Gabel has written numerous concert hall works for many different combinations of instruments and voices, with and without electro-acoustic accompaniments and/or enhancements.  He also creates mixed-media works alone and with collaborators, using musique concrete and poetry, frequently his own, some of which has been published apart from its use in contemporary performance pieces and more traditional settings for singers.

Gabel studied music composition with Tomas Svoboda and Derek Healey, and poetry writing with Ralph Salisbury.  Awards include a University of Akron NEOTUBA-UATE Prize for a new work for euphonium & strings, an Oregon State Poetry Association Prize and two composer residencies at the Ernest Bloch Festival at Newport, Oregon.  Commissions have come from The Jerome Foundation for The Dale Warland Singers, the Bunkyo University Symphonic Wind Orchestra and Seattle's Bumbershoot Festival of the Arts.
 
In the past decade Jack Gabel's work has become infused with widely varied ethnic and ancient colors and motives, most notably those of the ancient, native cultures of North America.

Recent performances include Dream of Wakiash on The University of Brazil's Open Air Electro-acoustic Performances Series '95, Lion Hunt Dream by The Ancia Saxophone Quartet at The Berlin Contemporary Music Festival '95, Echo's Farewell from his Hellenic Triptych for processed viola and digital electro-acoustics by Rozanna Weinberger at Dicapo Opera Theatre's 'Blackjacks IV,' New York '96, Sounding the Furies for solo alto saxophone and digital electro-acoustics, by Tom Bergeron and Electric in the Night for solo processed piano and digital electro-acoustics by Art Maddox, both on the Seventh Species Seventh Season Kick-off Mini-tour, Portland, Monmouth and Eugene, Oregon '97.

Recorded works include Hellenic Triptych for processed viola and digital electro-acoustics on the CD titled PASSION, music for viola solo, with piano & processed w/digital electro-acoustics by Rozanna Weinberger, viola &  Evelyne Luest, piano; North Pacific Music,  CD 1996,  the full-length recording TURTLE ISLAND DREAMS -- TURTLE ISLAND DANCES, a collection of electro-acoustic tone poems on Native American songs, dances and chants; North Pacific Music,  CD 1995,  and soon to be released on the MMC label, Whale Hunt Dream for solo viola and full orchestra, featuring soloist Karen Dreyfus with the Silesian Philharmonic, Jerzey Svoboda conducting -- a tone poem on the shamanic aspects of the whale hunting tradition of the Makah tribe of Neah Bay, Washington.

Last modified July 12, 1998