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 Conni Ellisor is a founding member of Orchestra Nashville and was Orchestra Nashville’s first composer-in-residence from 1998-2002. Conni has been working in Nashville as a composer, arranger, and violinist since she graduated from the Julliard School in 1980. Her works have been premiered and recorded by the St. Paul Chamber Orchestra, London Symphony, Denver Brass, Camelli Quartet, Hamburg Radio Orchestra, London Philharmonic, and the Nashville Chamber Orchestra. Conni ’s solo artist career led to the release of three solo albums, one of which, “Night at the Museum” reached #15 on Billboard’s Adult Alternative chart.
Conni was the first composer commissioned by Orchestra Nashville in 1994. That work, Conversations In Silence, became the title track for Orchestra Nashville’s recording debut on Warner Brothers Records. Since that time, her music has been instrumental in helping define and establish the Orchestra Nashville’s reputation as one of America’s most innovative and progressive orchestras.
She collaborated with dulcimerist David Schnaufer, and composed one of Orchestra Nashville signature works, Blackberry Winter, which has received critical acclaim, frequent airplay on radio stations across the country and a featured segment on NPR’s Performance Today show. She co-composed Harvest Home Suite with Grammy Award-winning fiddler Jay Ungar and guitarist Molly Mason, which Orchestra Nashville recorded with them for Angel Records (Harvest Home Suite).
Other Orchestra Nashville commissions include The Bell Witch (full-length story ballet co-commissioned with Nashville Ballet), Concerto for Marimba, No Place To Get To (for English horn, guitar and strings), Nuages de la Nuit (for jazz trio and strings), Rhapsody for Viola, Sea Without A Shore (for persuccion ensemble and chamber orchestra), and Whiskey Before Breakfast - Partita for Bluegrass Band and Chamber Orchestra.
Her other commissions include a work for the overture and finale for the Walden Woods recording project with the London Symphony that featured additional music by Elton John, Sting, Billy Joel, and Bruce Hornsby. Conni has worked extensively in the commercial music world as concertmaster, session player and arranger for artists such as Trisha Yearwood, Dixie Chicks and Matchbox 20. She has composed and arranged for feature films and industrials throughout her entire career. |
