SCOTT ROBBINS

789 Glendalyn Avenue
Spartanburg, SC  29302
(864) 582-9269 (home)
(864) 596-9001 (work)
e-mail: Scott.Robbins@Converse.edu

Scott Robbins' music has been garnering increasing acclaim and recognition in recent years through awards, recordings, and noteworthy performances. Currently, he is Interim Dean of the Department Carroll McDaniel Petrie School of Music at Converse College, where he holds the rank of Associate Professor. From 1995-1998, Scott was Composer-in-Residence at Southwestern Oklahoma State University, where he served as coordinator of music theory and composition. Scott has also taught as an adjunct instructor at Wake Forest University and as an instructor of music theory and assistant director of the new music ensemble at the Florida State University, where he received his D. Mus. degree in composition in 1993 after studying with Ladislav Kubik.

A native of the Blue Ridge Mountains of Boone, North Carolina, Scott began his musical training as a drummer and guitarist in rock bands. He received his formal music education at Wake Forest University, where he studied with Dan Locklair and received his B. A. degree, and at Duke University, where he received the A. M. degree in composition after studying with Stephen Jaffe. In recent years, some of the awards Scott's music has received have included ASCAP's Foundation Grants to Young Composers, ASCAP Standard Awards since 1994, Composers Guild Award of Excellence, NACUSA Young Composers Award, Second International Sergei Prokofiev Composition Competition, and the Dale Warland Singers’ New Choral Works Commission. Performers have included the New York Camerata, Atlanta's Thamyris ensemble, the Czech Radio Symphony, the Dale Warland Singers, and Juilliard faculty hornist William Purvis and the Norfolk Chamber Music Festival Artist-Faculty.

Recordings of Robbins' music include Micro-Symphony by the Warsaw National Philharmonic Orchestra (Jerzey Swoboda, conductor), which was reviewed in the May 1, 2000 issue of Fanfare, was hailed by Classics Today as “a highly original conception,” and is available on MMC Recordings (MMC2075), and The Heart's Trapeze (MMC2107), featuring the Czech Radio Symphony Orchestra (Vladimir Valek, conductor). Future recordings include the string quartet Fortressed House, by the Moyzes Quartet--scheduled for release on MMC Recordings, as well as an upcoming recording of 3 Blues for Cello and Trumpet for Crystal Records.

Scott Robbins' music comprises a variety of vocal and instrumental combinations and is well-received by audiences and musicians. Interested performers and commissioners are heartily encouraged to direct inquiries to the composer.

Representative Works

Orchestral / Band Music

Chaconne (2003) duration: ca. 6 minutes
string orchestra and tubular chimes

Conjure Something Glowing (2001) duration: ca. 14 minutes
orchestra: 3333/4331/timp + 3/cel/hp/strings/chorus

Conundrums (1995) duration: ca. 15 min.
chamber orchestra: 2222 / 2200 / 1 perc / strings: 65432

Conversessional (1999) duration: ca. 5 (to 15!) min.
orchestra: 2222 / 2211 / timp + 1 perc / hp / strings

The Heart's Trapeze (1994) duration: ca. 13 min.
orchestra: 3333 / 4331 / timp + 3 perc / cel / hp / strings
Recorded by the Czech Radio Symphony Orchestra for MMC Recordings
(near beginning - 55 sec.) (near end - 1:08)

Micro-Symphony (1993) duration: ca. 8 min.
orchestra: 3333 / 4331 / timp + 3 perc / hp / strings
Award of Excellence: Composers Guild 26th Annual Composition Contest, 1995
Recorded by the Warsaw National Philharmonic Orchestra MMC Recordings (MMC2075)
(1st movement - 28 sec.)

Q. N. F. (1988-1989) duration: ca. 8 min.
chamber orchestra: 1111 / 1110 / 1 perc / strings

"...the still moment" (1990) duration: ca. 10 min.
orchestra: 2222 / 4331 / timp + 2 perc / pno / hp / strings

Somnambulata, a sleepwalk for wind ensemble (2002) duration: ca. 14 minutes
picc, 2 fl, 2 ob, Eng hn, 2 bn, cbn, picc cl in Eb, 2 cl, Eb alto cl, b cl, 2 alto sax,
ten sax / 4 hn, 3 tpt, 2 tbn, b tbn, eup, tba / cb / pn (cel) / timp + 3 pc

