BIOGRAPHY
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The music of Jeff Myers (b.1977) has been called “Striking…and harmonically rich” by the New York Times and “…brilliant and powerful…” by The Classical Voice of New England. He was hailed as a "gifted young composer" by New York Times critic Anthony Tommasini for the “engrossing” 2016 Fort Worth Opera staging of his opera Buried Alive.
Myers' music has been played by many well-known luminaries of the classical music world. His violin duo, The Angry Birds of Kauai, was commissioned by violinist Hilary Hahn and pianist Cory Smythe. It is featured on her Grammy-winning album In 27 Pieces: the Hilary Hahn Encores’ album. Other notable collaborators/commissioners include Beth Morrison Projects (Yale Institute for Musical Theater), Orchestre National de Lorraine (after Escher), Ann Arbor Symphony (Liberation), New World Symphony (Roaring Fork), University of Michigan Symphonic Band (Organum-Tambura), JACK Quartet (dopamine and Requiem Aeternam), PRISM Quartet (Tidtu), pianist Ralph van Raat (Three Sketches), violinist Yuki Numata Resnick (Metamorphosis, Six Sketches and Kulintang Suite), pipa virtuoso Yang Jing (Turtle and Rat), hornist Laura Klock and tenor William Hite. |
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He has collaborated with librettist Royce Vavrek on two operas (The Hunger Art and Maren of Vardø) and librettist Quincy Long on two operas (Buried Alive and The Embalmer’s Daughter). Buried Alive was premiered at Fargo-Moorhead Opera, and staged again at Fort Worth Opera in 2016. Several projects have been inspired by island themes: E---- (for loadbang ensemble), He mele no kane, The Hula-Pa-ipu (for soprano Rachel Schutz), Wizard Island (for Music in the American Wild), the song cycle Islands of Death (for Duo Cortona), and Escape (for Gulf Coast Symphony). Recent works include new Jennifer de Guzman settings Boy (for mezzo Anna Laurenzo) and Advice to a Migraineure (for vocal ensemble Ekmeles).
Myers’ music has been played at venues such as Carnegie Hall, Library of Congress, Disney Concert Hall, Kimmel Center, Darmstadt, Het Muziekgebouw aan ‘t IJ, Bard College, Institute for Advanced Study, Le Poisson Rouge and many others at home and abroad. He has received awards from The American Academy of Arts and Letters, BMI, and ASCAP, as well as fellowships from the Yale Institute for Musical Theater, Aspen Festival, Tanglewood, Festival Acanthes, Atlantic Center for the Arts, and grants from the Jerome Foundation, American Music Center, NYSCA, MetLife, Con Edison, Ivar Mikashoff Foundation, Meir Rimon Foundation, Puffin Foundation, The Fromm Foundation, and the Alice M. Ditson Fund.
Myers holds degrees from San José State University, the Eastman School, and University of Michigan, where he studied with composers Brian Belet (SJSU), Allen Strange (SJSU), Daniel Wyman (SJSU), David Liptak (ESM), Daniel Godfrey (ESM), Martin Bresnick (ESM/Yale), Bright Sheng (UM), William Bolcom (UM), Betsy Jolas (UM), and Michael Daugherty (UM). Myers served as composition faculty at the University of Hawai‘i in 2011-2012. He currently resides in New York City as a freelance composer and music engraver. His upcoming album, Requiem, with Rachel Calloway and JACK Quartet, will be released on the Innova label in May of 2024.
Myers’ music has been played at venues such as Carnegie Hall, Library of Congress, Disney Concert Hall, Kimmel Center, Darmstadt, Het Muziekgebouw aan ‘t IJ, Bard College, Institute for Advanced Study, Le Poisson Rouge and many others at home and abroad. He has received awards from The American Academy of Arts and Letters, BMI, and ASCAP, as well as fellowships from the Yale Institute for Musical Theater, Aspen Festival, Tanglewood, Festival Acanthes, Atlantic Center for the Arts, and grants from the Jerome Foundation, American Music Center, NYSCA, MetLife, Con Edison, Ivar Mikashoff Foundation, Meir Rimon Foundation, Puffin Foundation, The Fromm Foundation, and the Alice M. Ditson Fund.
Myers holds degrees from San José State University, the Eastman School, and University of Michigan, where he studied with composers Brian Belet (SJSU), Allen Strange (SJSU), Daniel Wyman (SJSU), David Liptak (ESM), Daniel Godfrey (ESM), Martin Bresnick (ESM/Yale), Bright Sheng (UM), William Bolcom (UM), Betsy Jolas (UM), and Michael Daugherty (UM). Myers served as composition faculty at the University of Hawai‘i in 2011-2012. He currently resides in New York City as a freelance composer and music engraver. His upcoming album, Requiem, with Rachel Calloway and JACK Quartet, will be released on the Innova label in May of 2024.