Bio

Edmund Cionek

For Edmund Cionek, the intense musical environment of NYC has inspired a style characterized by modern lyricism, a deft sense of humor, and pop culture references. Published by Edward B. Marks-Keiser/Southern, Hal Leonard, and EDITIONS Amsterdam, Cionek is recorded on Ravello, Navona, OutBach, Sharp-Flat, and Musicians Showcase. For 25 years, he was the Composer-in-Residence for the Bar Harbor (ME) Music Festival. He studied with William Bolcom at the University of Michigan and in Paris with Schoenberg disciple Max Deutsch. Recent pieces include a song cycle, Prelude and Five Dreams of Walt Whitman (Text by Whitman, 2024 at the DiMenna Center for Classical Music), two evening length operas with librettist Maryanne Bertollo; Elizabeth Frankenstein (concert reading given at the cell theatre, NYC 2021 with support from NYSCA) and Returning: the Ordeal of Olive Oatman (concert reading at The National Opera Center 2023) with librettist Maryanne Bertollo. They are currently at work on a tenor cantata, Mr. Flying Saucer. In 2021, His violin and piano work Stolen Moments in Green and Blue was awarded a Silver Medal in the International Recording Excellence Competition. Attack of the 50 ft. Walt Whitman was developed at Mabou Mines and later went on to The Flea Theatre. TRI-SCI-FI: a Chillogy, with libretto by Dennis Deal, was a top ten pick on the 2005 FringeNYC Festival and a finalist in the Richard Rodgers Theatre Awards. The Village Voice called it “authentically bizarre.” Composer William Bolcom called Cionek a “first-rate, witty composer”. Teacher of the Year at Purchase College, he teaches at NYU and arranges and orchestrates music on demand. Visit edmundcionek.com. and his youtube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@musicbycionek/videos?app=desktop&view=0&sort=dd&shelf_id=1