Forrest Pierce

In this episode, I chat with Professor Forrest Pierce. Professor Pierce is a composer and Associate Professor of Composition at the University of Kansas whose music blends religious mysticism, contemporary virtuosity, and a deep affinity for the human voice. Sincere, often triadic, and blatantly tuneful, his work draws on non-western traditions, rock-era influences, and common-practice harmony to evoke a world of sacred unity and natural beauty. His catalog of over 50 vocal works has been performed internationally by ensembles including the BBC Singers, the Latvian Radio Choir, Volti, the Indianapolis Symphony, and the Boston Choral Ensemble, and he is the winner of the 2012 Barlow Prize in Composition, among other honors. Professor Pierce holds a doctorate from Indiana University and studied opera composition with Dominick Argento at the University of Minnesota, and he also serves on the faculty of the Cortona Sessions for New Music in Tuscany.