Brief biography: Elizabeth (a.k.a. Betsy) Start has degrees in mathematics and cello from Oberlin, master's degrees in cello and composition from Northern Illinois University, and a PhD in composition from the University of Chicago. She spent 10 years as a Chicago free-lancer, performing and teaching for many organizations, before returning to her hometown of Kalamazoo (MI) in 2001. She is (part-time) Executive Director of the Michigan Festival of Sacred Music (www.mfsm.us), which celebrates diverse faiths and cultures through music. She performs with the Kalamazoo Symphony, Elgin (IL) Symphony, Chicago Philharmonic, among others, and is a member of the Chicago Composers’ Consortium and Accessible Contemporary Music (ACM), Chicago. She is also Vice President-Secretary of the Kalamazoo Federation of Musicians, Local 228 AFM. As a performer, she has premiered over 90 works. As a composer she has had numerous commissions and grants, and over 300 performances of over 100 works in the U.S. and abroad. www.elizabethstart.com
Works list: Distant Shores (2012) for mandolin and guitar (8 minutes) Moving Toward Evening (2012) for flute and percussion (10 minutes) written for Due East and the Chicago Composers' Consortium Midwinter Carol (2012) for solo cello (5 minutes) Rising (2012) for violin and cello (5 minutes) written for Dr. Wen Chao Chen Rising From Loose Ends (2012) for bass viola da gamba and keyboard Influences (2012) for 2 oboes, piano, and cello obbligato (14 minutes) Shaping the Fog (2012) for mandolin and guitar orchestra (5 minutes) Revivals (2011) for viol consort (10 minutes) Pastorale (2010) for solo cello (4 minutes) Options (2010) for oboe, violin, viola, and cello, written for dal niente (5 minutes) Prayer (2010) for solo cello (4 minutes) Called Hers (2010) for Flute, clarinet, violin, cello, and piano (8 minutes) Passacaglia (2010) for guitar trio (9 minutes) Meditation (2010) for solo cello (4 minutes) A Day late and a Quarter-tone Short (2010) (tribute to John Eaton on his 75th birthday) for solo cello (4 minutes) Concerto for Mandolin and Mandolin & Guitar Orchestra (2010) (15 minutes) Whirlwind (2010) for percussion ensemble (8 players) (9 minutes) Passacaglia for Mandolin & Guitar Orchestra (2010) (9 minutes) Ruminations (2009) for clarinet, oboe, cello and piano, written for the CUBE Ensemble and Michigan Festival of Sacred Music (14 minutes) Radial (2009) for horn, bassoon and piano (written for RAD) (15 minutes) March Into the Sky (2009) for young string orchestra (3 minutes) Camping in the Rafters (2009) for banjo and parlor organ (keyboard) (7 minutes) Inspired by Mozart (2009) for 2 violins, cello, and doublebass (4 minutes) Three Pieces for Theremin and Electric Cello (2008) 1. Clara, 2. Lev, 3. Afterthoughts (12 minutes) Ain’t That Trillin’? (2008) A Mazurka for solo piano (8 minutes) Rag Tag (2008) for flute, violin, and cello (4 minutes) True Blue (2008) for flute, violin, and cello (4 minutes) Tangled Tango (2008) for flute, violin, and cello (3 minutes) A Love Song (2008) for solo cello (4 minutes), for Marion and Con Dance Images (2008) for violin and mridangam (South Indian drum) (8 minutes) Migration Too (2008) for violin and mridangam (South Indian drum) (8 minutes), arranged by Start from her piece for violin, piano and mridangam Suite (2008) for violin and mridangam (South Indian drum) 1.Overture/Procession, 2.Tango, 3.Dalliance, 4.Olden Days (15 minutes) Chen’s March (2008), for solo cello, arrangement of “Volunteer’s March” with original interlude section (4 minutes) Scottish Fantasy (2007) for solo mandolin (10 minutes) Magic Carpet Ride (2007), for electric cello and orchestra (6 minutes), arrangement of Moreve/Kay tune, done with permission of publisher Roundabout (2007) for solo clarinet (9 minutes) Elizabethan Fantasy (2007) for solo cello (7 minutes), for Walter Buoyancy (2007) for concert band (10 minutes), arranged by Start from her piece for orchestra by the same name Masks (2007) for electric cello (with wah, flanger, and distortion) and piano (9 minutes) Early Reflections (2007) for mridangam (S. Indian drum) and string orchestra (9 minutes), written for Rohan Krishnamurthy and the String Orchestra of Kalamazoo, Barry Ross, conductor Dreams of Summer (2007) for string quartet, string quintet (2 vln, vla, vc, cb), string orchestra, OR string orchestra combining intermediate and advanced players (9 minutes) Commissioned by Chamber Music for Fun in honor of founder Phyllis Jansma Toward Dance, Too (2007) for piano quintet (8 minutes) Look to the Lord and be Radiant (2006) for SATB a cappella choir (4 minutes) Unity (2006) for flute/piccolo and harp/electric harp (9 minutes), written for Capriccio (Donna Milanovich and Stephen Hartman) Knot (2006) for violoncello and double bass (9 minutes), written for