FRANK STEMPER, COMPOSER

Composer

Frank Stemper

• PATRONAGE •
•ENCOURAGEMENT•
• APPROVAL •
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​Prizes, Awards, Grants Fellowships
'Guest Composer'
International Festivals
International Residencies
Composing & Teaching
​

FORTY-ONE (41)
Commissions from foundations, private sponsors, and music ensembles for new works,
1980 – present.

     •

ONE (1)
Composer Assistant Grant from 
The Rockefeller Foundation
1982

      •
ONE (1)
Composer Assistant Grant from
The Ford Foundation
1982

      •
ONE (1)
 Award for 
'Superior Scholarship as an Artist' 
Honor Society of Phi Kappa Phi
1994
     •
ONE (1)
Composer Award from the

New York Virtuoso Singers for
By Night My Mind
2009
      •
ONE (1)
Artist Fellowship from the NEA
(National Endowment for the Arts)
for the composition and production of 
Rural American Sound Bites
1994
     •
FOUR (4)
Artist Fellowships
-Music Composition-
Illinois Arts Council
1985, 1988, 2005, 2009
     •
SEVEN (7)
Meet the Composer 
Travel Awards to appear and 
lecture at First Performances
1988, 1989, 1992 (Domestic) and
1991, 1992, 2004, 2009 (International)
     •
TWENTY-SEVEN (27)
consecutive ASCAP*Plus Awards 
A.S.C.A.P.
1989 – 2015
​     •
Incontri Europei Con La Musica
Bergamo, ITALY
•
XV Festival De Marzo 2004
MEXICO
•
Saptamina Internationala A Muzicii Noi ROMANIA
•
Bregenzer Festspiele
​AUSTRIA
•
Festival of Contemporary Music
Baton Rouge, Louisiana USA
•
Festival Spaziomusica
Cagliari, ITALY
•
Ussachevsky Memorial Festival
Los Angeles
•

Zilele Muzicii Contemporane
Bacau, ROMANIA
•
New Music Chicago
USA
•
Internacional de Musica Contemporánea
Alicante, SPAIN
•
Electronic Music at Lewis
Chicago USA
•
The Happening: New Music
Calgary, CANADA
•
Festival International Archaeus
Bacau, ROMANIA
•
Societatea Filarmonica Timisoara ROMANIA
•
George Enescu International Festival, Bucharesti, ROMANIA
•
Imagine II Festival
Memphis, TN USA
•
Vancouver Contemporary Music Festival
Canada
 •
Annual Symposium of New Music
​Michigan State U. USA
 •
Arts In Celebration
&
Outside the Box
Southern Illinois USA
​•
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(1) ONE 
1981 George Ladd Prix de Paris
Paris, France 1981 – 1983
String Quartet
working at I.R.C.A.M., 
& Conservatoire National de Paris
•      
(1) ONE
2011 Artist Residency
Funcación Valparaiso
Mojácar Almeria SPAIN
The Sensation of Waking
•      
(2) TWO
Guest Composer Residencies in 
The Netherlands 
for two orchestral premieres: 
1982: Violin Concerto
with the Utrecht Conservatorium Orchest 
2009: The Persistence of Honor
 with Het Wagenings Orkest ‘Sonnante’
•     
(4) FOUR
Guest Composer Residencies in Romania
1994: Morning Dance
1997: Modern Rituals for a Primitive Society
2008: Secrets of War & 
Three Pieces for Clarinet and Piano
at the Saptamana Muzicii Contemporane  
in Bucharest;  
2004: (Seven) Separate Ways & 
Secrets of War
2015:  Complete Music for Piano
at the Zilele Muzicii Contemporane
in Bacau.
•     
(3) THREE
Guest Composer Residencies
1991-1993: 
Viktorsberg International Composers Project 
in Vorarlberg, Austria
including the commission and premiere of 
Symphony Alesia (1993) by the Jungendsinfonieorchester Dornbirn
•     
(5) FIVE
Guest Composer Residencies in Chihuahua, Mexico, 2004 – 2007: teaching composition, Jazz, and new music; performance 
and organizing their first new music FESTIVAL PRIMER FORO DE MUSICA NUEVA
and commission/premiere of 
Sinfonía Colibrí (2007)

