John Mackey (composer)
Encyclopedia
John Mackey is an American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

 composer of classical music, with an emphasis on music for wind band, as well as orchestra
Orchestra
An orchestra is a sizable instrumental ensemble that contains sections of string, brass, woodwind, and percussion instruments. The term orchestra derives from the Greek ορχήστρα, the name for the area in front of an ancient Greek stage reserved for the Greek chorus...

. For several years, he focused on music for modern dance
Modern dance
Modern dance is a dance form developed in the early 20th century. Although the term Modern dance has also been applied to a category of 20th Century ballroom dances, Modern dance as a term usually refers to 20th century concert dance.-Intro:...

 and ballet
Ballet
Ballet is a type of performance dance, that originated in the Italian Renaissance courts of the 15th century, and which was further developed in France and Russia as a concert dance form. The early portions preceded the invention of the proscenium stage and were presented in large chambers with...

.

Background

John Mackey was born in New Philadelphia, Ohio
New Philadelphia, Ohio
New Philadelphia is a city in Tuscarawas County, Ohio, United States, 71 miles south of Cleveland on the Tuscarawas River. It was first incorporated in 1808. Coal and clay are found in the vicinity...

 and grew up in Westerville, Ohio
Westerville, Ohio
Westerville, once known as "The Dry Capital of the World", is a city in Franklin and Delaware counties in the U.S. state of Ohio. The population was 35,318 at the 2000 census.-Early history:...

, where he attended Westerville South High School. Though musicians themselves, Mackey's parents did not provide him with music lessons. His grandfather however, taught him to read music and introduced him to computer music notation, but Mackey never formally studied an instrument. Through experimentation with programs intended for entertainment rather than education, Mackey began to compose his own music. Mackey received a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in 1995 from the Cleveland Institute of Music
Cleveland Institute of Music
The Cleveland Institute of Music is an independent music conservatory located in the University Circle district of Cleveland, Ohio, United States and is overseen by president Joel Smirnoff and Adrian Daly, dean....

, where he studied with Donald Erb
Donald Erb
Donald Erb was an American composer best known for large orchestral works such as Concerto for Brass and Orchestra and Ritual Observances.-Early years:...

. Mackey received a Master of Music degree from Juilliard in 1997, having studied with John Corigliano
John Corigliano
John Corigliano is an American composer of classical music and a teacher of music. He is a distinguished professor of music at Lehman College in the City University of New York.-Biography:...

. Mackey has stated his support for these institutions' policies of not requiring composers to perform an audition as many composers, like himself, do not play instruments. On this subject, Mackey has said, "There are obviously ways to compose music without playing a formal instrument."

Mackey lived in New York City from 1995-2005, where he collaborated frequently with choreographers such as David Parsons, Robert Battle
Robert Battle
Robert Battle is the Artistic Director of Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, assumed the reins on July 1, 2011, as its third director since the company's 1958 inception.When receiving the position Battle says, "I hope to be worthy of this tremendous responsibility that I've been given, and to...

, and Igal Perry. Mackey moved to Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...

 in 2005. In April 2008, he announced on his blog his intention to move to Austin, Texas
Austin, Texas
Austin is the capital city of the U.S. state of :Texas and the seat of Travis County. Located in Central Texas on the eastern edge of the American Southwest, it is the fourth-largest city in Texas and the 14th most populous city in the United States. It was the third-fastest-growing large city in...

, citing that much of his income is a result of commissions and other appearances in the Texas area. Then in March 2011, Mackey posted a blog to announce his move to Cambridge, Massachusetts
Cambridge, Massachusetts
Cambridge is a city in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States, in the Greater Boston area. It was named in honor of the University of Cambridge in England, an important center of the Puritan theology embraced by the town's founders. Cambridge is home to two of the world's most prominent...

 in order for his wife to attend graduate school. He currently resides in Cambridge, Massachusetts
Cambridge, Massachusetts
Cambridge is a city in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States, in the Greater Boston area. It was named in honor of the University of Cambridge in England, an important center of the Puritan theology embraced by the town's founders. Cambridge is home to two of the world's most prominent...

.

Blog

Mackey maintains a frequently-updated blog
Blog
A blog is a type of website or part of a website supposed to be updated with new content from time to time. Blogs are usually maintained by an individual with regular entries of commentary, descriptions of events, or other material such as graphics or video. Entries are commonly displayed in...

 at his website, where he chronicles his travels across the world. He also has a keen interest in photography, as most of his posts have at least two photos to accompany them.

Orchestra

  • Do Not Go Gentle Into That Good Night (1993)
  • Concerto for Percussion and Orchestra (2000)
  • Redline Tango (2003)
  • Antiphonal Dances (2003)
  • Under the Rug (2004)

Concert Band

  • Redline Tango (2004)
  • Sasparilla (2005)
  • Turbine (2006)
  • Strange Humors (2006) *
  • Turning (2006)
  • Kingfishers Catch Fire (2007)
  • Concerto for Soprano Saxophone and Band (2007)
  • Clocking (2008)
  • Undertow (2008)
  • Asphalt Cocktail (2009)
  • Aurora Awakes (2009) — won the ABA
    American Bandmasters Association
    The American Bandmasters Association was formed in 1929 by Edwin Franko Goldman to promote concert band music. Goldman sought to raise esteem for concert bands among musicians and audiences...

     Ostwald Award
    Ostwald Award
    The Sousa/Ostwald Award is an annual award given by the American Bandmasters Association for a composition for concert band. It was first awarded in 1956, after band uniform suppliers Ernest and Adolph Ostwald established the ABA/Ostwald Award for the best band composition written in the previous...

     and NBA William D. Revelli Memorial Composition Contest
  • Harvest: Concerto for Trombone (2009)
  • Xerxes (2010)
  • Hymn to a Blue Hour (2010)
  • Foundry (2011)
  • Drum Music (2011)


Note:Transcription of orchestra version. Transcription by the composer.

* Note: Transcription of chamber version. Transcription by the composer.

Chamber Ensemble

  • Mood Indigo (1996), for piano and drum set
  • Strange Humors (1998), for string quartet and djembe
  • Damn (1998), for amplified clarinet and four percussionists
  • Voices and Echoes (1999), for string quartet
  • Rush Hour (1999, revised 2000), for clarinet, electric string quartet, and drum set
  • Breakdown Tango (2000), for clarinet, violin, cello, and piano
  • Juba (2003), for electric string quartet and percussion
  • Wrong-Mountain Stomp (2004), for violin, viola, and cello
  • Mass (2004), for percussion ensemble
  • Strange Humors* (2008), for saxophone quartet and djembe


* Note: Transcription of string quartet version. Transcription by the composer.

Music for Theater

  • Score and songs for Shakespeare's "Twelfth Night," Dallas Theater Center, 2001

External links

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