BIO
Elizabeth Anne Comninellis (b. 1986) is a composer, singer, and pianist. She completed her doctorate in music composition at the University of Texas at Austin 2017. She holds a master's degree in music composition from the University of Colorado- Boulder, and a bachelor's degree in music composition, with emphasis in vocal and piano performance, from the University of Missouri- Kansas City Conservatory of Music and Dance. She has studied with many acclaimed composers of modern art music, among them Yevgeniy Sharlat, Chen Yi, Zhou Long, Paul Rudy, and Carter Pan.
Comninellis is the composer-in-residence for The Boulder Symphony Orchestra. Her most recent work, Fire and Glass, was premiered by the symphony in December 2019. The ensemble also premiered her works, Rose Deep featuring her as vocal soloist in November 2017 and As Lightning Flashes in April 2017.
She has been commissioned by a number of new music initiatives, most recently The Beerthoven Concert Series for its spring 2018 concert series, and The Arapahoe Philharmonic in December 2018. Comninellis was also commissioned in 2016 by Tetractys New Music, for which she wrote Lady Wisdom and Solomon. Her piece White Birds, for clarinet and electronics, was presented at the 2015 New York Electroacoustic Music Festival. Her percussion trio, Bringing in the Boat, was chosen for the Women Composers of Hartford's 2015 international score call. She was awarded the Levy Graduate Composition Prize for her chamber work, Flight, and was a recipient of the Kent Kennan Fellowship for music composition at the University of Texas at Austin.
Elizabeth primarily writes large chamber works, many of which have theatrical and narrative components. She seeks out collaborative projects with other artists from all fields: media, film, dance, theater. Many of her ideas are drawn from literature, visual art, film, dance, and personal faith. Most recently she undertook a collaboration with pianist and juggler, Mathilde LeGrand to compose several pieces that combine the two skills. These collaborations were featured by Quest Track Radio in Normandy, France in August 2017. In addition, Elizabeth regularly writes for film and documentary, especially films by her brother, Joshua Comninellis. In December 2019 Elizabeth composed main title music for the Wildorado documentary, produced by Joshua.
Dr. Comninellis is an active educator and performer. She has been teaching privately for over 12 years, with emphasis on the Kodály and Dalcroze teaching methods. She consistently maintains a studio of 30 or more students of varying ages and levels. She also regularly composes and arranges pieces for her students to perform, as well for group classes and summer camp programs. She was recently commissioned the NESAQ music conference to compose a choral piece for its festival in Lebanon in March 2020.
Elizabeth lives in Kuwait with her husband Rob Foster where they both teach at The American School of Kuwait.