David Murray Union (2006) for solo violoncello (3 minutes), written for Jon and Mary Beth Migration (2006) for violin, mridangam (South Indian drum) and piano (8 minutes) Circuits (2006) for violin, viola and cello (8 minutes), written for Trio Dagoba Toward Dance (2006) for violin, cello, and piano (8 minutes), written for the Lincoln Trio Truth, Justice, And... (2006)for flute, English Horn, percussion, piano, and electric cello with wah, flanger, digital delay and distortion (15 minutes) Water Music (2005) for mezzo-soprano, bass-baritone, and mandolin orchestra (15 minutes) settings of poems by Conrad Hilberry Aelwyd (2005) for organ (5 minutes) Echoes (2005) for mridangam and string orchestra (6 minutes) Pale Cliffs (2005) for mandolin and guitar, 8 minutes One last Sign Song: The Double Flail or theDouble Hook (2005) for mezzo-soprano, flute, viola, and harp, 5 minutes Thursday Afternoon (2004) for young string orchestra, 3 minutes Audio Clips Duo (2004) for English Horn and Cello, dedicated to Pozzi Escot (7 minutes) Duo is also available arranged alto sax and cello Repercussions (2004) for cello and digitally processed cello (7 minutes) Air Swiftly Flies (2004) for cello and piano (I. Arioso, II. Meditation, III. Poco frenetica) (15 minutes) Air Swiftly Flies is also available arranged for violin and piano, or flute and piano More Sign Songs (2003-04) for mezzo-soprano, harp, flute, and viola (The Windlass, The Crow’s Foot or Witch’s Foot, The House, The Pothanger) (15 minutes) Adam (10/2003) for SATB chorus (3 minutes) Carol (10/2003) for SATB chorus and optional bells (4 minutes) The Animals (10/2003) for SATB chorus and optional bells (4 minutes) Shepherd (11/2003) for SATB chorus and cello (5 minutes) Bits-O-Bugs (10/2003) for flute and harp (10 minutes) Three Etudes (2003) for Electric Cello and Processing (10 minutes) Buoyancy (2003) for orchestra (8 minutes) Nature Concert: Bugs and Things (2003) for soprano, oboe, clarinet, percussion, string quartet, children’s choir, adult choir, Suzuki violins and cellos, and middle school flute choir (1 hour) Smatterings (2003) for narrator, flute, clarinet, English horn, cello, piano, and personal percussion (15 minutes) How it comes for reader and cello (2001) Collaboration with writer Gail Griffin 15 minutes Coruscations for solo piano (2001) 6 minutes Bass Break for four contrabasses (2001) 4 minutes Flurries for cello and percussion (2001) 8 minutes Lament for the Atlanta Ballet Musicians for flute, clarinet, cello, percussion, and piano (2000) 8 minutes Seagull Blues for cello ensemble (8-12 players) (2000) 10 minutes Reliefs for mezzo-soprano, clarinet, percussion, cello and piano (2000) 12 minutes Hiraeth for shakuhachi, pipa, and cello (2000) 15 minutes MADOG-Musings for Youth Orchestra (2000) 10 minutes Verdisimilitude for solo cello (1998) 15 minutes Duologue for flute and cello (1996) 12 minutes Duologue is also available arranged alto sax and cello Deuce for violin and cello (1996) 8 minutes Fanfare for three Trumpets (1996) Blessed Wisdom for SATB choir (1995) 8 minutes Jack for cellist-narrator (1995) - 10 minutes Quartettsatz for string quartet (1994) - 9 minutes Fedge Stück for guitar (1994) - 9 minutes Entanglements for three celli (1994) - 5 minutes Passage: Four songs without words for cl., bsn, hrn, vln and bass (1993) - 13 min. Quatrefoil for Cello Quartet (1993) - 8 min. Trestle Tang for Brass Quintet (1993) - 8 min. Sometime Saturday for three violins (or 2 violins and viola) and two cellos (1993) - 3 min. ODE for oboe (1993) - 8 min. Fanfare for brass quintet (1992) - 5 min. Apparitions for piano (1992) - 8 min. Transmigration for alto flute and guitar (1992) - 7 min. Fanfare for Orchestra (1991) "for the Centennial" - 4 min. Cycles for mixed chorus (1991) - 7 min. Sonata for cello and piano (1991) - 20 min. Distortions for the Yamaha MIDI Grand Piano, and for acoustic piano (1990) - 9 min. Contortions for oboe, harp, and cello (1990) - 9 min. String Suite for high school orchestra (1990) - 8 min. Three Sign Songs for soprano, flute, and cello (1990) - 12 min. Excursion for string orchestra (1989) - 10 min. Goat Songs for soprano, flute, clarinet, violin, cello, and piano (1989) - 13 min. Corrugations for 13 flutes (1989) - 12 min. Residuals for solo piano (1988) - 10 min. Ramifications for solo flute (1988) - 8 min. Hornstück for solo horn (1987) - 8 min. Four Movements for Mixed Ensemble for flute, clarinet, oboe, bassoon, 2 violas, and 2 cellos (1986) - 18 min. Three Songs for soprano and cello (1986) - 7 min. . . .for flute, clarinet, violin and cello. . .(1985) - 8 min.(aka. Quartet) Unicorn for electronic tape (1984) - 7 min. little girl for electronic tape (1984) - 6 min. Divergence for cello and tape (1984) - 7 min. Four Briefs for solo cello (1984) - 8 minutes