Aliénor promotes new music for the harpsichord through concerts, commissions and a competition.
Aliénor ABC’s:
- Aliénor Awards
- Aliénor Book and publications
- Aliénor Competition, Commissions and Concerts
Aliénor activities:
- The quadrennial competition with awards
- An archive of works including:
- Publications of winning Aliénor works.
- Published catalog of archived works online.
- Archived works in the Duke University library for artists and scholars.
- Commission new works
- Educational outreach to promote contemporary harpsichord music with public performances and house concerts. Aliénor programs also promote contemporary solo and chamber music with harpsichord for public schools and arts organizations.
The "Aliénor Harpsichord Composition Competition" was started in 1980 under the aegis of the Southeastern Historical Keyboard Society (SEHKS). Aliénor is now an independent, 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. Donations are tax-deductible. Aliénor runs the quadrennial harpsichord composition competition, publishes winning compositions, and commission new works for the harpsichord. There have been seven competitions thus far, with over 500 new scores generated from composers around the world. The 2008 competition had 113 entries, with compositions coming from Australia, Japan, Argentina, Brazil, Israel, numerous European countries, and 23 states in America.
A little background……
Aliénor was named in honor of Eleanor of Aquitaine, a famed 12th century patron of the arts. Eleanor was the richest woman in Europe, and was married successively to King Louis VII of France and King Henry II of England. Her name was actually Alia Enor (literally "another Enor," since her mother was named Enor). Alienor is an elision of Alia Enor. Eleanor was mother to the English Kings Richard the Lionharted and John Lackland, who was forced to sign the Magna Carta in 1215. She is one of the most notable women in European history. |
Elaine Funaro Love, Executive Director
Board of Directors | Advisory Board |
Paul Baerman | Dorothy Freeman |
Mark Firley, Treasurer | Edward Kottick |
Elaine Funaro, Artistic Director | George Lucktenberg |
Jeanne Jennings | Pamela Nash, Manchester, UK |
Charlene M. Reiss, Secretary | Larry Palmer, Dallas, TX |
Bob Upchurch | Florence Peacock, Chapel Hill, NC |
Vicki Willard, President | Emily Mann Peck, Raleigh, NC |