D. J. Sparr
Encyclopedia
D. J. Sparr is an American composer and guitarist
fluent in both classical and vernacular musical styles. He has performed with the Fondazione Arturo Toscanini, Eastman's
"Musica Nova" Contemporary Music Ensemble
, pop bands, and as a studio musician. D. J. premiered Michael Daugherty's electric guitar concerto with the Alabama Symphony in March, 2008. He was the classical guitar soloist for his own "Guitar Folio" with the University of Michigan
Chamber
Orchestra and recently performed Steve Reich's
Electric Counterpoint
to a packed house of over two-thousand at the Smithsonian Institution
Hirshhorn Museum's "After Hours." He performs as a guest of Washington DC’s Great Noise Ensemble, which premiered his “General Electric”–a concerto grosso
for rock band and chamber orchestra.
His music has been performed and commissioned by numerous ensembles, including the Chicago Youth Symphony Orchestras
, the Albany Symphony Orchestra
, eighth blackbird
, the Dayton Philharmonic, and the "Late Show" with Jay Leno band. He is the recipient of the $10,000 Grand Prize in the orchestra category for the BMG
/Williams College
National Young Composers Competition, was an alternate for the 1998-9 Rome Prize from the American Academy in Rome
, and has won two BMI
Student Composer Awards.
Dr. Sparr is a graduate of the Baltimore School for the Arts
and received his Bachelor of Music degree from the Eastman School of Music
. He completed his Doctor of Musical Arts degree from the University of Michigan in 2003. His composition teachers include Michael Daugherty
, Augusta Read Thomas
, and Pulitzer Prize
winners William Bolcom
, Christopher Rouse, and Joseph Schwantner
.
D. J. is the composer-in-residence with the Richmond Symphony Orchestra
's education and community engagement department.
Guitarist
A guitarist is a musician who plays the guitar. Guitarists may play a variety of instruments such as classical guitars, acoustic guitars, electric guitars, and bass guitars. Some guitarists accompany themselves on the guitar while singing.- Versatility :The guitarist controls an extremely...
fluent in both classical and vernacular musical styles. He has performed with the Fondazione Arturo Toscanini, Eastman's
Eastman School of Music
The Eastman School of Music is a music conservatory located in Rochester, New York. The Eastman School is a professional school within the University of Rochester...
"Musica Nova" Contemporary Music Ensemble
Musical ensemble
A musical ensemble is a group of people who perform instrumental or vocal music. In classical music, trios or quartets either blend the sounds of musical instrument families or group together instruments from the same instrument family, such as string ensembles or wind ensembles...
, pop bands, and as a studio musician. D. J. premiered Michael Daugherty's electric guitar concerto with the Alabama Symphony in March, 2008. He was the classical guitar soloist for his own "Guitar Folio" with the University of Michigan
University of Michigan
The University of Michigan is a public research university located in Ann Arbor, Michigan in the United States. It is the state's oldest university and the flagship campus of the University of Michigan...
Chamber
Chamber music
Chamber music is a form of classical music, written for a small group of instruments which traditionally could be accommodated in a palace chamber. Most broadly, it includes any art music that is performed by a small number of performers with one performer to a part...
Orchestra and recently performed Steve Reich's
Steve Reich
Stephen Michael "Steve" Reich is an American composer who together with La Monte Young, Terry Riley, and Philip Glass is a pioneering composer of minimal music...
Electric Counterpoint
Electric Counterpoint
Electric Counterpoint is a minimalist composition written by American composer Steve Reich. The piece consists of three movements, "Fast", "Slow", and "Fast"...
to a packed house of over two-thousand at the Smithsonian Institution
Smithsonian Institution
The Smithsonian Institution is an educational and research institute and associated museum complex, administered and funded by the government of the United States and by funds from its endowment, contributions, and profits from its retail operations, concessions, licensing activities, and magazines...
Hirshhorn Museum's "After Hours." He performs as a guest of Washington DC’s Great Noise Ensemble, which premiered his “General Electric”–a concerto grosso
Concerto grosso
The concerto grosso is a form of baroque music in which the musical material is passed between a small group of soloists and full orchestra...
for rock band and chamber orchestra.