Spooky Does the Bunny-Hop (2001) duration: ca. 10 minutes
chamber orchestra: 2222/2110/timp + 1/cel (or pno)/strings

            First Prize: Loudoun Symphony Orchestra American Composers Competition, 2005

Triptych for Wind Ensemble (1992) duration: ca. 15 min.
3333 / 4331 / timp + 4 perc

Vocal Music

Angel Songs (1994) duration: ca. 10 min.
soprano, violin, cello, celesta/piano
text: Rainer Maria Rilke (English translation by composer)
NACUSA Young Composers Award, 1995
Honorable Mention: Tampa Bay Composers' Forum Composition Contest, 1995

Beat! Beat! Drums! (1991) duration: ca. 12 min.
tenor, trumpet (C), piano, 2 percussion, double bass
text: Walt Whitman

Benedicti Mundi Cordis: A Choral Prayer (1987) duration: ca. 3 min.
SATB chorus
Biblical text (Latin translation by composer)

Benedicti Mundi Cordis: A Choral Prayer (1994) duration: ca. 3 min.
men's chorus (TTBB)
Biblical text (Latin translation by composer)
First Prize in Phi Mu Alpha Choral Composition Contest, 1994

Blue Ridge A Cappella (2004) duration: ca. 12 minutes
female voice and piano
text: Rick Mulkey

Demon and Violets (1999) duration: ca. 12 min.
SSA chorus and piano
texts: Andrew Lansdown; Tomas L. McColt; Kozan Ichikyo; Tomas L. McColt

"the hours rise up" (1989) duration: ca. 26 min.
sop, fl (+ alto), ob (+Eng hn), hn, 2 perc, pno, hp, va, vc, cb
text: E. E. Cummings

The Imprisoned Soul (1991) duration: ca. 9 min.
sop, fl (+ alto), cl (+ bass), perc, vn, vc, pno
text: Walt Whitman
Thamyris Composition Prize, 1994
Honorable Mention - Vocal: Composers Guild 27th Annual Composition Contest, 1996
Recorded for Col Legno - Aurophon Recordings, April, 1993
(1:40)

Lovesick Birds from Appalachia (2000) duration: ca. 10 min.
voice, flute, and oboe
texts: traditional Appalachian folksongs
Commissioned by Christopher and Kelly Vaneman

Lullaby: A Motion Like Sleep (1992) duration: ca. 10 min.
soprano and piano
text: Robert Penn Warren

Name Me This River (1997) duration: ca. 5 min.
SATB chorus
text: Kevin Calder

O God, Our Help in Ages Past/Isaiah 46:9-10 (2000) duration: ca. 5 min.
SATB chorus + organ
Commissioned by Holt Andrews and the First Presbyterian Church Choir, Spartanburg, SC

Silent Night! Holy Night! (1999) duration: ca. 5 min.
SSA chorus + soprano soloist
Commissioned by Susan Lyle and the Converse Chorale and Chamber Singers

Sliver Moon (1995) duration: ca. 6 min.
SATB chorus and piano
text: Tomas L. McColt
Commissioned for the Dale Warland Singers New Choral Music Program
Finalist: G. Schirmer Young Americans Choral Award, 1997
First Prize - Choral: Composers Guild 27th Annual Composition Contest, 1996
Honorable Mention: Roger Wagner Contemporary Choral Competition, 2000

Two Lullabies (2002) duration: ca. 7 minutes
SSA chorus
text: William Blake

Unveiling (2006) duration: ca 4 minutes
SSA chorus
Text: Ruth Forman

Wash Me Gently in the Black Water of Heaven (2002) duration: ca. 6 minutes
SSA chorus and chimes; alternate version for SATB chorus and chimes
text: Beverly Hay

When Jesus Christ was Yet a Child (2004) duration: ca 4 minutes
SATB chorus and recorder

Windblown Secrets Where My Heart Should Be: 5 Songs on Poems by Beverly Hay (2002) duration: ca. 13 minutes
voice and piano

The Wounds We Live In (2001) duration: ca. 12 minutes
voice and piano
text: Rick Mulkey

Chamber Music

3 Blues for Cello and Trumpet (1988/revised 1995) duration: ca. 9 min.
Published by Brazinmusikanta Music
First Prize: Britten-on-the-Bay Composition Competition, 1997
First Prize in Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia (Iota Pi Chapter) Composition Contest, 1996
Recording scheduled by American Chamber Ensemble for release on "4-Tay" recordings
(1st movement - 36 sec.) (3rd movement - 57 sec.)