•PROFESSIONAL HIGHLIGHTS•
2021
1
TWO PREMIERES
SYMPHONY No. 4 (Protest)
7 November 2021 by the Collegium Instrumentale Dornbirn
Guntram Simma, Music Director
Kulturhaus Dornbirn, Austria
GOODNIGHT MOON
24 July 2021 by Nathaniel Pierce, tenor & cellist
at the Anchorage Chamber Music Festival

Alaska
​
 •

2020
1
GOODNIGHT MOON
Written for and premiered by
Nathaniel Pierce, tenor/cellist
 •

2019
1
SYMPHONY No. 4 (Protest)
Commissioned by the Collegium Instrumentale Dornbirn, Austria
Guntram Simma, Music Director
•

2016-18
1
GOLF, GRANDCHILDREN, CRIBBAGE, SISTERS, BROTHER, PALS, MARTINIS, JAZZ....
 •
 
2015
1
COMPLETE MUSIC FOR PIANO
liner notes
recorded by Junghwa Lee and released on Albany (TROY) Records, Inc.
​
Review of entire album, Fanfare 
 
2
PIPE (2015)
first performance in South America ‘COMPOSITORES DE HOJE’
Rio de Janeiro


3
ASCAPlus Standard Award
 (27th consecutive annual award: 1989 - 2015)
 •
​

2014
1
retirement from teaching
S.U.N.Y. Stony Brook, 1976-78 —— University of California Berkeley, 1978-81

Southern Illinois University, 1983-2014
 
2
Retirement Celebration Performances
110
 musicians and singers perform 19 Stemper compositions in 56 total performances
concerts in England, Australia, New Zealand, Romania, & Mexico
Louisiana, North Carolina, Virginia, Illinois, Missouri, Colorado, & California

Confluence (2013) 
Global Warning (2006) 
Isolated Criteria (2008)
String Trio (2008)
Inner Voices (1987)
Piano Sonata No. 2 (2013)
The Persistence of Honor (2009)
Four Piano Pieces (1976)
So It Goes (1999)
Piano Sonata (1987)
Clarinet Piece (1985)
Six Short Piano Pieces (2006)
Electric Music No. 1 (1979)
Klavierstücke 1 (1992)
Blue13 (2014)
Hit ‘Em Again (2003)
SIU Alma Mater (arr. 1995)
Rope (2006)
Peace, for Gordon (2010)

​VIEW PROGRAM
outside the Box
 •

2013
1
CHINA 
Confluence (2013) 
first performance in Changchun  

 
2
Global Warning (2006) 
Chinese premiere in Shenyang
 •

2012
1
FLS 60th Birthday Concerts featuring the Altgeld Chamber Players 
with Guest Artist Lucy Shelton
St. Louis New Music Circle Series & Outside the Box New Music Festival 

VIEW PROGRAM
Three Pieces for Clarinet and Piano (2006)
Isolated Criteria – for True String Quartet (2008)
Bind (2001)
Indirect Discourse (2012)
Inner Voices (1987)
Global Warning (2006)
ROPE (2006)
1963 (2009)
 •

2
The Sensation of Waking (2011)
commissioned and premiered by the Stony Brook Contemporary Chamber Players 
Symphony Space — New York City 

 
3
The Persistence of Honor (2009)
U.S. premiere by The Chicago Chamber Orchestra, Preston Bradley Pavillion
•

2011
1
Composer-in-Residence
Fundación Valparaiso, Mojacar, Spain. 