His music has been performed and commissioned by numerous ensembles, including the Chicago Youth Symphony Orchestras
Chicago Youth Symphony Orchestras
Chicago Youth Symphony Orchestras is an orchestral organization in Chicago, Illinois that was founded in 1946 to provide music education and instrumental training of the highest quality to Chicago area youth.-Structure:...
, the Albany Symphony Orchestra
Albany Symphony Orchestra
The Albany Symphony Orchestra is a professional symphony orchestra based in Albany, New York. The upcoming season will mark the orchestra's 78th....
, eighth blackbird
Eighth blackbird
eighth blackbird is a Grammy Award-winning contemporary music sextet based in Chicago. The group derives its name from the eighth stanza of Wallace Stevens' poem Thirteen Ways of Looking at a Blackbird...
, the Dayton Philharmonic, and the "Late Show" with Jay Leno band. He is the recipient of the $10,000 Grand Prize in the orchestra category for the BMG
BMG
Bertelsmann Music Group, , was a division of Bertelsmann before its completion of sale of the majority of its assets to Japan's Sony Corporation of America on October 1, 2008. It was established in 1987 to combine the music label activities of Bertelsmann...
/Williams College
Williams College
Williams College is a private liberal arts college located in Williamstown, Massachusetts, United States. It was established in 1793 with funds from the estate of Ephraim Williams. Originally a men's college, Williams became co-educational in 1970. Fraternities were also phased out during this...
National Young Composers Competition, was an alternate for the 1998-9 Rome Prize from the American Academy in Rome
American Academy in Rome
The American Academy in Rome is a research and arts institution located on the Gianicolo in Rome.- History :In 1893, a group of American architects, painters and sculptors met regularly while planning the fine arts section of the 1893 World's Columbian Exposition...
, and has won two BMI
Broadcast Music Incorporated
Broadcast Music, Inc. is one of three United States performing rights organizations, along with ASCAP and SESAC. It collects license fees on behalf of songwriters, composers, and music publishers and distributes them as royalties to those members whose works have been performed...
Student Composer Awards.
Dr. Sparr is a graduate of the Baltimore School for the Arts
Baltimore School for the Arts
Baltimore School for the Arts is a public high school located in Baltimore, Maryland and is a part of its public school system. BSA offers concentrations in classical music, theater, dance, theater production and visual art...
and received his Bachelor of Music degree from the Eastman School of Music
Eastman School of Music
The Eastman School of Music is a music conservatory located in Rochester, New York. The Eastman School is a professional school within the University of Rochester...
. He completed his Doctor of Musical Arts degree from the University of Michigan in 2003. His composition teachers include Michael Daugherty
Michael Daugherty
Michael Kevin Daugherty is an American composer, pianist, and teacher. Influenced by popular culture, Romanticism, and Postmodernism, Daugherty is one of the most colorful and widely performed American concert music composers of his generation...
, Augusta Read Thomas
Augusta Read Thomas
Augusta Read Thomas is an American composer.Augusta Read Thomas was born in Glen Cove, New York. She attended The Green Vale School and later moved on to St. Paul's School in Concord, New Hampshire, and then studied composition with Jacob Druckman at Yale University and at the Royal Academy of...
, and Pulitzer Prize
Pulitzer Prize
The Pulitzer Prize is a U.S. award for achievements in newspaper and online journalism, literature and musical composition. It was established by American publisher Joseph Pulitzer and is administered by Columbia University in New York City...
winners William Bolcom
William Bolcom
William Elden Bolcom is an American composer and pianist. He has received the Pulitzer Prize, the National Medal of Arts, two Grammy Awards, the Detroit Music Award and was named 2007 Composer of the Year by Musical America. Bolcom taught composition at the University of Michigan from 1973–2008...
, Christopher Rouse, and Joseph Schwantner
Joseph Schwantner
Joseph C. Schwantner is a Pulitzer Prize winning American composer and educator and a member of the American Academy of Arts and Letters. He was awarded the 1970 Charles Ives Prize....
.
D. J. is the composer-in-residence with the Richmond Symphony Orchestra
Richmond Symphony Orchestra
The Richmond Symphony is based in Richmond, Virginia. One of the nation's leading regional orchestras, it employs 72-85 musicians who give over 100 performances each season to over 125,000 audience members. Its music director is Steven Smith; its associate conductor is Dr. Erin Freeman...
's education and community engagement department.