Adagio (goodbye to Melissa and Matthew) (1995) duration: ca. 6 min.
flute, horn, piano

Antiphonal Fanfare (1996) duration: ca. 3 min.
brass ensemble: 4 hn, 3 tpt, 2 tbn, bass tbn, eup, tba

Approaching Autumn (1993) duration: ca. 12 min.
violin and piano
Wilmer Hayden Welsh Prize in Composition, 1994

Awakening Autumn (2000) duration: ca. 10 min.
clarinet, trumpet, piano, and percussion
Pastiche Composers Award, 2000

Elastic Frequencies (1990 / revised 1995) duration: ca. 17 min.
fl (+ alto), cl (+bass), perc, vn, vc, pno

Fantasy in F Minor (1996) duration: ca. 12 min.
piano solo
Second Prize: Second International Sergei Prokofiev Composition Competition, 1997

Fortressed House (1991) duration: ca. 12 min.
string quartet
ASCAP Foundation Grant to Young Composers, 1992
Honorable Mention: Washington International Competition for Composers, 1994
Honorable Mention - Instrumental: Composers Guild 24th Annual Composition Contest, 1993
Recording scheduled by the Moyzes Quartet for MMC Recordings, 1997

Introitus: on the carol "O come, o come, Emmanuel," (1996) duration: c. 4 min.
tpt, hn, tbn, tba

Latitudes (1991) duration: ca. 7 min.
fl (+ alto), ob (+Eng hn), cl (+ bass), bn, hn / 2 perc / 2 vn, va, vc, cb

Maiden Voyage (1997) duration: ca. 6 min.
piano, marimba, and tape

Moderagilegro (1996) duration: ca. 11 min.
violin and marimba

Monody in Memory of Aaron Copland (1990) duration: ca. 7 min.
piano solo

Pan (1995) duration: ca. 12 min.
10 flutes (incl. picc, 5 alto, and 2 bass)

Percussion Trio #1 (1988 / revised 1996) duration: ca. 4 min.
hi-hat, 2 temple blocks, and 2 tom toms

Percussion Trio #2 (1989 / revised 1995) duration: ca. 4 min.
marimba, timpano, 2 vibraphones

Prelude in B-flat Minor (1996) duration: ca. 4 min.
piano solo

Psychedelic Epigrams (2005) duration: ca. 17 minutes
Flute, oboe, violin, cello, and two pianos

Quartet (“Change of Address”) (2002) duration: ca. 12 minutes
Violin, viola, cello, and piano
Honorable Mention: Red Stick International Composition Competition, 2003

Receding Lullaby (1990) duration: ca. 6 min.
tpt, hn, perc, org

Samba and Epilogue (1993) duration: ca. 9 min.
hn, fl, va, hp
Norfolk National Composition Prize, 1994
Third Prize - Instrumental Music: Composers Guild 27th Annual Composition Contest, 1996

the sky, waiting (.to get cloudy) (1987) duration: ca. 5 min.
guitar duo

Sonata for Flute and Oboe (1999) duration: ca. 10 min.
Commissioned by Christopher and Kelly Vaneman

Suite for Viol Consort (1997) duration: ca. 10 min.
treble viol, tenor viol, viola da gamba

Trio for Violin, Cello, and Piano ("Address") (1999) duration: ca. 14 min.

Two Movements for Marimba (1998) duration: ca. 10 min.
marimba solo

W.W.M.D.? (1995) duration: ca. 13 min.
flute soloist, 2 ob, 2 cl, 2 hn, 2 bn
Commissioned by the National Flute Association
Second Prize - Instrumental Music: Composers Guild 26th Annual Composition Contest, 1995

Film Music

The Clearing (1991)
CINE-Eagle Award of the Committee on International Non-Theatrical Events

Cross and Water Music (1990)
Third Prize - Jazz: Composers Guild 26th Annual Composition Contest, 1995

The Year of the Rat (1992)
MIDI soundtrack by composer

Notes

3 Blues for Cello and Trumpet
This is a not-at-all subtle transference of the blues to a chamber music setting. The first movement is a dreary, sleazy movement for cello and harmon-muted trumpet, while the boisterous second movement suggests a 12-bar blues harmonic progression. The final movement is very tonal and tuneful, featuring a lovely, Gershwin and Glenn Miller-inspired melody.
(1st movement - 36 sec.) (3rd movement - 57 sec.)

