肖恩Okpebholo, 客人的作曲家 Fall 2024

GRAMMY®-nominated for his latest solo album "Lord, How Come Me Here?"—a collection of reimagined Negro spirituals—and named one of the 2023 音乐al America Top 30 Professionals of the Year, Nigerian-American composer 肖恩E. Okpebholo's music resonates globally, earning widespread acclaim 从 critics and audiences alike. The press has described his music as "devastatingly beautiful" and "fresh and new and fearless" (Washington Post), "affecting" (New York Times), “抒情, 复杂的, singular" (The Guardian), "searing" (Chicago Tribune), “梦幻, sensual" (Boston Globe), and "powerful" (BBC 音乐 Magazine). Okpebholo has garnered numerous accolades, including awards 从 The Academy of Arts and Letters, the American Prize in Composition, the 音乐 Publishers Association, 美国作曲家、作家与出版商协会, and was awarded the Inaugural honoree of the Leslie Adams-Robert Owens Composition Award.

Grants 从 the National Endowment for the Arts, Chamber 音乐 America, Barlow Endowment for the Arts, Illinois Arts Council, Tangeman Sacred 音乐 Center, The Mellon Foundation, 惠顿学院, and many others have supported the work of Okpebholo. Some notable commissions include the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, United States Air Force Strings, Copland House Ensemble, 莱诺克斯, 阿斯彭, and Newport Classical 音乐 Festivals, Philadelphia Chamber 音乐 Society, Imani风, Sparks and Wiry Cries, 城市阿里亚斯, and the 肯尼迪 Center. His art songs have been presented in concert by the Chicago Lyric Opera, 洛杉矶歌剧院, 沃斯堡歌剧院, 波特兰歌剧, and Des Moines Metro Opera. His chamber music has been performed by eighth blackbird, Copland House Ensemble, Picosa, 第五宫合奏团, 林肯三, 和其他人. 管弦乐队 including the Chicago, 辛辛那提, and Houston Symphonies and the Lexington Philharmonic have featured his music. Okpebholo has also collaborated with renowned solo artists including vocalists J'Nai Bridges, 劳伦斯Brownlee, 里安农吉登斯, 将Liverman, Michael Michael Mayes, 瑞安·麦金尼, and Tamera Wilson; pianists Aldo-López Gavilán, 马克马克汉姆, 保罗·桑切斯, and Howard Watkins; and instrumentalists including Rachel Barton Pine, 史蒂文·米德, 亚当·沃克. His extensive artistic reach has led to regular performances at prestigious venues like Carnegie and Wigmore Halls, 林肯, 肯尼迪, 和坎摩尔中心, and the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

PBS NewsHour and radio broadcasts across the country, including NPR's All Things Considered, NPR早间新闻, SiriusXM's "Living American" series on Symphony Hall Channel, and Chicago's WFMT have highlighted Okpebholo's music. NPR selected his art song "The Rain" as one of the 100 Best Songs of 2021, with only a handful of classical works making the ranking. His compositions are featured on twelve commercially released albums, three of which are GRAMMY®-nominated.

作为一名教师, Okpebholo has conducted masterclasses at various academic institutions worldwide, including two universities in Nigeria. His research interests have led to ethnomusicological fieldwork in both East and West Africa, resulting in compositions, 音标, 以及学术讲座. He earned his master's and doctoral degrees in composition 从 the College-Conservatory of 音乐 (CCM) at the University of 辛辛那提. 在他成长的过程中, a significant part of his music education came 从 The Salvation Army church, where he received free music lessons regularly. Inspired by that altruism, Okpebholo is deeply passionate about music outreach to underserved communities.

最近, he completed a residency with the Chicago Opera 剧院, culminating in the premiere of his opera, “烹饪比赛," with librettist Mark Campbell (librettist of the Pulitzer-prize-winning opera Silent Night). 目前, he serves as the Jonathan Blanchard Distinguished Professor of Composition at 惠顿学院-Conservatory of 音乐 and the Saykaly Garbulinska Composer-in-Residence with the Lexington Philharmonic.

肖恩E. Okpebholo is based in Wheaton, IL, 芝加哥郊区, 和他的妻子, 中提琴演奏者Dorthy, 还有他们的女儿, 伊娃和科琳.

- 从 www.shawnokpebholo.com