Biography

Julie Mandel, composer of musical theater and chamber music, studied 12-tone composition with Ernst Krenek.

Writes theater scores, (music & lyrics). Her musical theater work, A Glorious Day, based on Shaw's play Getting Married, was produced last year at the York Theater in Manhattan.

Her theater work, Subway Suite, for singers and string quartet was recently produced at The Goldstein Theatre at Queens College, NY, featuring The Meridian String Quartet.

Presidents was produced and toured by National Theater for the Performing Arts. Other theater works have been produced by Equity ("2"); Theatreworks (Le Grand Cafe); and National Music Theater Network (Le Grand Cafe).

Her Trio for Flute, Viola and Harp and her String Quartet #3 are published by Theodore Presser. This quartet was recently included on a CD of the Meridian String Quartet on Capstone Records.

In December, her recently completed piano trio, The Wedding Trio received its premier performance at Le Frak Auditorium, Queens College, NY

This September, her work titled Confections, three pieces for clarinet and piano, will be premiered by the American Chamber Ensemble, played by Naomi Drucker and Blanche Abram.

In March, her work titled And The Livin' Is Easy, three pieces for piano, will be premiered in a New York Women COmposers concert at Greenwich House by Claudia Knafo.

One of her children's works, Pari and the Prince, was published by McGraw Hill. Another, Danny Dunn and the Homework Machine, was recorded by Golden Records.

She is the recipient of several awards from Meet The Composer and ASCAP and is currently Treasurer of the Long Island Composers Forum, and The Aviva Players, a group dedicated to presenting the work of women composers.

Premieres

• The Wedding Trio, a piano trio was premiered at Le Frak Auditorium, Queens College, NY on April 22, 2004. Violin - Jonathan Weber, Cello - George Dewar, Piano - Katie Franklin.
• Confections: 1. Sprinkles; 2. A La Mode; 3. Whipped Cream. Three pieces for flute (or clarinet) and piano, premiered at the Huntington Library, Huntington, NY on June 6, 2004. Flute - Jill Sokol, Piano - Katie Franklin.
• And The Livin' Is Easy: 1. The Fourth(s) of July; 2. Lazy Summer Day; 3. Moon on Lake Kinderhook. A suite of piano pieces will be premiered at Greenwich House, Greenwich Village, NY on March 17, 2005 by Claudia Kanfo.

Performances

• There will be an upcoming performance of Confections: 1. Sprinkles; 2. A La Mode; 3. Whipped Cream. Three pieces for flute (or clarinet) and piano at Hofstra University, NY on September 26, 2004 by the American Chamber Ensemble, Naomi Drucker - Clarinet and Blanche Abram - Piano.
• Quiet Winter Morning, a work for Wind Quartet, was performed by the Renaissance Woodwind Quartet at Bayside Library, Bayside, NY on June 16, 2003.
• Moods, a String Trio performed at Brandeis House, New York, NY on December 16, 2003 by Jonathan Weber - Violin; Earl Manein - Viola; and George Dewar - Cello.

New Works

• The Pious Cat, a 10 minute concert piece based on a story by I.L. Peretz for Soprano, Clarinet, and Piano.
• I Wish, I Wish, I Wish, a 25 minute, one-act opera based on a story by Eugene Mandel. For four voices (2 sopranos, 1 tenor, 1 baritone) and piano. Can also be done as a concert version piece.

Recordings

• "2", cast album recording on Take Home Tunes Label
• Back In My Arms, recorded by Nat King Cole on Capitol, also released by Pickwick, Keel, Longine Symphonette.
• Tell It To Me Again, recorded by Frankie Lester (RCA), June Valli (RCA), Don Cherry (Columbia)
• Childrens' Records
  • Danny Dunn And The Homework Machine, an LP, Musical for children based on contemporary children's classic of the same name. Recorded by Golden Records.
  • Old Mack - The Golden Fire Truck LP Recorded by Golden Records
  • Eat Your Spinach LP recorded by Golden Records

Contact Information

6923 Loubet Street
Forest Hills, NY 11375
E-mail: juliemandel@nyc.rr.com

Annual Updates

2007

Premieres

Marcelle Duarte and Myrna Nachman introduced Breakfast Alone, for soprano and piano, at Nassau (NY) Community College; it was later performed at the First Unitarian Church of Ithaca, NY, by Donna Schaffer and Sarah Meneely-Kyder, who performed the work again at Renee Weiler Recital Hall, New York, NY. Violinist Herb Feldman and pianist Hadassah Guttman presented the premiere of Sonatina on March 5, at Great Neck House. Wake Up and Hold Me and Happy Birthday, two songs for voice and piano, were performed for the first time on June 4 by Myrna Lake at the Cajun in New York, NY.

Performances

Performances in 2005 included Mabel and Her Cottage, for string quartet and narrator, The Transfiguration Ensemble String Quartet with narrator Christopher Linn, Southold High School; Were Have You Gone? and Full Many Young Lips, by soprano Karen Lehman and pianist Marilyn Lehman, Hofstra University; Love is a Two-Part Invention, by soprano Kathleen Weber, tenor R. Daniel Hughes, and pianist Myrna Nachman, Nassau (NY) Community College; 2 in 5/4, 10-piece jazz band, concert of Women Composers of Queens, Jamaica Center for Arts and Learning; and Danny Dunn and the Homework Machine, a musical theatre work for children, West Palm Beach, FL. Works performed in 2006 included Spring is Here!, Queens College String Orchestra, Aaron Copland School of Music, NY; The Wedding Trio, for violin, cello, and piano, the Downtown Chamber Trio, The Montauk (NY) Library; and Confections, three pieces for clarinet and piano, Denis Joseph and Jane Leslie, South Country Library in Bellport, NY.

Publications

Quiet Winter Morning, wind quartet; Imagine Music.

2006

Premieres

Mabel and Her Cottage for string quartet and narrator (story by Patti Parr) was introduced on March 5, 2005, by the Transfiguration Ensemble String Quartet, assisted by narrator Christopher Linn, S. Huntington Library, NY; the ensemble repeated its performance on March 19 at Riverhead (NY) High School. Pianist Claudia Knafo presented ... And the Livin’ is Easy, a suite of three piano pieces on March 17, Renee Weiler Recital Hall, Greenwich House, NY, and on April 3, Manhattanville College, NY. The Pious Cat, a story set to music for soprano, clarinet, and piano (story by I. L. Peretz) was first heard in an April 9 performance by Constance Beavon (who also served as narrator), Dennis Joseph, and Hadassah Guttmann, Forest Hills Library, NY; the ensemble repeated its performance on April 17 at Grace Church, Brooklyn, NY. Portraits: 4 Poems by Ilsa Gilbert was presented April 24 by soprano Nita Baxani, oboist Jeffrey Hayes, guitarist Matthew Baier, and pianist Mimi Stern Wolfe, St. Mark’s in the Bowery, NY, NY. The one-act opera, I Wish, I Wish, I Wish (libretto by Eugene Mandel), premiered May 3 at Otterbein College in Westerville, OH, aspart of the Festival of Women Composers; thecast included soprano Lizzie Schleicher, alto Caitlin Czarnecki, tenor Greg Burroughs, and bass Ben Marteney.

Performances

The Pious Cat was presented May 2 by soprano/narrator Janet Proodian, clarinetist Lyle Barkhymer, and pianist Michael Haberkorn at the Festival of Women Composers, Otterbein College, Westerville, OH; and again on August 22 at Montauk Library, with soprano Darcy Dunn, clarinetist Phillip Bashor, pianist Rachel Jimenez, and narrator Mark Uhlemann.