Adagio (goodbye to Melissa and Matthew)
This is a trio version of the third movement of my flute concerto, Pervertimento. Written as a farewell to two of my family's good friends in Tallahassee, Florida, this very tender and lyrical movement features prominently Melissa and Matthew's instruments, the flute and the horn.

Angel Songs
Rilke's Duino Elegies provide the texts for these three songs for the heavenly ensemble of soprano, violin, cello, and celesta. The vision of angels here is hardly new-aged, representing instead the idea of angelic visitations as awe-inspiring, and even bordering on terrifying ("Every angel is terrible!"). The final song here acknowledge the human predicament of seeking to communicate with the angels and at the same time recognizing their unfathomable nature.

Antiphonal Fanfare
Commissioned for the Southwestern Oklahoma State University Brass Ensemble as a feature on the 1996 music department Christmas concert. This relatively short fanfare utilizes stereophonic effects created by spatial positioning of the players.

Approaching Autumn
Subtitled "Fantasy-duo for Violin and Piano," this work employs a rondo-like organization to its five connected movements. Although there are some stormy and aggressive moments here, a very gentle and meditative mood dominates most of this work.

Awakening Autumn
A sort of "sequel" to "Approaching Autumn" (guess what time of year these pieces were written).  This piece is certainly similar in mood to its predecessor, again going for a tranquil, reflective, almost neo-Impressionistic mood. Two trio versions exist--one for clarinet, trumpet, and piano, and another for clarinet, English horn, and piano--as well as a quartet version (clarinet, trumpet, percussion, and piano) which received the 2000 Pastiche Composers Award.

Beat! Beat! Drums!
This work was written from late January through early March of 1991 - basically the exact same time span as the Gulf War. :The text, which is taken from Whitman's collection, Drum Taps, focuses upon the disruptive horror of war, where families and communities are torn apart by warlike hostilities. In addition to its dramatic musical style, this work is also somewhat theatrical, incorporating offstage performers, etc.

Benedicti Mundi Cordis: A Choral Prayer
A short, a capella work, utilizing related Latin texts from two different sections of the New Testament: "Blessed are the pure of heart, for they shall see God. Blessed are they who have not seen, yet have believed."

Benedicti Mundi Cordis: A Choral Prayer
An arrangement for male voices of the above work.

The Clearing
This 1991 film about an African-American boy, an old man, and an approaching hurricane received the CINE-Eagle Award of the Committee on International Non-Theatrical Events and has received several screenings and awards at national and international festivals. The blues and gospel-influenced soundtrack features a West African drum ensemble, gospel singers from Tallahassee, Florida, and occasional slide guitar and harmonica by the composer.

Conundrums
co•nun•drum: a question or problem having only a conjectural answer
Conundrums is inspired by the philosophical query which asks, "Which is stronger: the immovable object or the irresistible force?" By rearranging the nouns and objects of this query, two new formations are produced which provide the musical basis for the two movements of this composition: the relentless immovable force and the sensual irresistible object.

Conversessional
Written for the Converse Sinfonietta to perform at Convocations, Inaugurations, and other ceremonial gatherings, this processional/recessional is based loosely and provocatively on the Converse College alma mater (get it?--"Converse" + "Pro/recessional" = "Conversessional").

Cross and Water Music
A film scoring project that went on to have a life of its own. This short movement is scored for English horn/oboe, trumpet, electric bass, piano, and Latin percussion.

Demon and Violets
Written for the Converse Chamber Singers 1999 European tour. The title is taken from a watercolor by Nishi Oshu, and the texts are all stylized 17-syllable haiku. The haiku texts come from a variety of sources: Australian poet Andrew Lansdown, a death-poem by Kozan Ichikyo (adapted to  haiku format by me), and two haiku written expressly for this work (and inspired by Oshu's watercolor) by Tomas McColt. In addition to women's voices and piano, these atmospheric settings utilize bells and prayer stones (played by the singers) and coloristic piano devices such as pedal effects and string muting.

Elastic Frequencies
A set of two themes and simultaneous variations for Pierrot ensemble plus one percussionist. In addition to the themes, this piece contains three variations featuring the full ensemble - a rock and roll variation, a pretty variation, and a minimalist-style variation - which are connected by two short linking movements.

