Brian Head (born October 14, 1964) is an American composer, guitarist, and music theory and composition

professor Professor (commonly abbreviated as Prof.) is an academic rank at universities and other post-secondary education and research institutions in most countries. Literally, ''professor'' derives from Latin as a "person who professes". Professors ...

. He performs frequently as a soloist and collaboratively with numerous groups, including the Los Angeles Philharmonic, the Los Angeles Opera, New World Symphony, inauthentica, Jacaranda and Xtet. His compositions have been widely performed throughout the U.S. and abroad. Brian Head holds an unusual dual appointment at the

Thornton School of Music The USC Thornton School of Music is a private music school in Los Angeles, California. Founded in 1884 only four years after the University of Southern California, the Thornton School is the oldest continually operating arts institution in Los An ...

at the

University of Southern California , mottoeng = "Let whoever earns the palm bear it" , religious_affiliation = Nonsectarian—historically Methodist , established = , accreditation = WSCUC , type = Private research university , academic_affiliations = , endowment = $8.1 ...

, where he is a member of both the Classical Guitar and the Composition faculties, positions he has held since 2001. He maintains an active guitar studio there, lectures on a wide range of subjects, and directs the music theory program. As of 2010, he is the acting chair of the Classical Guitar department and Assistant Dean for curriculum. From 2004-2010, Head led the Guitar Foundation of America as its president. He now serves as the Artistic Director.

Training

Raised in

Adelphi, Maryland Adelphi is an unincorporated area and census-designated place in Prince George's County, Maryland, United States. Per the 2020 Census, the population was 16,823. Adelphi includes the following subdivisions; Adelphi, Adelphi Park, Adelphi Hills, Ad ...

, Brian Head is the son of the noted trumpeter Emerson Head and his first wife Linda Head, a piano teacher and professional accompanist. He received undergraduate degrees from the

University of Maryland The University of Maryland, College Park (University of Maryland, UMD, or simply Maryland) is a public land-grant research university in College Park, Maryland. Founded in 1856, UMD is the flagship institution of the University System of M ...

in both Music and Mathematics, and a master's degree from the

in guitar performance, receiving recognition as Outstanding Thornton School Graduate of 1991. Notable guitar teachers include Anthony Norris,

William Kanengiser William Kanengiser (born July 22, 1959) is a classical guitarist. He is one of the founding members of the Los Angeles Guitar Quartet (LAGQ). Kanengiser was born in Orange, New Jersey.Maurice J. Summerfield: ''The Classical Guitar. Its Evolutio ...

, and James Smith.

Notable compositions

* "Sketches for Friends" (1994) was first recorded by

for his album ''Rondo alla Turka''. * "John McLaughlin: We Know You Know: Reverie for Mahavishnu" (2004) is featured on the Los Angeles Guitar Quartet's Grammy Award-winning album, Guitar Heroes. * "Chant" and "Fanfare" are included in

Scott Tennant Scott Tennant is an American classical guitarist. He is a member of the Grammy Award-winning Los Angeles Guitar Quartet. Born in Detroit, Michigan in March 1962, he began his musical and guitar studies at the age of six. He attended Cass Techn ...

's technique handbook ''Pumping Nylon''.

External links

USC faculty

Guitar Foundation of American Board of Directors

LAGQ Grammy Award

Absolute pitch among students in an American music conservatory: Association with tone language fluency
{{DEFAULTSORT:Head, Brian American male composers 20th-century American composers American classical guitarists American male guitarists USC Thornton School of Music faculty Living people USC Thornton School of Music alumni University of Maryland, College Park alumni 1964 births People from Washington, D.C. People from Adelphi, Maryland 20th-century American guitarists 20th-century American male musicians