Daniel Asia: Composer
Daniel Asia (b. 1953) stands among the most versatile composers of his generation, having traversed orchestral, chamber, vocal, and operatic realms with equal mastery. A 2009 recipient of an American Academy of Arts and Letters Award and inducted into the American Academy of Sciences and Letters in 2024, Asia has been hailed as "a genuine creative spirit" and "a welcome addition to the roster of our strongest group of living composers."
His orchestral works have been commissioned and performed by major symphony orchestras including Cincinnati, Seattle, Milwaukee, Phoenix, and the American Composers Orchestra in New York City. Renowned conductors such as Jesús López-Cobos, Eiji Oue, Gerard Schwarz, and Zdeněk Mácal have championed his music on stages across America and Europe.
Asia served as Professor of Music at the University of Arizona from 1988-2024 and currently serves as President of Polyhymnia (Center for American Culture and Ideas). His distinguished career includes a Guggenheim Fellowship, four NEA Composers Grants, a Fulbright Arts Award Fellowship, and numerous other honors recognizing his contribution to American music.
Piano Trio
"Engaging, energetic, and playful."
— Audiophile Audition
"Daniel Asia: Music as an Encounter with the Sacred"
— FANFARE
Piano Trio (movement 1)
Piano Trio (movement 2)
Piano Trio (movement 3)
Piano Quartet
"The material on the CD, while sophisticated in language and structure, is deeply satisfying on an emotional and intellectual level."
— FANFARE
"Asia is a welcome addition to the roster of our strongest group of living composers, the tonal postmodernists: Bolcom, Del Tredici, Adams, et al. This new disc is highly recommended."
— SCHWANN OPUS
Chicago Variations (Woodwind Quintet)
Chicago Variations
for woodwind quintet
Flute, oboe, clarinet, horn, bassoon
Approximate duration: 5 minutes
Recorded by the Arizona Wind Quintet
Pines Songs (Woodwind Quintet, piano, and soprano)
"It sounded appealing, in its Impressionistic way."
—The New York Times
Pines Songs
A seven-movement song cycle setting the poetry of Paul Pines to music, featured on the album Songs from the Page of Swords (Summit Records, 2000). Performed by soprano Carmen Pelton with the chamber ensemble Musical Elements under Daniel Asia's direction.
- "White Pillars" (2:17)
- "I'll Never Understand" (6:18)
- "Fantasy No. 1" (4:15)
- "A Little Girl" (1:20)
- "Dear Frank" (1:33)
- "Fantasy No. 2" (7:03)
- "I Walk Out" (3:36)
The Woodwind & Brass Quintets
"…masterful and spirited, full of spunk and sensitivity." —Audiophile Audition
Woodwind Quintet
for woodwind quintet
Originally recorded by the Dorian Wind Quintet and released on Trilogy: Chamber Music of Daniel Asia.
"music of substance and craftsmanship." —American Record Guide
"compelling works throughout." —Fanfare Magazine
Brass Quintet
for brass quintet
"Sand II... is an evocative setting of six poems by Gary Snyder, in which the vocal line often seems to rise out of crumbling sonorities."
— The New York Times
"Beautiful textures and mysterious moods... an attractive addition to the literature."
— Peter G. Davis, New York Magazine
"Post-Webern Impressionism... blurred textures and inventive scoring."
— Fanfare Magazine
Sand II
Instrumentation
Mezzo-soprano, 2 Flutes (one doubling Piccolo), B♭ Clarinet, 2 Pianos, 2 Percussion
Text & Premiere
Settings of poetry by Gary Snyder. Premiered by Musical Elements.
Songs from the Page of Swords
Instrumentation & Duration
Chamber Ensemble
bass-baritone, oboe, and the following instrumentation: 1,1,1,1; 1,0,0; perc; 2,1,1,1 (or strings)
Bass-Baritone, Oboe & Piano
bass-baritone, oboe, piano
Total duration: approximately 20–25 minutes
Breath in a Ram's Horn
"American classical music has finally taken a sharp turn for the better – back towards tonality, accessibility and immediacy. Daniel Asia is one of the composers who has his hands on the wheel. He's an important new voice and Breath in a Ram's Horn is the best possible way to find out what his fresh and engaging music is all about."
— Terry Teachout, TIME
"I detect that in his vocal music, Asia has indeed found an ideal medium for his style—and one in which he seems most at home. While very difficult to perform, the songs are richly and sympathetically conceived."
