William Harper (composer)

William Harper (born October 10, 1949) is a Chicago photographer and composer. His photography is concerned with natural form and line and his music is theatrical, technology-based work sourced from liturgical and folk traditions. Harper first earned critical acclaim for his work defining a Chicago style of new music theater and opera as the creator and producer of many full-length original works for the American Ritual Theater Company (ARTCO). Concurrent with these projects, and subsequently, Harper's opera, music theater, dance, orchestra, chorus, and electro-acoustic works have been commissioned and performed by companies including The Minnesota Opera Company, The New Music Theater Ensemble of Minneapolis, INTAR Hispanic American Cultural Center, The Goodman Theater, Hartford Stage and The Music Theatre Group. Harper's recently completed Unquiet Myths, a suite of electro-acoustic pieces was commissioned by The Ellen Sinopoli Dance Company for Spill Out!, which premiered in 2006 and is scheduled to begin a national tour this year. William Harper received a PhD in music composition from the Eastman School of Music, and has received support from many foundations including the National Institute for Music Theater, the Djerassi Foundation, the Yaddo Foundation, the National Endowment for the Arts, the Illinois and New York State Arts Councils and The MacArthur Foundation.

Harper has three sisters including a twin sister, Jessica Harper, Lindsay Harper duPont and Diana Harper. He also has two brothers, Sam Harper and Rev. Charles Harper.

Recent Exhibitions & Events

 * 2013	Water!, juried show, Center for Fine Art Photography, Fort Collins
 * 2012	Hot New Pix, Center Gallery at the Midwest Center for Photography, Wichita
 * 2012	Transformational Learning, group show, Brick Gallery, Chicago
 * 2012	Night Light, juried show, Darkroom Gallery, Essex Jct., Vermont
 * 2012	Family Dynamics, juried show, Kiernan Gallery, Lexington, Virginia
 * 2012	Between Dusk and Dawn, juried show, Kiernan Gallery, Lexington, Virginia
 * 2012	Family Dynamics, juried show, Kiernan Gallery, Lexington, Virginia
 * 2012	Portfolio Prize, Center for Fine Art Photography, Fort Collins
 * 2012	Water, Ice & Light - Solo show, University Club, Chicago
 * 2011	Grand prize, Filter Festival, Chicago
 * 2011	Beginnings, juried show, Black Cloud Gallery, Chicago
 * 2011	Faces of Evanston, Noyes Cultural Arts Center, Evanston, IL
 * 2011	Real People, juried show, The Courthouse, Woodstock, IL
 * 2010-12	Court, Transistor, Chicago
 * 2009	Finding Middle Ground, Dayton Visual Arts Center
 * 2009	Group Show at Walker Fine Arts, Denver, CO
 * 2009	Group Show at Lincoln Center, Ft. Collins, CO
 * 2008	Breaking Ground, Solo show, Sinclair Community College, Dayton, OH
 * 2008	Real People, juried show, The Courthouse, Woodstock, IL
 * 2008	The Workshop, Berkeley, CA
 * 2008	Minimal, Flatfile Gallery, Chicago, IL
 * 2008	Faculty Sabbatical Show, Betty Rymer Gallery, Art Institute of Chicago
 * 2006	Digitally Propelled Ideas, Kellogg University Art Gallery California State Polytechnic University Pomona CA
 * 2006	Snapshots, The ARC Gallery. Chicago, IL

Operas and Music Theatre

 * 2000       Heroism with Frederick Feirstein, Nassau Community College, New York
 * 1997 	 The Bacchae Harvard University, Katherine Walker, Music Theater Group, New York
 * 1995 	 Extraordinary Measures with Eve Ensler, Music Theater Group, New York
 * 1993 	El Greco INTAR Hispanic American Arts Center, New York
 * 1992 	Martin Guerre (Orchestrations) with Roger Ames Hartford Stage, Hartford
 * 1992 	Cooking the World with Bob Berkey Music Theater Group, New York
 * 1989 	Snow Leopard Minnesota Opera Company, Minneapolis
 * 1987 	Tantracidal Mania Minnesota Opera Company, Minneapolis
 * 1986 	Peyote Roadkill ARTCO, Chicago
 * 1983 	John Ball Shot Them All N.A.M.E. Gallery, Chicago

Recordings

 * 2006  Unquiet Myths, A collection of electro-acoustic pieces
 * 2005	  Requiem, Mass for chorus, SATB and electronic accompaniment
 * 2004	  Marlidendur, Music for strings, percussion, and boys choir
 * 2002	  The Banjo of Death Sleeping, Three electro-acoustic pieces
 * 2000	  El Greco, Opera

Works for Orchestra

 * 1999 	Marlidendur Gudmundur Emilsson, The Baltic Philharmonic Chamber Orchestra, Reykjavik
 * 1997 	Scenes from the Valley of the Black Pig Full Orchestra, ARTCO, Chicago
 * 1996 	Requiem Mass Chorus, Orchestra and Alto Solo, Harle & Ken Montgomery Foundation
 * 1994 	Seasons of the Heart Song for Soprano Solo and String Orchestra. Texts by Bernardo Solano, INTAR, New York.
 * 1990 	Marouska Variations Full Orchestra, ARTCO, Chicago

Dance, Film, and Incidental Music

 * 2012-13  Reflections on the way o the Gallows - Eight films and a Dark Tourism project by Collette Copeland
 * 2006    Unquiet Myths for Spill Out!  Ellen Sinopoli Dance Company, Troy
 * 1992 	Words Divine INTAR Hispanic American Arts Center, New York
 * 1987 	Waiting in the Dark For Bay Area Playwrights, Mill Valley
 * 1986 	Changing Habits WTTW-TV, Chicago
 * 1986 	Macando Dreiske Performance Ensemble, Chicago
 * 1985 	Illinois Turner Broadcasting, Atlanta
 * 1985 	Light Kanopy Dance Theater, Madison
 * 1984 	Crimson Cowboy (Opera/Dance Work) ARTCO, Chicago
 * 1984 	Julius Caesar Alliance Theater, Atlanta
 * 1984 	Red River The Goodman Theater, Chicago
 * 1983 	Dead Birds (Opera/Dance Work) ARTCO, Chicago
 * 1983 	Calyx Columbia Dance Center, Chicago
 * 1983 	I've Known Rivers (Dance/Opera Work) MoMing, Chicago