Music Department Faculty
Ralf Yusuf Gawlick
Professor, Assistant Chair
Ralf Yusuf Gawlick
D.M.A.
Contact
Telephone: 617-552-2514
Email: ralf.gawlick@bc.edu
Education
- B.M. University of California, Santa Barbara
- M.M. University of Texas at Austin
- D.M.A. New England Conservatory
Courses
MUSA 1200 Introduction to Music
MUSA 1100 Fundamentals of Music
MUSA 2100 Harmony
MUSA 2209 Twentieth Century Music
MUSA3100 Chromatic Harmony
MUSA 3106 Counterpoint
MUSA 3120 Seminar in Composition
MUSA 3126 Tonal Composition
Office Hours
Fridays 1:00-2:00 p.m. for students, all others by appointment
Department
Biography
Ralf Yusuf Gawlick is a German-American composer of Romani-Kurdish descent. His works include solo, chamber, orchestral, electro-acoustic, film and choral music, traversing a wide range of styles and often exploring aspects of his complex international heritage. His music has been commissioned and championed by a wide range of artists and organizations, attracting international acclaim from audiences and critics. In recent years his electro-acoustic work Herzliche Grüße Bruno ~ Briefe aus Stalingrad, eight-voice Missa Gentis Humanæ, song cycle Kollwitz-Konnex (…im Frieden seiner Hände), Kinderkreuzzug cantata and autobiographical string quartet Imagined Memories have exemplified his remarkably diverse output, with its frequent references to the highlights of the Western musical canon and rigorous compositional standards. Gawlick’s most recent composition, an oratorio entitled O Lungo Drom (The Long Road), was commissioned by the Alban Berg Ensemble Wien and is dedicated to Romani Rose, Chairman of the Central Council of German Sinti and Roma. His music, published by several firms, has been performed internationally (in venues including Konzerthaus Berlin, Vienna’s Musikverein, New York’s Carnegie Hall) and is recorded on the Musica Omnia, Perfect Noise and Decca Eloquence labels in composer-supervised performances by the works’ dedicatees. Gawlick is currently working on Die Ursitory, an opera based on Matéo Maximoff’s novel of the same name. This opera contains many "firsts": Die Ursitory is the first novel written by a Rom, on a Romani theme, and now set to music by a Romani composer. In this way, Maximoff's seminal story receives a unique realization from within, rather than being viewed through the lens and stereotypes of non-Roma, as in all previous operas with Roma (G*psy) themes. A professor at Boston College, Ralf Gawlick lives in Newton, MA, with his wife and fellow musician, Basia.
Compositions
Bobby ~ Tombeau for an Artist op.23 (2022) Solo cello, 7 minutes.
O Lungo Drom op.22 (2020-2021) Soprano, Baritone, Flute, Clarinet, Cimbalom, Piano, String Quartet, 60 min.
(Texts drawn from Maya, Mãnuš, Schöpf, Iliaz, Makhotin, Stojka, Haliti, Smith, Krasnici, Lagrene, Papusza, Loleshyte, Maximoff) Commissioned by the Alban Berg Ensemble Wien in conjunction with the Documentation and Cultural Center of German Sinti and Roma in Heidelberg, Germanny
Herzliche Grüße Bruno ~ Briefe aus Stalingrad (Eine musikalische Gedenkstätte) op.21 (2017-2018); Baritone, 2 Pianos, Sound Montage, 53 min.
Imagined Memories (Bîranînên Xeyalî) op.20 (2014 - 2016) String Quartet, 46 min.; Commissioned by the Hugo Wolf Quartet
Kollwitz-Konnex (…im Frieden seiner Hände) op.19 (2012-2013) Soprano, Guitar, 55 min.; Commissioned by Anne Harley and the Rose Augustine Foundation
Sorores (Frauenpartita) op.18 (2011) Clarinet, Bass Clarinet, Violin , Cello, 26 min.; Commissioned by Etoile Productions and Boston College
Suscipe Domine op.17a (2011) Alto, Violin, Cello, 9 min. (Text: St. Ignatius); Commissioned by T. Frank Kennedy, S.J., and the Jesuit Institute, Boston College
Quando il Fiume Giallo si acchiararà (Frammenti ricciani) op.17 (2011) Alto, Violin, Cello, 28 min. (Text: Matteo Ricci and St. Ignatius); Commissioned by Jeremy Clarke, S.J., Boston College
Missa gentis humanæ op.16 (2008-2010) Eight-voice a cappella chorus (CCAATTBB), 53 min.
Texts drawn from the Ordinary of the Mass, Borges, Virgil, Brecht, Dostoevsky, Plautus, Herbert, Scott and the Gospel of St. John); Commissioned by Michael Noone and Ensemble Plus Ultra; Published by ECS Publishing, Boston, MA
Berlin Suite op.15 (2009) String Quartet, 26 min.; Commissioned by the German Embassy (Washington D.C.) and Boston College
Ich schreite kaum… op.14 (2006-2007) Small Orchestra, 11 min.; Commissioned by Kirk Trevor and the Missouri Symphony Orchestra
Kinderkreuzzug (Cantata) op.13 (2004-2005) Children’s Choir, Sanctus bells, Clarinet, String Trio (Vln,Vla,Vc), Organ, 38 min. (Text: Bertolt Brecht); Commissioned by Jacek Sykulski and the Poznan Boys Choir; Published by ECS Publishing, Boston , MA
Zrodlo (The Source) op.12 (2004) Soprano Solo, Chorus (SATB), Large Orchestra, 12 min. (Text: Karol Woytyla); Commissioned by the Moniuszko Society
Glocken-Spiel op.11 (2004) Piano Quartet, 16 min.