2
A Brief Message From Makanda, Illinois (2005) 
Illinois premiere - Chicago Symphony Orchestra Center

3
By Night My Mind (1998)
competition winner 
first performance by the New York Virtuoso Singers in New York City

•
 
2010
1
A Brief Message From Makanda, Illinois (2005)
3 American premieres by VOLTE in San Francisco, Marin, and Oakland California

2
Le Maître Du Marteau (2009)
first performance at Outside the Box — Chen Yi and Zhou Long, guest composers
 •
 
2009
1
The Persistence of Honor (2009) 
The Netherlands 
commissioned and premiered by the Wagenings Symfonie Orkest
Melvin Margolis - Music Director

preconcert lecture by FLS supported by Meet the Composer – Global Connections (NEA)
 
2
1963 (2009) 
first performance, Outside the Box new music festival, Carbondale

 
3
Artist Fellowship — Illinois Arts Council
4th (of four)

•

2008
1
Klein International String Competition in San Francisco
Composer In Residence
Isolated Criteria – for True String Quartet (2008)
commissioned by the California Music Center for the 2008 Klein Competition

2
Global Warning (2007)
World Premiere in Orleans, France —&— USA Premiere in Carnegie Hall
Junghwa Lee, pianist


3
String Trio (2008) 
Budapest
first performance by the American String Trio 
broadcast live on Hungarian National Radio, Radio Bartok


4
KG’s Supper Club Suite (2008)
first performance of Jazz Trio Series in the University Art Museum — SIU

5
Secrets of War (2003)
live broadcast with the Romanian Radio Orchestra, Bucharest
Jean-Claude, conductor — FLS, piano


6
produced performance of Schönberg’s Pierrot Lunaire (1913) in a local bar
FLS performed piano part with the Altgeld Chamber Players

 
7
ASCAPlus Standard Award
 (20th of 27 consecutive annual: 1989 - 2015)
 
8
Television documentary – Arts Across Illinois (PBS) – highlighting the music of FLS broadcast in Chicago, Springfield, and throughout Illinois
•


2007
1
“The Music of Frank Stemper”
A two-hour radio broadcast on the Cyprus Broadcasting Corporation’s Musical Pages Show
Chameleon (1984)
Two Pieces for Baby (1980)
Seamaster (1981)
Secrets of War (2003)
So It Goes (1999)
Toot tooT (2001)
Three Pieces for Clarinet and Piano (2006)
Trio Politic (2004).  

Broadcasted throughout Cyprus and Greece and simulcast on the internet

2
Sinfonía Colibrí (2007) 
Commissioned by the government of Mexico
World Premiere by the Chihuahua Philharmonic in Mexico

(5th of five residencies in Mexico)
 
3
artist residency at the Ragdale Foundation in Chicago
 
4
Distinguished Scholar of the Year
Southern Illinois University
Nomination – 2005, 2006, 2007
(alas, no cigar)

 •
 
2006
1
International Society for Contemporary Music (ISCM)
 (Seven) Separate Ways (2004)
performed by The Archaeus Ensemble in Romania
 
2
Canadian Premiere 
2304: Between the Alley and the Shorewood Sanitarium (2003) 
The HAPPENING: Perspectives on New Music in Canada, in Calgary, Alberta, Canada
 
3
co-founded and co-produced the “Outside the Box” new music series
Southern Illinois University Carbondale
•


2005
1
A Love Imagined (2005)
first performance
Eric McCluscky, tenor — Heidi Louise Williams, piano

 
2
Concert in Mexico — The Music of FLS
Teatro de Los Heroes, during NUEVA MUSICA EN CHIHUAHUA

(Seven) Separate Ways (2004)
War Dance (2005)
Four Piano Pieces (1976)
A Love Imagined (2005)

A Brief Message From Makanda, Illinois (2005)
(World Premiere, conducted by Gustavo Flores)
Guest Composer, Semana de la Música – Chihuahua, Mexico
 
3
2304: Between the Alley and the Shorewood Sanitarium (2003) 
performed by Roland Stillhard, Vorarlberger Landeskonservatorium in Austria
and by Todd Rewoldt in Los Angeles at the Vladmir Ussachevsky Computer Music Festival


4
Artist Fellowship — Illinois Arts Council
3rd (of four)

 •
 
2004
1
Secrets of War (2003)
Nominated for the Pulitzer Prize
by the Capital Times in Madison, Wisconsin
(alas, no cigar)

 
2
 (Seven) Separate Ways (2004)
Archaeus Ensemble at the FESTIVAL SPAZIOMUSICA IN Cagliari, Italy
 
3
2304: Between the Alley and the Shorewood Sanitarium (2003)
Performed by Todd Rewoldt at the IMAGINE II Computer Music Festival in Memphis, TN
 
4
Kennedy Center
Hope (1996)
Rock Bottom (2000)
Limehouse Blues (Arr. 2004)
Stella By Starlight (Arr. 2003)
by Celliolapia — Cynthia Fogg, Tom Flaherty, and FLS
Millennium Stage, John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, Washington DC.

