(Okay, so this isn't a particularly flattering picture, but there wasn't much to work with in the first place!) |
Warren Gooch's music has been performed throughout North America, Asia, Europe and Latin America. A native of Duluth, Minnesota, Gooch is currently coordinator of the Theory-Composition Area at Truman State University, where he as twice been a finalist for the university's "Educator of the Year" award. Warren Gooch began composing as soon as he was old enough to reach the keys on the family piano. To the initial chagrin of his parents, at first he devoted more time to "making up" pieces at the piano than he did practicing his formal music lessons. However, this interest in composition led to over a dozen awards in competitions for young composers. Since then, Gooch's work has been recognized by the National Federation of Music Clubs, Minnesota Orchestra, American Choral Directors Association, Music Teachers national Association, Percussive Arts Society, International Trumpet Guild, College Music Society, Music Educators National Conference, the Composers Guild and a number of other organizations. He has been the recipient of over thirty composition awards and paid commissions, and has approximately thirty published works from houses such as Southern, Dorn, Kjos, API/Quo Vadis, Flammer, Ensemble, Plymouth, Stars of Promise and others. CLOCKWORK for orchestra is available on CD, recorded by the Slovak Radio Orchestra under the direction of the late Robert Black (MMC Recordings). |
| Gooch received his Doctorate from the University of Wisconsin, his Masters degree from the University of Minnesota (Duluth), and his Bachelors degree from the College of St. Scholastica. He studied with Stephen Dembski, Joel Naumann, Mary Mageau, Martina Hughes, Eric Stokes, Thomas Wegren and others, representing the varied aesthetic philosophies and stylistic positions of composers such as George Crumb, Milton Babbitt, Howard Hansen and Nadia Boulenger. This broad background has informed Gooch's own diverse and eclectic style. Gooch's work as music theorist has been recognized by the College Music Society, and Gooch has authored a manual in the Benward "Music in Theory and Practice" series, published by McGraw-Hill. Professional affiliations include BMI, Society of Composers, American Composers Forum, Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia, Christian Fellowship of Art Music Composers, Pi Kappa Lambda Music Honor Society, College Music Society, Macro Analysis Creative Research Organization, Music Teachers National Association, Iowa Composers Forum, Music Educators National Conference, Wisconsin Alliance for Composers and others. He is also involved with sacred music, and his composition catalog includes a number of sacred choral and instrumental works. | |
|
Compositions | |||
|
The Harvest Moon |
|||
| The Harvest Moon.mp3 - complete | |||
| The Harvest Moon.pdf - excerpt | |||
|
The Harvest Moon uses as its text a lovely, evocative poem of the same name by henry Wadsworth Longfellow. the short choral piece attempts to capture the mystic and somewhat melancholy tone of this multi-layered poem. The chord C-D-G-B (in various permutations) is musically significant throughout. The composition, like the poem, is divided into three sections and reflects subtle use of internal symmetry. This recording was made by "Cantoria" of Truman State University, under the direction of Mark Jennings. The piece is available from Moon of Hope Publications. (Duration: 6:00) | |||
|
Monodies for Cello and Piano |
|||
| Monodies for Cello and Piano.mp3 - complete | |||
| Monodies for Cello and Piano.pdf - excerpt | |||
|
The first three movements of this introspective piece were written during a difficult time in my life while my father was slowly succumbing to cancer. The mood of each piece is somber and reflective. I later added a fourth movement that I felt provided more appropriate closure to the piece, as the coda of that movement ends with a musical question. The performers are Mira Frisch, cello, and myself, piano. (Duration: 3:20) | |||
|
John I: The Word |
|||
| John I: The Word.mp3 - complete | |||
| John I: The Word.pdf - excerpt | |||
|
Most of my compositional output reflects my personal faith, either directly or indirectly. This choral work deals with a profound text taken from the first chapter of the Book of John. The piece incorporates a broad range of choral devices and techniques to address the tremendous scope and emotional range of John's dramatic, majestic words and ideas. Again, the performing group is "Cantoria", under the direction of Mark Jennings. (Duration: 5:40) | |||
|
Fanfare and Alleluia |
|||
| Fanfare and Alleluia.mp3 - complete | |||
| Fanfare and Alleluia.pdf - complete | |||
|
Fanfare and Alleluia was commissioned for the opening of a new performance hall at Truman State University. The hall is extremely attractive-- and extremely live. I decided it would be best to write an antiphonal brass piece with limited counterpoint that emphasized triadic harmony-- in order to avoid acoustical problems and to exploit the ambience and overtones of the performance space. The performers are members of the Truman State University Wind Symphony I, under the direction of Dan Peterson. (Duration: 6:15) | |||
©2005 by WarrenP. Gooch
All Rights Reserved
WarrenP. Gooch is a member of Society of Composers, Inc. SCI is dedicated to the promotion of composition, performance, understanding and dissemination of new and contemporary music.