Fantasy in F Minor
A solo piano fantasy, written in true grand Romantic style. The texture of this work is quite full and opulent, and technically the piece has some very demanding, quasi-virtuosic passages, in addition to passages of great simplicity and lyricism.

Fortressed House
A traditional, four movement string quartet, incorporating suggestions of post-tonal music, jazz, romanticism, minimalism, and rock and roll.

The Heart's Trapeze
Written for the Czech Radio Symphony, The Heart's Trapeze is inspired by a passage from Prague-born poet Rainer Maria Rilke's Duino Elegies: "Angel, suppose there was a place.where lovers perform their showy, daring acts upon the heart's trapeze.." Beginning as a fast, bravura orchestral feature, the work ultimately ends with a beautiful, ethereal atmosphere.
(beginning - 55 sec.) (near end - 1:08)

"the hours rise up"
My masters thesis at Duke, "the hours rise up" is an extended setting of an E. E. Cummings poem. Written for soprano and a 10-member chamber ensemble, this work groups Cummings' poetic description of a day into four separate songs linked by instrumental interludes.

The Imprisoned Soul
A tender, haunting setting for soprano and Pierrot ensemble (plus percussion) of Whitman's The Last Invocation. The poem's metaphor of the soul trapped inside the body and seeking escape is mirrored by the ensemble's members' "escaping" their traditional musical roles: the soprano also plays a instrumental role through her occasional percussion parts, and the instrumentalists provide vocal effects via humming and whispering.
(1:40)

Introitus: on the carol "O come, o come, Emmanuel,"
Commissioned for the Southwestern Oklahoma State University Faculty Brass Quartet for the 1996 music department Christmas concert.

Latitudes
A short, single-movement work in which a kinetic middle section is enclosed by slow, mysterious outer sections. The idea for the single-player instrumentation of this work is taken from Schönberg's Chamber Symphony, Opus 9, while the approach to pitch symmetry and register is inspired by the works of Edgard Varese.

Lovesick Birds from Appalachia
Commissioned by my colleagues, Chris and Kelly Vaneman, for a performance at St. Patrick's Cathedral (NYC), this setting consists of four traditional Appalachian folktunes for soprano accompanied by flute and/or oboe. The texts of the four songs reflect admirably the ever-popular folksong subjects of heartache, heartbreak, heartsickness, and hard-heartedness. Additionally, each song uses the image of a bird (cuckoo, dove, goose, or sparrow) to convey its message. These three unifying factors--geography, subject matter, and imagery--provide the title for the work.

Lullaby: A Motion Like Sleep
A setting of a wonderful poem by Robert Penn Warren, written in 1992 to commemorate the then-impending birth of my first child. This lullaby invokes a hushed, nocturnal atmosphere, and calls for skillful whistling from the vocalist.

Maiden Voyage
My first composition for electronic sounds and live performers. Written for David and Marti Bessinger to inaugurate David's new low-C marimba, this work features antiphonal effects from the two live performers and the recorded sounds. In addition to being very lively and rhythmic, there are some rather mysterious and ethereal moments in this work.

Micro-Symphony
Written during the 1992 elections, this piece also carried the working title "Sound-bite Symphony." The idea here is to revisit the grand Romantic symphony, formally and experientially, within a 7-8 minute timeframe. The listener is confronted not only with the same type and order of movements standardized since the symphonies of Beethoven, but also with those movements' corresponding dramatic impact. This is an exciting, fast-paced work, quite lyrical and lovely in places, which even features "micro-quotations" from all nine Beethoven symphonies.
(1st movement - 28 sec.)

Moderagilegro
A three-in-one movement work, consisting of a fast-slow-fast design: moderato, adagio, and allegro. This work runs an emotional range from funky to tranquil.

Monody in Memory of Aaron Copland
Written during the four days immediately following the death of one of my favorite composers. This elegy (which derives its primary musical ideas from a chord featured in Appalachian Spring) evokes the spirit of Copland found not only in his popular works, but also in his introspective compositions.

Name Me This River
An a capella work, based on a passage from Kevin Calder's short story of the same title.  An aura of tranquil beauty pervades this piece whose flowing lines evoke an ancient river..

