Harry Clark (playwright)
Harry Clark is an American playwright and cellist. He is known for plays that combine drama with live or recorded classical music performance.
Career
Born in Tucson, AZ, Clark began playing the cello at age 10. Former principal cellist with the Hartford Symphony Orchestra, he also played in a duo with his wife, pianist Sanda Schuldmann. The duo made their New York premiere at Carnegie Hall in 1974, and they have played with one another as a duo, part of the Fidelio Trio, and in other combinations since.[1] In 1980, Clark and Schuldmann founded the classical music presenting organization Chamber Music PLUS, which pairs musical performance with insight into the creative process that led to the music.[2]
Chamber Music PLUS's emphasis on telling the story behind musical compositions led Clark to develop a second career as a playwright. He has written over 50 dramatic works with or without music, collaborating with pianist André Watts, clarinetist David Shifrin, actor Michael York, and many others through his career. His plays, among them Lisztian Loves,[3] An Unlikely Muse,[4] and Raisin' Cane: A Harlem Renaissance Odyssey,[5] have been performed at venues including the Apollo Theatre, the Los Angeles Theatre Company, the Ravinia Festival, and Chamber Music Northwest.
References
- ↑ Ericson, Raymond. "Spirited Playing by Clark and Wife". nytimes.com. Retrieved October 20, 2016.
- ↑ Wise, Brian. "Still Making Music Together". nytimes.com. Retrieved October 20, 2016.
- ↑ von Rhein, John. "Conlon, CSO rock Ravinia with Rachmaninov rarities". chicagotribune.com. Retrieved October 20, 2016.
- ↑ Reynolds, Janet. "A Chat with An Unlikely Muse Creator Harry Clark". norfolk.yale.edu. Retrieved October 20, 2016.
- ↑ Reel, James. "Theatrical Departures". www.tucsonweekly.com. Retrieved October 20, 2016.