…de la mas sabrosa y agradable vida… op.10 (2003) Large Orchestra, 16 min.; Commissioned by Max Hobart and the Boston Civic Symphony Orchestra
At the still point of the turning world op.9 (2001-2002) Solo Cello, 14-50 min. (variable durations attributed to formal possibilities; Commissioned by Composers in Red Sneakers
Chamber Triptych opp.6-8:
Sonata-Mazur (Aus der Ferne…) op.8 (2000-2001) Violin and Piano, 25 min.
Concerto Concertante per Sei Instrumenti op.7 (1998-1999) 2 Pianos and String Quartet, 27 min.
Mysteriun doloris quintae (Tropen-Kreuz) op.6 (1996-1997) Solo Piano, 21 min.; Published by Brazinmusikanta Publications, Amityville, NY
An die Nachgeborenen (3) op.5 (1995) Low male voice, 3 Oboes, 3 Tenor Trombones, String Trio (vln, vla, vc), 15 min. (Text: Bertolt Brecht)
Sinfonietta op.4 (1994) Chamber Orchestra, 25 min.
Trio op.3 (1993) Violin, Cello, Piano, 18 min.
Treny op.2 (1993) Baritone and Piano (Text: Jan Kochanowski) 20 min.
Satz für Streichquartett op.1 (1992) String Quartet, 11 min.
Music for Film
Music for “Dziad i Baba” (DVD) – Independent animation film by Basia Goszczynska (2011), 7 min.
Music (Berlin Suite) for “Berlin Holocaust Memorial” (DVD) – film documentary by John Michalczyk for Jacques Salmanowitz Program (2010), 4 min.
Music (Berlin Suite) for “Writing on the Wall: Remembering the Berlin Wall” (DVD) – film documentary by John Michalczyk and Ronald Marsh (2009), 57 min.
Recent Performances
O Lungo Drom (The Long Road), Boston College, Joint US première, Chestnut Hill, MA, April 2024; Clara Meloni, soprano; Christoph Filler, baritone; László Rácz, cimbalom; Alban Berg Ensemble Wien
O Lungo Drom (The Long Road) , College of the Holy Cross, Joint US première, Worcester, MA, April 2024; Clara Meloni, soprano; Christoph Filler, baritone; László Rácz, cimbalom, Alban Berg Ensemble Wien
Bobby ~ Tombeau for an Artist, Music Azores 2023, Azores, November 2023; Florian Berner, vc
At the still point of the turning world, Pucker Gallery, Boston, MA, April 2023 Rafael Popper-Keizer, vc
O Lungo Drom, Konzerthaus Berlin, World première, Germany October 2022 Johanna Zimmer, soprano; Georg Gädker, baritone; László Racz, cimbalom; Alban Berg Ensemble Wien
Imagined Memories (Bîranînên Xeyalî), BERGfest Ein Festival des Alban Berg Ensemble Wien; REAKTOR, Vienna, Austria June 2022; Hugo Wolf Quartet
Imagined Memories (Bîranînên Xeyalî), Palais Prinz Carl, Heidelberg, Germany April 2022; Hugo Wolf Quartet
Herzliche Grüße Bruno ~ Briefe aus Stalingrad, German première, Musiksaal in the Kongresshalle, Nürnberg, Germany April 2022
Chi-Chen Wu, piano; Georg Gädker, baritone
Audio and Visual Recordings
O Lungo Drom (The Long Road) – Decca Eloquence (Australia) [CAT #487 5556] - 2024
Herzliche Grüße Bruno ~ Briefe aus Stalingrad – Musica Omnia [MO 0712 / PN 1803] – 2019
Imagined Memories (Bîranînên Xeyalî) – Musica Omnia [MO 0704] - 2016
Kollwitz-Konnex (…im Frieden seiner Hände) – Musica Omnia [MO 0702 CD & DVD] - 2015
Kinderkreuzzug- Chorakademie Dortmund - 2014
Missa gentis humanæ [MO 0605] - 2014
At the still point of the turning world [MO 0603] - 2013
Kollwitz-Konnex (…im Frieden seiner Hände) - 2013
Sorores (Frauenpartita) - 2011
Music for “Dziad i Baba” (DVD) – Independent animation film by Basia Goszczynska - 2011
Quando il Fiume Giallo si acchiararà (Frammenti ricciani) - 2011
Kinderkreuzzug- Musica Omnia [MO 0406] - 2010
Solo and Chamber Works – Musica Omnia [MO 0309] - 2010
Berlin Suite - 2010
Music for “Berlin Holocaust Memorial” (DVD) – film documentary by John Michalczyk for Jacques Salmanowitz Program - 2010
Music for “Writing on the Wall: Remembering the Berlin Wall” (DVD) – film documentary by John Michalczyk and Ronald Marsh – 2009
Concerto Concertante per Sei Instrumenti – Capstone Records [CPS-8712] - 2003