O God, Our Help in Ages Past/Isaiah 46:9-10
Director Holt Andrews commissioned this work for the choir at Spartanburg's First Presbyterian Church (my church). He requested a setting of "O God, Our Help in Ages Past," which he referred to as a "signal hymn of Christianity" which, oddly, has few (if any) settings outside of the Isaac Watts original. I began work on the piece in late 1999, when Y-2K seemed to be causing some people anxiety. Because of this, I began to see the text of "O God, Our Help…" as an antidote to the millennial fever taking hold on parts of the radio, television, and print media. The interpolation of the text from Isaiah, which emphasizes God's sovereignty and omniscience, followed as a logical outgrowth of the anti-Y2K idea I wished to convey.

Pan
The title refers not only to the pipe-playing mythological character, but also to the stereophonic effect of panning sounds from right to left and vice versa. The ten-player work features multiple flutes, with different players being called to double on either C flute, alto, piccolo, or bass flute. Five movements (two for reduced instrumental forces) constitute this 12 minute work.

Percussion Trio #1
This is easily my most performed work - a short, minimalist trio for high-hat cymbals, two temple blocks, and two tom toms. This energetic piece makes a great concert opener.

Percussion Trio #2
This "sequel" to Percussion Trio #1 reflects my discovery of more complex musical processes. Even though this work has a very minimalist feel to it, the actual polymetric process which governs this piece is full of change. My discovery of the music of Oliver Messiaen also is evident in this work, with its emphasis on mallet percussion (it's scored for marimba and two vibraphones), non-retrogradable rhythms, and holy numbers.

Prelude in B-flat Minor
The glorious, ever-fresh harmonic progressions utilized by Bach in the Well-Tempered Clavier provided the inspiration for this contemporary approach to extended harmonic functions and voice-leading.

Q. N. F.
Q. N. F. is short for "quinti non face," a Fuxian rejoinder literally meaning "don't make fifths." It refers to the long-standing contrapuntal dictum prohibiting the writing of parallel fifths, and provided me with the semi-rebellious notion of writing a work based entirely on parallel fifths. Written in an arch like form, the piece progresses from pastoral tranquility to frenzied quasi-minimalism and back.

Receding Lullaby
This is the recessional my wife and I used at our wedding. Scored for horn, trumpet, percussion, and organ, this is based on the melody of an original lullaby.

Samba and Epilogue
This single-movement work is n excellent feature for horn, accompanied by the trio of flute, viola, and harp. A funky, Latin-rhythm filled opening section leads to the moving C-flat major epilogue.

Silent Night! Holy Night!
Commissioned by my colleague Susan Lyle for the choral groups at Converse College, this lovely setting for a capella women's voices (SSA) preserves the tranquil mood of the traditional Christmas carol. The final two verses feature an impressive coloratura obligato.

the sky, waiting (.to get cloudy)
An atmospheric, raga-inspired guitar duo.

Sliver Moon
Commissioned and premiered by the Dale Warland Singers, this work utilizes a text by poet Tomas L. McColt of Tallahassee, Florida. A prominent and challenging piano part helps contribute to the eerie, nocturnal atmosphere of this piece.

Sonata for Flute and Oboe
Commissioned by Chris and Kelly Vaneman for premiere performance at the 1999 International Double Reed Conference. This falls into a traditional three movement, fast-slow-fast format. The first movement is a snappy fanfare, the second movement a lyrical, brooding aria. The final movement, "Spooky Does the Bunny-Hop," is inspired by my daughter India's pet cat, who occasionally (and not necessarily willingly) has been known to dance this ever-popular dance.

"...the still moment"
Based on a lovely passage from Clyde Edgerton's novel Walking Across Egypt, in which the author describes an old woman witnessing an eastern North Carolina sunrise. Scored for a modest-sized orchestra, this piece is quite evocative and richly colored in its instrumentation.

Suite for Viol Consort
A contemporary Baroque suite for treble, tenor, and bass viols. The four movements include a French overture which utilizes a sogetto cavato on the name B-A-C-H-A-R-A-C-H (as in Burt), a gavotte in 7/8 meter, a tender sarabande, and a driving finale.

Trio for Violin, Cello, and Piano ("Address")
This is the first thing I wrote after moving to Spartanburg. It's a sort of celebration of how happy I was to be in a new place, with new (highly talented) colleagues, and a new house. In fact, the street number of that new house--789--provided some of materials for this work. The piece follows the layout of a three movement sonata cycle, in which the first movement, "7-8-9," is a funky, up-tempo movement, while the second movement is an achingly sad and beautiful chaconne. The final movement is a furious rondo based on the thematic materials from the first two movements.

