Joseph Hasper
Joseph Hasper
Composer

Blog

  • 21 Apr 2013, News
  • New Work for 2 Flutes and Piano
  • I just finished an arrangement of the hymn tune " A Hymn of Glory Let Us Sing"   for two flutes and piano. This one is set in a modern style with a moderate difficulty, and is suitable for either liturgical use or as a concert or recital piece. The premiere is set for May, 2013 at St. John Nepomuk church, with Stephanie Hasper (flute), Magda (flute), and Robert Noble (piano). 
  • 14 Apr 2013, News
  • Symphony No. 1 is Done!
  • After nearly a year of work, sweat, and anxiety (because every new work is like throwing a new baby out into the world) my first symphony is complete! Symphony No. 1 is a four movement symphonic work of approximately 30 minutes: Allegro, Andante, Marziale , and Con Brio . This piece is the basis for my doctoral dissertation, which I will be defending next week at the University of Oklahoma. You can hear a recording of each movement at the links below: 1. Symphony 1 - Allegro   2. Symphony 1 - ...
  • 20 Mar 2013, Article
  • Advice to High School Students About Studying Composition - Part I
  • I got in touch with an old friend this weekend who has a high schooler considering studying composition in college. He asked me for some advice; the following is an elaboration of the brief advice I gave him. My advice is based on several observations. First, if you write music--no matter what training or education you've had--you are a composer. A degree doesn't make you composer, writing music makes you a composer. Having a degree in composition doesn't make you good composer--and it ...
  • 19 Mar 2013, News
  • Advice to High School Students About Composition
  • I got in touch with an old friend this weekend who has a high schooler considering composition as a career. He asked me for some advice, and here's what I came up with: If I couldn't talk someone out of trying to be a composer (that is, make a living at composing music--it's easy to be a composer, much harder to get performances, harder yet to make a living at it), if they're going to study music: (1) Do not major in composition as an undergraduate! Major in theory, or musicology and take ...
  • 18 Feb 2013, News
  • Winter and Spring Projects
  • Most of my time is being spent finishing my doctoral dissertation, an orchestral symphony (look for the score in my list of uploads as "Symphony No. 1"). I managed to finish an orchestral arrangement along the way for my colleague Wayne Abravanel for the Coachella Valley Symphony, which will be heard on their March concert, an opera transcription for Dr. Wall in Michigan, and a few smaller jazz combo charts for a quintet in Switzerland. A couple pieces of my music are being ...
  • 13 Oct 2012, News
  • Nyan Goes To The Second Round
  • My composition "Nyan Mixxim Meow" (flute, trombone, prepared piano, percussion) made the the first cut of the Oklahoma Composers Association "Chopped Composer" competition, so now I'm on to the second round. My entry for the second round is "If I Were Nyan For A Day", also for flute, trombone, piano and percussion. This piece picks up where the first one left off, and explores what it would be like to be a cartoon poptart kitty cat for a day. The piece will be played on November 4, 2012, at the ...
  • 13 Sep 2012, News
  • New Work for Flute, Trombone, Piano, and Percussion
  • Yesterday I finished a new work, Nyan Mixxim Meow , and today I submitted it to the Oklahoma Composers Alliance "Chopped Composer" competition. The piece will be performed later in September as part of the OCA's fall concert series. Nyan Mixxim Meow is scored for flute, trombone, prepared piano, and percussion (two tom-toms). The trick was to incorporate several "secret ingredients" required for the OCA competition--the "secret ingredients" were published last week and composers were given 2 weeks to ...
  • 09 Sep 2012, News
  • University of Oklahoma Recital
  • Thursday night three of my compositions were performed at the University of Oklahoma, and the concert was a great success. The pieces were: Dream Trajectories (organ solo). Performed by Dr. Joseph Henry. See it on YouTube: 1. Toccata.  http://youtube/watch?v=NVJx16z5w6M 2. Largo. http://youtube/watch?v=fbO5GROIX-w 3. Andante. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ckyNM8FQfLg Prelude and Allegro . Performed by Marat Gabdullin (violin) and Andrea Isaacson (piano). On YouTube at ...
  • 20 Aug 2012, News
  • 3 New Compositions by Joseph Hasper
  • On September 6, 2012, three of my recent compositions will be performed! The concert is at 6pm on September 6, 2012, at the Catlett Music Center on the University of Oklahoma campus in Norman, Oklahoma. Admission is free. Dream Trajectories is an organ solo I composed for my colleague Dr. Joseph Henry, and he played its first performance at the University of Minnesota School of Music in April, 2011. Since then I have revised the piece, and I'm very happy that Dr. Henry will perform it ...
  • 19 Aug 2012, News
  • Symphony No. 1 Update
  • I'm happy to say that my initial sketches are now complete for the symphony! Now, with the melodies and harmonies set, the proportions balanced and tempi decided, I can begin work on the orchestration. My Symphony No. 1 has four movements: Allegro, Andante, Marziale, and Con Brio. My goal is to complete a first draft of the orchestrations by the end of September - about one movement per week, then another week to edit and revise.
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