Composer News and Content:
I have been named the recipient of the James E. Croft Grant for Young and Emerging Wind Band Composers for the 2nd time! This grant includes a consortium commission to compose a piece for the 15 member-schools of the Atlantic Coast Conference. As recipient of this award, I will be creating a wind ensemble transcription of my orchestral piece Vicarious - a work that alludes to the joys of fatherhood that I dedicated to my son Oliver.
My choral work A Slumber Did My Spirit Seal is now available for purchase on Murphy Music Press here!
My orchestral piece Cerulean Embers and a truncated version titled Cerulean Fanfare are now both available for purchase on Murphy Music Press here!
My work for Two Pianos and Chamber Orchestra titled Earning Immunity was premiered at Nicholls State University under my direction!
View the performance here:
My new Grade 2 band work Skyline Chase has been published by Murphy Music Press! You can view and purchase this new work here.
View the performance here:
Trombonist John Rojak premiered my work On Second Thought for bass trombone and strings at the 2022 Colorado College Summer Music Festival!
My new work Confronting Chaos was premiered at the 2022 South Regional CBDNA Conference by the Nicholls Wind Ensemble! You can listen to the recording, peruse the score, or purchase a digital copy of the work here, or you can purchase a printed version on Murphy Music Press here.
I had the privilige of conducting the Nicholls State University Wind Ensemble for the premiere of Confronting Chaos as pictured below:
I was awarded the ASCAP Morton Gould Young Composer Award in May 2021! You can see ASCAP’s press release here:
You can also view New Music Box’s article on the award here:
In December 2020 I was awarded honorable mention in the Middle School Division of the First Annual Barbara Buehlman Composition Competition for my piece titled Gregorian Fantasy. This competition is associated with the Midwest Clinic and is a great honor!
In February 2020, the Nicholls State University Wind Ensemble, under the direction of Dr. Jason Ladd, premiered Surging Home. Their performance can be viewed here:
Surging Home is the result of a consortium project organized by Dr. Jason Ladd of Nicholls State University. Other members include:
Clemson University – Timothy Hurlburt, Assistant Director of Bands
Syracuse University – Dr. Bradley Ethington, Director of University Bands
The University of California Berkeley – Dr. Matthew Sadowski, Director of Bands
H. L. Bourgeois Symphonic Winds – Director Tyler Wiggins
Thibodaux High School – Brian Dupuis, Director of Bands
I am excited to announce that I have been published by Murphy Music Press, LLC! As the Lights Go Out for wind ensemble and electronics and Open/Close for saxophone quartet are now available for purchase:
On January 11, 2020 the Fuego Saxophone Quartet performed Open/Close at the 42nd International Saxophone Symposium in Fairfax, Virginia. Here is a video (with score) of their performance:
On January 10, 2020 the Atlantic Reed Consort performed Midair Exhibition at the 42nd International Saxophone Symposium in Fairfax, Virginia. Here is a video (with score) of their performance:
The Atlantic Reed Consort premiered my work titled Midair Exhibition in November 2019 at the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C. They will perform my work again in January 2020 at the International Saxophone Symposium. Learn more about this incredible ensemble here:
Fuego, an award-winning saxophone quartet, will be premiering Open/Close, a multi-movement work tackling issues of mental health at the International Saxophone Symposium to be held at George Mason University in Fairfax, Virginia in January 2020. They will perform the work again in March 2020 at the North American Saxophone Alliance 2020 Biennial Conference to be held at Arizona State University in Tempe, Arizona. Learn more about this dynamic ensemble here:
My piece Cold Solstice for String Orchestra grapples with the mental anguish that winter causes me every year:
My piece Electronic Etude No.2 - Swing Reflections was performed at New Music on the Bayou!
View the performance here:
Please enjoy and follow along with my work Confronting Chaos for Flexible Band Instrumentation:
Please enjoy and follow along with my newest work for orchestra Vicarious:
Enjoy this beautiful performance of MASS for Voiceless Numbers as performed by the Atlanta Chamber Players:
Enjoy my composition for fixed media titled Midi Etude No. 1 - “Uplifted”:
Here is an interview from when I was a national finalist in the Rapido! Composition Competition. Rapido! is a speed-writing composition competition, and I have been named a national finalist twice!
I took part in the 2019 National Band Association Young Composer and Conductor Project! This exciting project took place in Washington, D.C. in June where I was mentored by composers Frank Ticheli, Mark Camphouse, and Brian Balmages. My piece As the Lights Go Out was performed by the United States Air Force Band under the direction of Giovani Briguente. Additionally, I had the privilege of working with conductors Paula Crider, Linda Moorhouse and Colonel Don Schofield.
More Information: https://nationalbandassociation.org/mentor-projects/
Enjoy Eric Dluzniewski’s beautiful performance of Serenade for Euphonium and Piano:
The Virginia Tech Wind Ensemble, under the direction of Jonathan Caldwell, premiered my work As the Lights Go Out for wind ensemble and electronics on February 24, 2019 at the Moss Arts Center in Blacksburg, VA. I couldn’t be happier with their performance! Their performance was the first as a consortium member of the ACCBDA James E. Croft Grant for Young and Emerging Wind Band Composers. More information on the grant can be found here:
https://music.fsu.edu/james-e-croft-grant-young-and-emerging-wind-band-composers