The Composers
ERIC WHITACRE
An accomplished composer, conductor, and lecturer, Eric Whitacre is one of the bright stars in contemporary concert music. Regularly commissioned and published, Whitacre has received numerous composition awards, as well as a Grammy nomination. The American Record Guide named his first recording, The Music of Eric Whitacre, one of the top ten classical albums in 1997. His 28 published works have sold well over 100,000 copies worldwide. Whitacre received his M.M. in composition from The Juilliard School, where he studied composition with Pulitzer Prize-winner John Corigliano.
STEVEN BRYANT
Steven Bryant is quickly becoming recognized as a talented and unconventional young composer. His musical interests span a variety of styles. His catalog includes works for wind ensemble and orchestra, electronic and electro-acoustic creations, music for chamber ensembles, and music for the Web.
Steven's music has been commissioned, performed, and recorded by many of the very best ensembles from across the United States, as well as in England, Japan, Australia, and Germany. Steven studied composition with John Corigliano at The Juilliard School, Cindy McTee at the University of North Texas, and Francis McBeth at Ouachita University.
JONATHAN NEWMAN
Jonathan Newman composes music rich with rhythmic drive and intricate sophistication. A recipient of the Charles Ives Scholarship from the American Academy of Arts and Letters, Newman creates broadly colored musical works, often incorporating styles of pop, blues, jazz, folk, and funk into otherwise classical models. Recent performances have been by Alarm Will Sound, Chicago Youth Symphony Orchestra, and Avian Music. His works for winds, including Moon by Night, 2003 winner of the bi-annual NEA/Merrill Jones Composition Award, have been performed and recorded worldwide. He holds degrees from Boston University's School for the Arts and The Juilliard School, where his principal teacher was John Corigliano.
JIM BONNEY
A highly versatile musician and composer, Jim Bonney finds himself composing in a wide variety of styles, creating everything from avant-garde symphonic orchestral scores to traditional jazz big-band charts; as well as all styles of pop, rock, world-beat, and contemporary electronica. He has also scored numerous short films, documentaries, commercials, videos, and television programs, including "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" and "The Weekenders". Jim studied at USC's Advanced Studies program in "Scoring for Motion Picture and Television" and the ASCAP Film Composer's Workshop, and graduated from the Cleveland Institute of Music with a double degree in Classical Guitar Performance and Audio Recording Technology.