Chamber music
“Brian is a gifted and versatile composer whose compositions span many genres. His writing is beautiful, complex, and nuanced.”
– Greg Loughman, jazz composer, bassist
Like many jazz composers, Friedland grew up studying classical as well as jazz idioms, and later studied classical composition with Kati Agocs, Michael Gandolfi, and Brian Head. His compositions for various ensembles draw upon this knowledge and reflect his love of everything from the dramatic movie scores of Korngold to the rhythmic creativity of John Adams.
Notably, in 2016, the American Composer’s Orchestra commissioned him to write “Dreamscapes” in their effort to bring jazz composers and the orchestral world into closer collaboration. This 10-minute work explicitly marries classical traditions with jazz. Displaying Friedland’s compositional breadth, the piece unites influences as disparate as the blues of Duke Ellington and the adventurous sonic textures of 20th century classical composer Witold Lutoslawski.
Audio/Video
– Greg Loughman, jazz composer, bassist
Like many jazz composers, Friedland grew up studying classical as well as jazz idioms, and later studied classical composition with Kati Agocs, Michael Gandolfi, and Brian Head. His compositions for various ensembles draw upon this knowledge and reflect his love of everything from the dramatic movie scores of Korngold to the rhythmic creativity of John Adams.
Notably, in 2016, the American Composer’s Orchestra commissioned him to write “Dreamscapes” in their effort to bring jazz composers and the orchestral world into closer collaboration. This 10-minute work explicitly marries classical traditions with jazz. Displaying Friedland’s compositional breadth, the piece unites influences as disparate as the blues of Duke Ellington and the adventurous sonic textures of 20th century classical composer Witold Lutoslawski.
Audio/Video
- • Dreamscapes (excerpt)