Rain Worthington, Composer: Biography

Rain Worthington has a distinctly unique voice within the field of contemporary music. As critic, Kyle Gann noted in Chamber Music magazine, her music

??take(s) ideas of American musical style to a new place ? like a walk in a familiar, yet very different park... And isn't afraid to come up with its own startling conclusions.?

As a composer, Rain Worthington has transited through New York City loft concerts, avant-garde performances spaces and dance clubs, to orchestra recordings in Europe. She performed solo piano concerts at composer Charlemagne Palestine?s loft, the Ear Inn, and the Kitchen. Her new music bands, Zone, and Hizohi (co-directed by vocalist Jill Burton), played such legendary music clubs as 8BC, CBGBs, Roulette, PS122, and Tin Pan Alley, as well as, Danceteria and the Peppermint Lounge. World music, romanticism and minimalism have influenced her compositional style.

Using the palette of the orchestra, she invites the listener to explore emotionally evocative aural landscapes that are nuanced and compelling. Rain?s compositions for orchestra have been recorded for ERMMedia?s prestigious Masterworks of the New Era and Made in the Americas CD series with Conductor, Robert Ian Winstin, and premiered by the S.E.M. Orchestra with Petr Kotik conducting.

Her composition, Shredding Glass was entered for 2009 Grammy consideration by ERMMedia.

Pianist Max Lifchitz has recorded her piano music for Moods - Piano Music by American Women Composers on North/South Recordings.

Rain?s music was the subject of an "American Composer" profile by Kyle Gann in Chamber Music magazine. In this and other articles, Mr. Gann has referenced her orchestra and chamber music to that of Ruth Crawford Seeger, Copland, Stravinsky and Debussy. A Sunday feature profile of her career by Joseph Dalton appeared in the Albany Times Union 2009. Here is the full text.

She has been awarded grants from Meet The Composer, ASCAP, the American Music Center and American Composers Forum.

As an Orff-Schulwerk music education specialist, she taught in elementary schools and developed an innovative concert series featuring original chamber music pieces composed for professional musicians and student percussion ensembles.

In addition to composing concert works, Rain is Co-Director of NetMusicWorks, a contemporary concert music service for composers and concert instrumentalists, and serves as Director of Development for the New York Women Composers.

Rain Worthington is a Sponsored Artist at The Field. Contributions are sincerely appreciated and are vital to making recordings of her music possible. If you choose to make a contribution in support of her music, your donation through The Field is tax deductible.