| Biographical Paragraphs | William Copper |
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American composer William Copper, one of a small group of composers emerging as leading creators of distinguished 21st century music, writes music for chorus, orchestra, and chamber ensembles. Mr. Copper's output includes a wide variety of music, and his catalog of works in all categories is steadily growing. Copper attended the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, the Eastman School of Music, and the Krakow State Higher School of Music (Poland). His composition teachers include George Crumb, Krzysztof Penderecki, Joseph Schwantner, and Gerald Plain. He now lives in Wilmington, Delaware, USA. His "Whistler" for violin and orchestra was premiered by the Delaware Symphony, played by Diane Monroe and conducted by Stephen Gunzenhauser. The Delaware Symphony also premiered the Fugue and Toccata after Cernohorsky, written for Stephen Gunzenhauser, and Dogwood, for String Orchestra. String Quartet #1 won the First Prize of the Southeast Composers' League and was premiered in Krakow, Poland. The Fulbright Scholarship awarded to Mr. Copper was based on his early works for orchestra, "First Minute After Noon" and "Night Music". The Newark Symphony premiered Symphony #3, based on folk songs collected by a distant relative in southern England, Robert Copper. The Wilmington Community Orchestra commissioned and premiered Symphony #2, under conductor and music director Levon Ahramjian. Sycamore, for clarinet with string ensemble, won the Delaware Music Teachers Composer of the Year award, and has been performed in West Chester, PA, Newark, DE, and Wilmington, DE. The children's opera, "The Other Half" was produced at the Everett Theatre in Middletown, Delaware. It won two awards from the Composer's Guild annual competition. Ellen's Alley, for chamber orchestra, was premiered with great success by the Orchestra of the Mid-Atlantic Chamber Music, conducted by Levon Ahramjian. Three piano trios have been well received in performances in Delaware, New York, Connecticut, and Pennsylvania, including a premiere at the Charles Ives Center for American Art. Mr. Copper has received Delaware Individual Artist Fellowships and residencies at the Ragdale Foundation, the Virginia Center for the Creative Arts, and the Wurlitzer Foundation of New Mexico. He has served on arts review panels, charitable organization boards, and education panels. It is as a choral music composer that Copper has become recently most well known. Music by choral composer William Copper has been sung across the country and around the world. His Lovelife Dances (2001) and New Lovelife Dances (2002) have been requested by hundreds of choruses from Argentina to Australia and San Francisco to Singapore and nearly every state in the USA. Major works underway presently include a set of 24 Preludes and Fugues for piano, and a Quintet for Piano and Strings. His music is published by the Hartenshield Group, Inc, and licensed by BMI. Visit the Listening Room here. Recent highlights include Sea Songs , for Chorus SATB a cappella, New Lovelife Dances , for Chorus SATB with Piano, 4 Hands, Romance for Violin and Orchestra, Stabat Mater , for Chorus SATB and Chamber Orchestra, Lovelife Dances, Magnificat, for Chorus SATB and Chamber Orchestra, and other Marian motets including O Magnum Mysterium and Ave Regina Coelorum. American Composers ForumAmerican Music Center American Choral Directors Association Broadcast Music Incorporated Chorus America National Association for Music Education Pennsylvania Music Educators Association Cadenza - resources for classical and contemporary musicians |
| Selected Works |
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Chamber Music
Choral Music
Opera and Oratorio
Orchestral Music
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