 
5
Secrets of War (2003)
Romanian Premiere at the International Festival of New Music in Bacau, Romania 
The Bacau Philharmonic
Odiu Balan, conductor — FLS, piano; 

 
6
2304: Between the Alley and the Shorewood Sanitarium (2003)
first performance by Dante Bazúa at the XV FESTIVAL DE MARZO 2004
Chihuahua, Mexico
(1st of five residencies in Mexico)
•


2003
1
Secrets of War (2003)
first performance by the Southern Illinois Symphony Orchestra
Eric Mandat conductor, FLS, piano; Shryock Auditorium, Carbondale

Nominated for The Pulitzer Prize
 
2
So It Goes (and Goes) (2003)
commissioned and premiered by The Catalyst Ensemble at the University of Huddersfield
Huddersfield — England
 
3
coast to coast touring with Celliolapia
Cynthia Fogg, vla — Tom Flaherty, cello — FLS, piano
music by Donald Freund, Glenn Gass, Thomas Flaherty, Anton Webern
Thelonious Monk, Phillip Braham, Victor Young, and FLS 

 
4
Modern Rituals for a Primitive Society (1994)
Italian premiere by The Archaeus Ensemble
Incontri Europei Con La Musica – XXII,   Bergamo, Italy 

 
5
ASCAPlus Standard Award
 (15th of 27 consecutive annual awards: 1989 - 2015)

 •

2002
1
Toot tooT (2002)
recorded for Albany Records - TROY
and on tour with Gier—Greenhoe—Rhoads
Iowa, Kansas, Missouri


2
Hope (1996)
recorded and on tour with Celliola
Southwest US


3
So It Goes (1999)
recorded for Centaur Records
and on tour with Pastiche
Louisiana, Illinois, Maryland, North Carolina 

•

2001
1
Bind (2002)
first performance at the Society of Composers, Inc. conference
Orono, Maine


2
So It Goes (1999)
first performance at the SCI regional conference
Norfolk, Virginia


3
Panic 2000 (1999)
recorded for Reception Records, by Kevin Lucas
several performances in the Chicago area including the Electronic Music at Lewis Festival  
•

2000
1
Panic 2000 (1999)
first performance at the Vladimir Ussachevsky Computer Music Festival
Los Angeles


Modern Rituals for a Primitive Society (1994)
on tour with The Archaeus Ensemble
Zurich—Switzerland, Sevilla—Spain, Bucharest—Romania

•
 
1998
1
On Ferrai Quelque Choses de Toi si le Petit Couchon ne te Mange Pas (1997)
first performance by the Altgeld Chamber Players

2
Modern Rituals for a Primitive Society (1994)
The Festival International ARCHAEUS 
Aula Palatului Cantacuaino in Bucharesti

 
3
ASCAPlus Standard Award
 (10th of 27 consecutive annual awards: 1989 - 2015)
 •
 
1997
1
Modern Rituals for a Primitive Society (1994)
13th Festival Internacional De Musica Contemporánea in Alicante, Spain
 
2
Symphony Alesia (1992)
American premiere by the Southern Illinois Symphony Orchestra
 •

1996
1
Hope (1996)
first performances by Celliola
U of Michigan—Ann Arbor, U of Wisconsin, Southern Illinois U


2
founded and produced the Altgeld Performing Artist Series series
and initiated the Altgeld Chamber Players
Southern Illinois University 

 •

1995
1
Modern Rituals for a Primitive Society (1994)
tours with The Archaeus Ensemble
Romania
Saptamina Internationala a Muzicii
George Enescu International Music Festival
“Days of New Music” International Festival of Contemporary Music
Societatea Filarmonica Timisoara Festival of Contemporary Music
in Bucharest, Bacau, Moldova, Timisaura
United States
Columbia U
New York U
U. of Illinois
U. of Wisconsin
Southern Illinois U
Cleveland State U
City U. of New York
Washington D.C. 


