Eric WHITACRE (b.1970)
Born
in 1970, Eric Whitacre received his M.M. in composition from the Juilliard
School of Music, studying with John Corigliano and David Diamond. Today, Eric
Whitacre is one of the bright stars in contemporary concert music, and has
quickly become a much commissioned, published and performed choral and symphonic
composer, as well as an accomplished conductor and clinician. In addition, he
also writes for the motion pictures and has a Grammy nomination to his name.
Eric Whitacre has received composition awards from ASCAP, the Barlow
International Foundation and the American Composers Forum. His Cloudburst,
for mixed chorus, piano, hand bells and percussion, received first prize in the
American Choral Directors Association's "Composers of the Future"
competition.
Internationally,
Eric Whitacre conducted the first of an annual series of wind symphony concerts
in Tokyo, Japan, and was named music director of the Narashino Wind Consortium.
Across
the United States, Eric Whitacre has conducted, played in, or assisted over 30
musical theater and operetta productions. He has served as chorus master for the
Nevada Symphony Orchestra and his guest conducting appearances include the San
Francisco Symphony Chorus, the Gregg Smith Singers and the Miami Children's
Chorus. He is currently Composer-In-Residence with the Pacific choral,
California.
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