Triptych for Wind Ensemble
My doctoral dissertation at Florida State, written for orchestral winds with a large percussion section. The three panels of this triptych are the majestic, fanfare-like first movement, a short, wacky scherzo (dedicated to the then-unborn baby my wife and I conceived around that time), and a vaporous, mysterious final movement.

Two Movements for Marimba
Another work I wrote for my friend, colleague, and marimbist-extraordinaire David Bessinger and his low-C marimba.  The two movements here take the respective forms of a tranquil prelude and an energetic rondo-toccata.

The Year of the Rat
The soundtrack for this comedy is primarily midi-produced, with occasional jazz piano. Elements of Stravinsky, Bernard Hermann, and Looney Tunes all coalesce to form the musical materials here.

W.W.M.D.? (What Would Mozart Do?)
Do not be fooled by the provocative title here: this is actually a very upstanding piece of music. Commissioned for the National Flute Association in 1995, these four movements represent a late-twentieth century revisiting of the Mozartean divertimento for wind instruments. The first movement, Allegro gravoso metallico, is influenced by visceral heavy metal, and the second movement is a fast, ironic scherzo for flute and two bassoons. The third movement is one of the most beautiful movements I have ever written and has gone on to have a life separate from this piece as well [see the note for Adagio (goodbye to Melissa and Matthew)]. The minimalist-type closing movement develops into a rousing finale for this spirited, accessible composition.

Professional Experience

Interim Dean, The Carroll McDaniel Petrie School of Music, 2006-present
Assistant Dean, The Carroll McDaniel Petrie School of Music, 2005-2006
Chair, Department of Music History, Theory, and Composition: The Carroll McDaniel Petrie School of Music, Converse College, October 1999 - 2005
Op-ed Article: "Left Behind on Abbey Road," printed in the Charlotte Observer, September 23, 2002 (http://www.charlotte.com/mld/observer/news/4131691.htm)
Assistant Professor of Music Theory and Composition: School of Music, Converse College, September 1998 - September 1999
Assistant Professor: Composer-in-Residence and Coordinator of Composition and Music Theory, Southwestern Oklahoma State University, Weatherford, Oklahoma, August 1995 - May 1998
Visiting Composer-in-Residence: Sound America! American Music Week Festival, Wichita State University, Wichita, Kansas, August 1995
Paper Presentation: Pitch Symmetry and Intervallic Relationships in "Quiero Dormir el Sueno de las Manzanas" from George Crumb's Madrigals, Book III: Music Theory Southeast (MTSE) Annual Forum, Davidson College, Davidson, NC, March 1999
Paper Presentation: Pitch Symmetry and Intervallic Relationships in "Quiero Dormir el Sueno de las Manzanas" from George Crumb's Madrigals, Book III: SCI Region VI Annual Conference, University of Texas at Arlington, Arlington, TX, February, 1998
Paper Presentation: Pitch Symmetry and Intervallic Relationships in "Quiero Dormir el Sueno de las Manzanas" from George Crumb's Madrigals, Book III: Oklahoma Music Theory Roundtable Annual Conference, East Central University, Ada, Oklahoma, October, 1997
Adjudicator: South Carolina MTNA Student Composition Competition, 1999
Adjucation Committee: SCI/ASCAP Young Composers Award, SCI Region VI, 1998
Chair, Adjudication Committee: MTNA Student Composition Competition, South Central Division, 1995
Preliminary Juror: Ladislav Kubik International Prize in Composition, May - June 1995
Secretary: Czech-American Summer Music Institute, June - July 1995
Adjunct Instructor: Florida State University, Department of Music Theory/Contemporary Media Program, August 1993 - May 1995
Assistant Director: Florida State University New Music Ensemble, August 1991 - May 1995.
Graduate Assistant: Florida State University, Department of Music Theory, August 1990 - 1993.
Adjunct Instructor: Wake Forest University, Spring 1990.
Founding Member: Tallahassee Composers Guild, 1992 - 1993
Private Composition Instructor: Tallahassee, Florida 1992 - 1995

Educational Background

Doctor of Music The Florida State University 1993
Master of Arts Duke University 1989
Bachelor of Arts (cum laude) Wake Forest University 1987
Principal teachers: Edward Applebaum, Stephen Jaffe, Ladislav Kubik, Thomas Oboe Lee, and Dan Locklair
Master classes with Samuel Adler, William Bolcolm, Michael Colgrass, Karel Husa, Jonathan Kramer, Libby Larsen, Jeffrey Mumford, Joan Tower, and Ellen Taaffe Zwilich