2
Symphony Alesia (1992)
Dornbirn Hall, Austria
Jugendsinfonierorchester Dornbirn
•

1994
1
NEA Fellow - National Endowment for the Arts
Rural American Sound Bytes (1994)
National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) Regional Artist Project

2
Riding the Wind (1994)
commissioned by the Cascade of Colors Festival
 
3
founded and administrated the Midwest Composer Commissioning Competition
sponsored by Carbondale Community Arts (1994 – 2004)


4
awarded regional honor for “Artistic Achievement”
Phi Kappa Phi


5
promotion to Professor (unanimous vote of faculty)
Southern Illinois University

• 
 
1993
1
Symphony Alesia (1992)
first performances in Austria by the Jugendsinfonierorchester Dornbirn
Guntram Simma, Music Director
Egg, Dornbirn, and Bregenzerwald, Austria

 
2
Morning Dance (1993)
first performance by the Orchestra Nationala Radio Buchuresti
Robert Roubos, organist & Edwin London, conductor

 
3
ASCAPlus Standard Award
 (5th of 27 consecutive annual awards: 1989 - 2015)
•


1992
1
International Composers Workshop II in the Austrian Alps
Grand Saal, Kloster Viktorsberg

Second Diary (1986)
Four Piano Pieces (1976)
2
Piano Sonata (1987)
performed by Jennifer Grant, Governor’s Mansion, Indiana
•
 
1991
1
International Composers Workshop I in the Austrian Alps
Grand Saal, Kloster Viktorsberg

Viktorsberg (1991)  (first performance)
Two Pieces for Baby (1980) (Austrian Premiere)
Piano Sonata (1987)
Three Pieces for Solo Trumpet (1989) (Austrian Premiere)

2
Trylongenesis (1988)
Bregenzer Festspiel
Landeskonservatorium Feldkirch/Kapelle, Feldkirch, Austria


3
Remembering Fire (1990)
commissioned and first performance by Earplay
Cowell Theater at Fort Mason
, San Francisco


4
Ever Since That Day (1989)
commissioned and first performance by Delphin & Romain – Duo Pianists
US tour:

Sun City, AZ (World Premiere)
Pittsburgh, PA

Rutland, VT
Augusta, MA
Genesee, NY
Greenville, PA
Carterville, IL

Carbondale, IL
•

1990
1
Clarinet Piece (1985)
New Music Chicago Festival, South End Music Works

2
Three Pieces for Solo Trumpet (1989)
first performance – Riga Conservatory — Latvia
 •

1989
1
Dreams (1984)
American Premiere by the Sylvan Winds in Carnegie Hall
pre-concert lecture on new music – underwritten by the NEA – Meet the Composer


2
Clarinet Piece (1985)
Recorded by Eric Mandat for Advance Records

3
Music of FLS formally licensed by A.S.C.A.P.
received the ASCAPlus – Standard Award 
(1st of 26 consecutive annual awards: 1989 - 2014)

 
4
Second Diary (1986)
Clarinet Piece (1985)
Composers Showcase series, U of Illinois at Urbana/Champaign.
•

1988
1
Dreams (1984)
first performances by the Quintette Concorde
American Library and the Romanian National Radio Theater (live broadcast)
Japanese premiere in Tokyo 

 
2
Some Things (1987)
commissioned and first performances by Synchronia, St. Louis

3
Piano Sonata (1987)
American premiere by Charlotte Zelka in Los Angeles — US tour
supported by Meet the Composer (NEA)

 
4
Trylongenesis (1988)
commissioned and first performance tour by Robert Roubos
first performances 
Pannonhalma – Budapest,  Höchst, Austria
Antiel Roman & Bucharesti Philharmoni, Romania

