Ron Hannah Resume

       Mr. Hannah was born in 1945 in Saskatchewan, and has resided much of his life in Western Canada. He is a pianist and clarinettist, and has studied the cello order to better understand writing for strings. In 2009 he returned to his homeland after several years of teaching English and backpacking in various parts of the world. At present he resides in Austria.

His interests are eclectic, ranging from travel and the sciences to wine and Eastern philosophy. In 1969 he received a Bachelor of Science degree in Chemistry from the University of Alberta, and a Bachelor of Music and a Master of Music degree (student of Violet Archer and Malcolm Forsyth) in 1973 and 1975 respectively. While a student, he met singer Andrea Mellis, and 40 years later (June 2013), married her. Before that, he taught in public schools after receiving a Diploma in Education in 1980 and helped raise two daughters. Composition has always been his passion however, and he continued to write even during the most trying days of parenthood and making a living. The result may be seen, and heard, at his website (http://ronhannah.com).

His works have been performed in Canada and internationally. One of his "Five Preludes for Organ" has just been performed during the London Festival of Contemporary Church Music; as has his 2-piano suite, "Dances for Camille", in Vienna, in June 2015. In addition, his "Two Songs after Christine de Pisan" has recently been premiered by Andrea Mellis and Zsuzsa Aba-Nagy, harpist. Many of his works appear on CDs available through the Canadian Music Centre - http://www.musiccentre.ca He is also a reviewer, essayist and travel writer.

His catalogue contains about one hundred compositions: choral, chamber, song cycles, orchestral works, ballets, and several operas and theatre pieces, the most recent being a play with songs entitled "A Comedy for the End of Days". He prefers vivid and honest texts that are colorful in language and irreverent in tone. His music tends toward the conservative, in a style that he describes as "dissonant pan-tonality", but elements of the atonal, of textural writing, of minimalism, and of randomness can also be found - with the unending intention of being understood and enjoyed by an audience. He has received commissions from the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, the Edmonton Symphony Orchestra, the Alberta Choral Federation, and many others.

July, 2015

Updated:  September 1, 2015

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