Role

:

Composer

Birth

:

1969

Period

:

Contemporary

Genre

:

Chamber

 

Stacy Garrop is a contemporary classical music composer who was born on September 28, 1969, in Bedford, Indiana. She grew up in a musical family, with her mother being a pianist and her father a trumpet player. Garrop started playing the piano at the age of five and later learned to play the trumpet and French horn. She also sang in her church choir and played in her high school band. Garrop attended Indiana University, where she earned a Bachelor of Music degree in trumpet performance in 1992. She then went on to earn a Master of Music degree in composition from the University of Michigan in 1994. Garrop continued her studies at the University of Chicago, where she earned a Ph.D. in composition in 2000. Garrop's compositions have been performed by numerous orchestras and ensembles, including the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, the Detroit Symphony Orchestra, the Minnesota Orchestra, and the Albany Symphony Orchestra. She has also been commissioned to write works for various organizations, including the Barlow Endowment for Music Composition, the Fromm Music Foundation, and the American Composers Forum. One of Garrop's most notable works is her oratorio "Mythology Symphony," which was commissioned by the Champaign-Urbana Symphony Orchestra and premiered in 2011. The work is based on Greek mythology and features four movements, each focusing on a different mythological figure. The oratorio has been praised for its inventive orchestration and powerful vocal writing. Garrop's other notable works include "In Eleanor's Words," a song cycle based on the writings of Eleanor Roosevelt, and "Shadow," a concerto for orchestra that explores the concept of shadows and their various meanings. She has also written several chamber works, including "Silver Dagger," a trio for clarinet, cello, and piano, and "String Quartet No. 3: Gaia," which is inspired by the Greek goddess of the earth. Garrop's music is known for its emotional depth and expressive power. She often draws inspiration from literature, history, and mythology, and her works often explore themes of love, loss, and the human condition. Her compositions are characterized by their intricate textures, rich harmonies, and evocative melodies. In addition to her work as a composer, Garrop is also an active educator. She has taught at several universities, including Roosevelt University and the University of Chicago, and has served as a guest lecturer and clinician at numerous institutions across the United States. Garrop has received numerous awards and honors for her work as a composer, including the Barlow Endowment for Music Composition Prize, the Detroit Symphony Orchestra's Elaine Lebenbom Memorial Award, and the Pittsburgh New Music Ensemble's Harvey Gaul Composition Competition. She is also a recipient of the prestigious Guggenheim Fellowship, which she was awarded in 2018. Overall, Stacy Garrop is a highly respected and accomplished composer whose works have been performed and celebrated by audiences and musicians around the world. Her music is characterized by its emotional depth, expressive power, and inventive orchestration, and she continues to be a leading voice in the contemporary classical music scene.

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