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James Crowley, DMA

James Crowley

AREAS OF EXPERTISE

  • Music Composition
  • Music History
  • Music Theory
James Crowley is an American composer whose works have been performed throughout the USA, as well as in Argentina, Belgium, Canada, France, Germany, Denmark, South Africa, South Korea, and India. His 2010 work 'Tableaux Vivants' was commissioned by the east coast ‘Duo Montagnard’, who toured the piece throughout the USA, Canada, and Europe, and feature it on their most recent CD release entitled 'Messengers'. Crowley's 2008 composition 'From The Earth' was a prize winner in the Ravinia Music Festival’s first composition competition and was toured on an east coast tour and throughout Illinois in 2009. Most recently, the guitar/bass duo 'Dez Cordas' commissioned and recorded a new work entitled 'Pilgrimage', which was released on the Summit CD label in spring 2015. Other commissions and awards have been received from the Music Teachers National Association, National String Teachers Association, American Music Center, and Meet-The-Composer. His music has been performed by the Minnesota Orchestra, the Eastman Wind Symphony, Civic Orchestra of Chicago, the Aspen Contemporary Ensemble, and by members of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Cleveland Orchestra, Montreal Symphony, and Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra.

Crowley earned his BM in Composition from the University of Illinois (Bronze Tablet – University Honors) and completed the MM and DM in Composition at Northwestern University. Formerly a member of the administrative staff of the Lyric Opera of Chicago, he also held a Teaching Fellowship at the Aspen Music Festival and taught at Drury University. He is Professor Emeritus of Music at the University of Wisconsin-Parkside. You may sample some of Dr. Crowley's original music on SoundCloud (link above) or on his YouTube channel:https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCGCQ3XmIgnJgkqcHdWuO8tA

Teaching Interests

Music Theory, Music Composition, Music History, Music Technology

Research Interests

Composer of contemporary classical music in all genres.

Consulting Interests

Served as faculty consultant for the College Board, and as adjudicator for the Society of Composers, Inc., and many other performing arts organziations. Former staff member of the Lyric Opera of Chicago.

Selected Publications

2017: "Tonus Peregrinus", for harp, Self-Published (9 pp.)

2016: 'L'Extase Langoureuse", for soprano and chamber orchestra, Self-Published (37 pp.)

2015: 'Silver Soundings', for wind ensemble, Self-Published (8 pp.)

2015: 'Impromptu IV', for piano, Self-Published (6 pp.)

2015: 'Pilgrimage', for guitar and contrabass, Contained within CD 'Pilgrimage', by Dez Cordas

2014: 'Magyar Báb', for percussion quartet, Self-Published (11 pp.)

2011: Tableaux Vivants, Contained within CD 'Messengers', by Duo Montagnard

2008: 'From The Earth' - musical composition for violin, violoncello, piano, and narrator. , Self-Published (31 pp.)

2008: 'Impromptu III' - musical composition for solo piano., Self-Published (11 pp.)

2007: 'Scordatura' for guitar solo, SOUNDBOARD: The Journal of the Guitar Foundation of America, Volume XXXIII, Nos. 3-4 (6 pp.)

2007: 'Exploitable Ground IV' for flute and piano., Self-Published (10 pp.)

Research/Creative Awards

2015: Commission received for creation of new musical composition celebrating the 25th anniversary season of the UW-Parkside Community Band., Musical commission, UW-Parkside
2012: Summer stipend in support of composition of new musical composition entitle 'Archipelago' (for vibraphone and marimba)., Faculty Summer Research Grant, Committee of Research and Creative Activity (CRCA)
2008: One of three winners of the Ravinia Music Festival's first national Composition Competition. New work 'From The Earth' (for narrator and piano trio) toured by the Lincoln Piano Trio (artists in residence at the Music Institute of Chicago) throughout the state of Illinois as part of ongoing 2009 Lincoln Bicentennial events., Winner of the Ravinia Music First Annual Festival's Composition Competition,

Departmental Service

2021: Other - Chair, Music Department, 2020
2020: Other - Chair, Music Department, 2020
2019: Other - Chair, Music Department, 2019
2018: Other - Chair, Music Department, 2018

College Service

2015: Committee Member - Augmented Full Professor Subcommittee

University Service

2017: Committee Member - Faculty Senate
2016: Committee Member - Faculty Senate
2015: Committee Member - Faculty Senate
2014: Chairperson - Academic Policies Committee
2013: Chairperson - Academic Policies Committee
2012: Committee Chair - Academic Policies Committee
2011: Committee Chair - UW-P Faculty Athletic Board
MUSI 121 - Music Theory II
MUSI 321 - Music Theory IV
MUSI 420 - Analytic Technics
MUSI 499 - Independent Study:
MUSP 136 - Aural Music Theory II
MUSP 336 - Aural Music Theory IV
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