(American premiere) Hatiesburg, Mississippi
Carbondale


5
Artist Fellowship from the Illinois Arts Council
2nd (of four)


6
Hoye’s Tribute - Fanfare (1988)
Hoye’s Tribute (1988)
first performances Arts in Celebration
(commissioned from competition held by Carbondale Community Arts)
 
7
early promotion to Associate Professor with tenure (unanimous vote)
Southern Illinois University
•


1987
1
Piano Sonata (1987)
premiered by Charlotte Zelka in Vienna, European tour
 
2
Four Piano Pieces (1976)
Guest Composer at the 9th Symposium of New Music with Lukas Foss
Michigan State U

 
3
Clarinet Piece (1985)
National Association of Composers – U.S.A. (NACUSA) New York City 
•

1986
1
Clarinet Piece (1985)
first performance, Toronto
Twenty-first Annual Conference of the American Society of University Composers 
Canadian League of Composers and the Canadian Music Centre 

 
2
Humble Cake (1977)
Canadian premiere, British Columbia New Music Festival, Vancouver

3
significant grants supporting artistic and research activities:
•Illinois Arts Council, Governors Grant — Music From This Century series
•ORDA — production preparation and recording for five new world premieres
•ORDA — Mini-Sabbatical to Aid Research: computer music study
•U of Illinois Computer Music Project
•International Computer Music Conference

 •
 
1985
1
Chameleon (1984)
Two Pieces for Baby (1980)
recorded for Opus One Records by The Almont Ensemble
 
2
Chameleon (1984)
performed by Earplay in San Francisco and Palo Alto (Stanford U)
 
3
My Breakfast with Ronald (1985)
tours Southeast U.S. with The Klarion Trio
 
4
Artist Fellowship from the Illinois Arts Council*
1st of four

*and the largest fellowship awarded in 1985 
to an Illinois artist in any discipline
 •
 
1984
1
Chameleon (1984)
first performances in California 
by The Almont Ensemble in Claremont, Los Angeles, and San Bernardino


2
founded and produced the “Music From This Century” new music series
and the SIU New Music Ensemble
Southern Illinois University Carbondale

 •
 
1983
1
Seamaster (1981)
first performance, Milwaukee Chamber Orchestra
Marlee Sabo—soprano, Steve Colbourn—conductor
Vogel Hall - PAC

 
2
Four Piano Pieces (1981)
performance (by FLS)
American Society of University Composers National Conference with Milton Babbitt
LSU Baton Rouge LA

 
3
Appointed Composer in Residence and Assistant Professor
Southern Illinois University

 •
 
1982

1
Violin Concerto (1979)
first performance, Utrecht, Netherlands
 
2
artist grants
Rockefeller Foundation, American Music Center

 •
 
1981 – 1983
1
PRIX DE PARIS
Brancaster Staithe UK — 80 rue Hallé – Paris 75014
Conservatoire National Supérieur de Music, Mme. Betsy Jolas
I.R.C.A.M. (L’Institute de Recherche et Coordination Acoustique/Musique), Pierre Boulez
American Music Center, Lukas Foss 
Radio France

String Quartet (1982)
•

1981
1
Awarded the George Ladd Prix de Paris
two-year composing and studying residency in France

2
Completion of Doctoral dissertation
Seamaster (1981)
for lyric soprano and chamber orchestra
3
Completion of Ph.D. from the University of California Berkeley
 •
 
1980
1
Two Pieces for Baby (1980)
first performances by four cellists:
A.S.U.C. Eugene OR (first performance)
W.C.M.F. Milwaukee WI 
Santa Cruz CA 

Los Angeles CA 
Santa Barbara CA
Berkeley CA

•

1978
1
awarded the Hertz Prize
fellowship to support doctoral study at the University of California Berkeley


2
Completion of Masters degree
State University of New York at Stony Brook

 •
 
1976
1
Four Piano Pieces (1976)
first performance, Stony Brook, New York
Mostly From the Last Decade new music series



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