— MusicWeb International / Journal of the American Musicological Society
"astonishingly powerful."
— Colin Clarke, Fanfare Magazine
About the Work
Core Instrumentation
- Vocalist: Written for tenor or soprano. Originally commissioned and premiered by tenor Paul Sperry.
- Piano: The score is published as a vocal score featuring piano.
Chamber Ensemble Variant
Frequently performed as a duo, the work has also been presented for larger chamber ensemble (as performed by Network for New Music):
- Voice
- Woodwinds: Flute and Clarinet
- Strings: Violin and Cello
- Piano
Thematic Forces
- Text: A setting of five poems by Paul Pines
- Subtitle: "Songs for My Father" — reflecting a son's search for his father's faith and the intertwining of family and Judaism
"Asia's song writing offers a mesmerizing synthesis of tonal and atonal elements, always at the service of expressivity. " — Ken Meltzer, Fanfare Magazine
"Five stars: Asia's music resonates on long after the last note is sounded." — Colin Clarke, Fanfare Magazine
Forces: flute, clarinet, violin, cello, piano, and voice.
1. God's Hand is in the World (3:53)
2. Jerusalem (2:31)
3. Through Two Points Only One Straight Line Can Pass (3:29)
4. Sonnet from the Voyage (3:07)
5. Almost a Love Poem (2:00)
6. A Young Soldier (3:53)
Amichai Songs: Wrestling with Faith
This cycle sets poetry by Yehuda Amichai, one of Israel's most celebrated modern poets. His texts grapple with profound spiritual questions — the presence of God in a world marked by conflict, the beauty and tension of Jerusalem, and the everyday realities of war and peace.
Asia's music supports and intensifies these ideas through a wide, expressive musical language that honors the emotional depth embedded in each poem. Rather than merely setting words to music, the cycle engages with the lived experience and spiritual struggles behind them, offering listeners a deeply personal and philosophical journey through the six songs.
Nonet
"an interesting release that proves quite rewarding."
— Audiophile Audition
"The concise Nonet is cast in similar musical language, with something of the clear precision of neoclassical Stravinsky."
— Records International
Instrumentation
Fl. Ob. Cl. Hn. Bsn — Vln. Vla. Vlc. Cb
Duration
18 minutes
Scoring
1.1.1.1.1 — 1.1.1.1
Performers & Conductors
Daniel Asia's symphonic works have been brought to life by some of the world's most distinguished ensembles and conductors, showcasing the breadth and appeal of his compositional voice across the international classical music community.
Distinguished Ensembles
Dorian Wind Quintet, American Brass Quintet, Meadowmount Trio, Cypress Quartet, Amernet String Quartet
Acclaimed Soloists
Andre-Michel Schub, Alex Klein, Benjamin Verdery, John Shirley-Quirk, Sara Watkins, Christopher Pedro Trakas, Faye Robinson, Robert Dick, Carter Brey, Julian Schwarz, Robert Swensen, Jeremy Huw Williams, Carmen Pelton, Mary Feinsinger
Renowned Conductors
Zdenek Macal, Jesus Lopez-Cobos, Eiji Oue, Lawrence Leighton Smith, Carl St. Clair, James Sedares, Stuart Malina, George Hanson, Kirk Trevor, Koji Kawamoto, Gerard Schwarz, Odaline de la Martinez, Jonathan Shames
Distinguished Recognition
Throughout his career, Daniel Asia has received some of the most prestigious honors available to American composers, reflecting both the quality of his work and his significant contribution to contemporary classical music.
American Academy of Sciences & Letters induction ceremony, 2024
American Academy of Arts and Letters Award
2009
American Academy of Sciences and Letters
Inducted 2024
Guggenheim Fellowship
United Kingdom Fulbright Arts Award Fellowship
National Endowment for the Arts
Four NEA Composers Grants
Major Foundation Support
M.B. Rockefeller Grant | Aaron Copland Fund for Music Grant
Artist Residencies
MacDowell Colony Fellowship | Tanglewood Fellowship | DAAD Fellowship (Germany)
Composition Prizes
ASCAP Composition Prize | BMI Composition Prize
Orchestra Residency
Meet The Composer/Composer in Residence with the Phoenix Symphony 1991-94
Connect With Us
Igor Reznik
Agent & Producer
Momentum Artists
Email: [email protected]
Mobile: +1-646-975-8402
Artist Websites
Organizations & Resources
Daniel Asia: Chamber Works