Awards

O’Herron Faculty Excellence Award, 2005
South Carolina Music Teachers’ Association Composers Commission, 2005
Loudoun Symphony Orchestra American Composers Competition, 2004
Converse College Faculty Creative Achievement Award, 2003
Composers Guild 33rd Annual Composition Contest, 1st Prize -- Vocal Music, 2002
American Music Center Margaret Fairbank Jory Copying Assistance Program, 2001
South Carolina Music Teachers’ Association Composers Commission, 2001
American Composers Forum/Plymouth Music Series Orchestral Reading Project, 2001
Greater Boston Choral Consortium Composition Contest (2nd Prize), 2000
Pastiche Composers Award, 2000
Roger Wagner Contemporary Choral Award (Honorable Mention), 2000
Old Dominion University Southeastern Composers Competition (finalist), 2000
Gregg Smith Singers New Choral Works Reading Session, 1998
Second International Sergei Prokofiev Composition Competition, 2nd Prize, 1997
G. Schirmer Young Americans Choral Award (finalist), 1997
Britten-on-the-Bay Composition Competition, 1997
Composers Guild 27th Annual Composition Contest, 1st Prize - Choral Music, 1996
Composers Guild 27th Annual Composition Contest, 3rd Prize - Instrumental Music, 1996
Composers Guild 27th Annual Composition Contest, Honorable Mention - Vocal Music, 1996
Dale Warland Singers New Choral Music Program, 1996
ASCAP Standard Award, 2006-2007 distribution year
ASCAP Standard Award, 2005-2006 distribution year
ASCAP Standard Award, 2004-2005 distribution year
ASCAP Standard Award, 2003-2004 distribution year
ASCAP Standard Award, 2002-2003 distribution year
ASCAP Standard Award, 2001-2002 distribution year
ASCAP Standard Award, 2000-2001 distribution year
ASCAP Standard Award, 1999-2000 distribution year
ASCAP Standard Award, 1998-1999 distribution year
ASCAP Standard Award, 1997-1998 distribution year
ASCAP Standard Award, 1996-1997 distribution year
ASCAP Standard Award, 1995-1996 distribution year
ASCAP Standard Award, 1994-1995 distribution year
Phi Mu Alpha Composition Contest, (Iota Pi Chapter), First Prize, 1996
Composers Guild 26th Annual Composition Contest, Award of Excellence, 1995
Composers Guild 26th Annual Composition Contest, 2nd Prize - Instrumental Music, 1995
Composers Guild 26th Annual Composition Contest, 3rd Prize - Jazz Music, 1995
17th Annual NACUSA Young Composers' Competition, First Prize, 1995
Tampa Bay Composers' Forum Composition Competition, Honorable Mention, 1995
Florida Individual Artist Fellowship Program, Florida Department of State, 1994-1995
Norfolk National Composition Prize, Yale Summer School of Music, 1994
Thamyris Composition Prize, 1994
Wilmer Hayden Welsh Prize in Composition, 1994
Washington International Competition for Composers, Honorable Mention, 1994
Phi Mu Alpha Composition Contest, First Prize, 1994
Composers Guild Composition Contest, Honorable Mention - Orchestral Music, 1993
Composers Guild Composition Contest, Honorable Mention - Instrumental Music, 1993
ASCAP Grants to Young Composers, 1992
CINE-Eagle Award of the Committee on International Non-Theatrical Events, film The Clearing, 1992
Mary Duke Biddle Fellowship in Music, Duke University: August 1988-December 1989
Wake Forest Competitions in 20th-Century Music, First Prize (guitar performance), 1987

Recordings

Sonata for Flute and Oboe, by Ensemble Radieuse on Inbox, (KCMK1001)
3 Blues to be recorded by Ismael Betancor,2006, for Crystal Records
The Heart's Trapeze by Czech Radio Symphony Orchestra, 1996, MMC Recordings (MMC2107)
Fortressed House by the Moyzes Quartet, 1997, for MMC Recordings
Micro-Symphony by Warsaw National Philharmonic Orchestra, 1994, MMC Recordings (MMC2075)
The Imprisoned Soul by the Florida State New Music Ensemble, 1993, for Col Legno - Aurophon Recordings