental Unit at Queens College on April 25, 2007 and honored in the Brian M. Israel Prize Competition later that year.