ELAINE ERICKSON was born in Des Moines, Iowa. She has a Bachelor of Music degree in Piano Performance from Whaton College (Illinois) and a Master of Music degree in Music Composition from Drake University. She has won numerous awards, fellowships and residencies, including from the Ford Foundation (Contemporary Music Project), Meet the Composer, , the Charles Ives Music Center (4 times), the National League of American Pen Women (including the $1000 Music Composition Award) the Pyle Commission Award from the Iowa Composers Form, among others. She has done additional study in composition at the University of Iowa and at Peabody Conservatory (Baltimore, Maryland). She has composed 4 operas, 3 of which were performed at Peabody. She is a published poet.

Opera

• The Upstairs Bedroom
• From Winter Darkness
• Where are You Now, Hosea?
• After Autumn

      All libretti by the Composer.
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Music Theater

• Flora's Journal; 3 narrators, flute, clarinet, piano and tape.

      Text by the Composer.
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Orchestra

• Eclipse; small orchestra
• Letting My Imagination Drift; female narrator and small orchestra. Poem by the Composer.
• Frozen Sculptures; small orchestra.
• Shipwrecked Landscape; large orchestra.
• Dancer in a Garden; dramatic soprano and string orchestra. Poems by the Composer.
• Concerto for Piano; piano, strings and percussion (1 player).

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Band

Chorus

• Two Poems for Mixed Voices; SATB. Poems by E. E. Cummings.
• Six Songs for Mixed Voices; SATB, with piano and drum. Poems by Carl Sandburg.
• Four Christmas Songs; SATB. Anonymous poets.
• Lost Love and Longing; SATB, with electronic keyboard.
• Night's Lodging; SSAA. Poems by Luci Shaw and the Composer.
• Cycles; SSAS, with piano. Poems by the Composer, C.S. Lewis and Luci Shaw.
• Sunset, From a Porch and Mourn, Rejoice; SSAA, with piano. Poems by MacCanon Brown.
• A Lullaby and The Piper; SSAA, with piano and clarinet. Poems by the Composer and Mirian Klaiman.
• Two pieces for Children's Chorus;  SA with piano. Poems by the Composer.

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Ensemble

Chamber

• Distant Chambers; flute and trumpet.
• Two Psalms of Praise; soprano and flute.
• Soul and Blood; flute and electronic keyboard.
• Exodus; female voice, flute and tape. Poem by the Composer.
• Three Nocturnes; female voice and flute. Poems by the Composer.
• Flood; soprano, flute, oboe, clarinet, and harpsichord. Poems by William Matthews.
• Shadows of Forgotten Ancestors; soprano and antiphonal flute choir. Poem by David Butler.
• Iowa, Its Land and People; soprano, flute, piano and percussion (1 player). Poems by Pat Underwood.
• Suite for Flute and Clarinet
• A Dream of New Milford; flute and harp.
• Starshell; flute, violin, cello and piano.
• A Lament; violin and harpsichord or piano.
• Two Portraits of Iowa; soprano, piano and tape. Poems by Michael Carey and Ted Howard.
• Behind Walls; female voice and cello. Poems by the composer.
• Iowa Interstate 80; soprano, piano and percussion (1 player). Poem by the Composer.
• Threnody; soprano, flute, violin and piano. Poems by Anthony Marlow.
• Survivors; coloratura soprano and oboe, with electronic keyboard or piano. Poems by Jay Johnson.
• Mary's Song; soprano and harp. Poem by Luci Shaw.
• Love Cycle; soprano and piano. Poems by the Composer.
• Calm Waters; soprano and prepared piano. Poem by Valorie Breyfogle.
• I Have a King; soprano, contralto and piano. Poems by Emily Dickinson.
• A Little Madness; soprano and piano. Poems by Emily Dickinson.
• If It is Possible, Let This Cup Pass from Me; trombone and organ.
• Song of Orpheus; baritone and piano. Poem by Jesse Glass.
• Three Songs for Soprano and Piano. Poems by Diana Reyes.
• Portrait of  a Poet; soprano, piano and tape. Poems by B.Z. Niditch.
• Iowa Winter Landscape; accordion and piano.
• The Spirits of This Land; tenor, flute, oboe, clarinet, trombone, double bass, piano and percussion (1 player). Poems by Daniel Cuddy and David Butler.
• Baboushka; female narrator and tape (with female dancer).
• Succession; soprano and prepared piano. Poems by Mary Swander.
• Where Crops End; soprano (voice) and alto recorder. Poem by MacCanon Brown.
• Nimbus Clouds; public school band.

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Voice

• Three X-ray Visions; soprano and tape. Poems by Clarinda Harriss

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Solo Instrument

• Suite #1 for Piano.
• Suite #2 for Piano.
• Sonata for Piano.
• Concertino; piano and tape.
• The Mad Carousel; organ and tape.
• The Voice Outside; organ and tape.
• Cycles; solo clarinet.
• Two Dances; solo oboe with drum.
• Summer Genesis; solo violin.
• Five Songs for Solo Soprano. Poems by William Butler Yeats.
• Dialogues #1; double bass and tape (with film).
• Dialogues #2; flute and tape.
• Dialogues #4; clarinet and tape.
• Dialogues #6; trombone and tape
• Seven Little Pieces for Young Pianists.

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Electronic

• Baboushka; female narrator and tape (with female dancer).
• Dialogues #2; flute and tape.
• Dialogues #6; trombone and tape
• The Mad Carousel; organ and tape.
• The Voice Outside; organ and tape.
• Concertino; piano and tape.
• Exodus; female voice, flute and tape. Poem by the Composer.
• Flora's Journal; 3 narrators, flute, clarinet, piano and tape.
• Soul and Blood; flute and electronic keyboard.
• Two Portraits of Iowa; soprano, piano and tape. Poems by Michael Carey and Ted Howard.

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Jazz