American Record Guide calls Frank Wallace's compositions "exciting, unpredictable, and fresh"; Fanfare has dubbed him a composer with "an authentic expressive voice" who writes with a "high standard of musical interest" and performs with "flawless technical proficiency".
Listen to a wide sampling of compositions by Frank Wallace, for solo guitar, voice and guitar or lute, and many other chamber combinations including cello, violin, flute, English horn, viola and mandolin. Sheet music and CDs available at: Gyremusic.com.
calls Frank Wallace's compositions “exciting,
unpredictable, and fresh”. Fanfare magazine has
dubbed him a composer with “an authentic expressive voice” who
writes with a “high standard of musical interest” and performs
with “flawless technical proficiency”. New music reviewers have
also honored Wallace's compositions: NewMusicBox.org
calls it “contemporary musical emancipation”. Wallace's works showcase the classical
guitar in solo, duo trio and quartet, as well as in chamber works
with voice, flute and cello. His compositional style has
many influences, from the blues and jazz to medieval and avant
garde . His melodies are memorable, his harmonies and rhythms
complex. Great passion and a sense of humor infuse his work.
Since 2001 Frank Wallace has
become one of the most prolific composers of songs with classical
guitar of our time. He has written over 100 songs
set to classical guitar, most of them in groups (cycles) ranging
from six to fifteen songs, set to poetry from many sources, including
Pulitzer-prize winning poet Theodore Roethke, Robert Creeley, Federico Garcia Lorca,
Guillevic, Shem Tov Ben Palquera, Rumi, and Nancy Knowles. The richness and complexity
of his song accompaniments and his compelling vocal melodies highlight
the influence of his mentors, from Dowland to Schubert to Britten.
Wallace is a graduate of the San Francisco Conservatory. In the early
1980's Wallace left his guitar teaching post at the New England
Conservatory to dedicate himself to performing music of the 12th-16th centuries. For two decades he toured extensively on
both sides of the Atlantic as a vihuelist/lutenist and singer with Trio
LiveOak and LiveOak and Company. In recent years, with mezzo-soprano/poet Nancy Knowles, he has been performing contemporary song
repertoire as Duo LiveOak.
In addition to the New England Conservatory, Wallace has taught at
Plymouth State College, Emmanuel College, Keene State College
and Franklin Pierce College. He lives in the Monadnock region
of New Hampshire, where he teaches at The Concord Community Muisc School and Two Rivers Music in Peterborough NH
and privately. See more on teaching here.
Wallace's compositions have been twice honored by the New Hampshire Council
on the Arts' prestigious Artist Fellowship Award, in 2001 for
Frank
Wallace, his own new works(Gyre 10012),
his debut recording on Gyre of his own compositions, and in 2006
for the Duo LiveOak CD Woman
of the Water (Gyre 10082)
Frank Wallace currently performs and records on a Stephan
Connor 10-string guitar from 2006 and an Aaron Green 6-string from 2011. He has recorded on various historical instruments including an 1854 Gutierrez, c. 1860 Soto y Solares, 1822 Panormo, 1964 Fleta and others.
