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Musical artist
Sean Friar (born 1985 in
Los Angeles, California ) is an American composer and pianist. He currently lives in
Denver, Colorado .
[1]
Biography
Sean Friar was born and raised in Los Angeles. He studied Music Composition and Psychology at UCLA where he graduated in 2007. He continued his studies at Princeton University, where he received an M.F.A. and Ph.D. in Composition. His primary teachers were
Paul Chihara ,
Paul Lansky ,
Steven Mackey , and
Dmitri Tymoczko .
Friar has been commissioned by the
Los Angeles Philharmonic ,
Ensemble Modern ,
New World Symphony ,
Alarm Will Sound ,
American Composers Orchestra ,
NOW Ensemble , the
Cabrillo Festival of Contemporary Music ,
Present Music , and the
Scharoun Ensemble of the Berlin Philharmonic. Other performers of his music include
So Percussion ,
Ensemble Klang ,
Crash Ensemble ,
Psappha New Music Ensemble , Alter Ego,
Ensemble Argento , and many others.
Friar is the recipient of the 2011
Rome Prize in Music Composition.
[2] He serves as the chair of the composition department at the
Lamont School of Music at the
University of Denver and was previously on the Music Composition faculty at the
USC Thornton School of Music .
Concert Works
Friar's music is known for its propulsive energy,
[3] adventurous orchestration,
[4] and sense of humor.
[5]
Wind Ensemble
2017 "Dynamics" for solo cello and chamber winds.
2023 "Bassoon Concerto" for solo bassoon and wind ensemble.
Orchestra/Large Ensemble
2009 "Out of Line" for chamber orchestra
2011 "Clunker Concerto" for percussion quartet on junk car parts and chamber orchestra
2013 "Noise Gate" for orchestra
2013 "In the Blue" for sinfonietta
2015 "Finding Time" for sinfonietta
2019 "Emerald Oasis" for orchestra
Solo Music
2010 "Teaser" for solo cello
2010 "Oboemobo" for solo oboe and effects pedals
2012 "Wind-up Etude" for solo piano
2016 "Chrysalis" for soloist on piano and percussion
2018 "Elastic Loops" for solo piano (composed 2007, revised 2018)
2023 "Two Solitudes" for solo piano (composed 2012, revised 2023)
Chamber Music
2006 "Hell-Bent" for violin, cello, and piano
2008 "Little Green Pop" for two saxophones, trombone, electric guitar, piano, percussion, and sound engineer
2008 "String Quartet"
2009 "Velvet Hammer" for flute, clarinet, electric guitar, piano, and bass
2009 "Scale 9" for clarinet, violin, cello, piano, and percussion (also versions with flute and viola)
2010 "Fighting Words" for soprano, clarinet, electric guitar, violin, cello, percussion, drum kit, and piano
2010 "Short Winds" for woodwind quintet (alternate version for saxophone quartet)
2012 "One-Way Trip" for clarinet, horn, two violins, viola, cello, bass, and piano
2012 "Mezereon" for English horn and prepared piano
2013 "Breaking Point" for clarinet, trumpet, electric guitar, two violins, viola, cello, bass, percussion, and piano
2014 "Two Solitudes" for flute, viola, and harp
2014 "Four Streets" for percussion quartet
2015 "Shades" for alto sax and piano
2015 "Mezereon" for alto sax and piano
2016 "Kindly Reply" for brass quintet
2016 "Come Again" for two pianos
2019 "Before and After" for flute, clarinet, electric guitar, piano, and bass
2020 "Fit" for two digital pianos with dynamic microtonal pitch-mapping (using
Pianoteq software)
2022 "Impulse Control" for two clarinets and piano.
Electronic
2008 "Boomdinger" for percussion quartet and laptop orchestra. (Collaboration with composer, Cameron Britt.)
Awards
Recordings
References
External links
International National Artists