D. J. Sparr (Donald Joseph Sparr, Jr. born October 18, 1975) is an American composer and electric guitar soloist. He is influenced by impressionism and postminimalism, and is one of the preeminent composer-performers of his generation. Sparr's notable compositions include his one-act opera, Approaching Ali (libretto by Mark Campbell and Davis Miller) based on the work "

The Tao of Muhammad Ali ''The Tao of Muhammad Ali'' is a 1997 book by the American author Davis Miller, published in 1997. The autobiographical account is notable for its blending of fact with some elements of narrative fiction. The story covered concerns Miller's ado ...

" by

Davis Miller Davis Miller is an American author, notable for a series of works that combine reportage and autobiography. Miller's books include ''The Tao of Muhammad Ali'' and ''The Tao of Bruce Lee: a martial arts memoir'', both of which have been number-on ...

(2013), Concerto for Jazz Guitar and Orchestra: Katrina (2016), Violet Bond: Concerto for electric guitar and orchestra (2013), Dreams of the Old Believers for Orchestra (2014), Optima Vota for Orchestra (2012), Precious Metal: Concerto for flute and winds (2010), The Glam Seduction (2004), Woodlawn Drive (1999), Sound Harmonies with Air (2009), DACCA : DECCA : GaFfA (2008). As an electric guitar soloist, he has performed concertos by

Michael Daugherty Michael Kevin Daugherty (born April 28, 1954) is an American composer, pianist, and teacher. He is influenced by popular culture, Romanticism, and Postmodernism. Daugherty's notable works include his Superman comic book-inspired ''Metropolis Sym ...

Kenneth Fuchs Kenneth Daniel Fuchs (born July 1, 1956) is a Grammy Award-winning American composer. He currently serves as Professor of Music Composition at the University of Connecticut (Storrs). Music Kenneth Fuchs's fifth Naxos recording with the London ...

Derek Bermel Derek Bermel (born 1967, in New York City) is an American composer, clarinetist and conductor whose music blends various facets of world music, funk and jazz with largely classical performing forces and musical vocabulary. He is the recipien ...

Steven Mackey Steven ("Steve") Mackey (born February 14, 1956) is an American composer, guitarist, and music educator. Life As a musician growing up listening to and performing vernacular American musics as well as classical music, Mackey's compositions are i ...

, and himself with New World Symphony, Alabama Symphony, and Cabrillo Festival Orchestra, among others. He has performed with ensembles such as Eighth Blackbird, New Music Raleigh, and the Aspen Contemporary Ensemble. His performance of GLACIER for electric guitar and orchestra with

London Symphony Orchestra The London Symphony Orchestra (LSO) is a British symphony orchestra based in London. Founded in 1904, the LSO is the oldest of London's orchestras, symphony orchestras. The LSO was created by a group of players who left Henry Wood's Queen's ...

and

JoAnn Falletta JoAnn Falletta (born February 27, 1954 in Queens, New York) is an American conductor. Biography Falletta was raised in the borough of Queens in an Italian-American household. She was educated at the Mannes College of Music and The Juilliard Sch ...

was one of four concertos included on the all-Kenneth Fuchs 2018

GRAMMY The Grammy Awards (stylized as GRAMMY), or simply known as the Grammys, are awards presented by the Recording Academy of the United States to recognize "outstanding" achievements in the music industry. They are regarded by many as the most pre ...

award winning recording released by Naxos. Sparr's eclectic style has been described as "pop-Romantic … iridescent and wondrous" (

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) and "suits the boundary erasing spirit of today's new-music world" (''

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''). The ''

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'' praised him as "an excellent soloist," and the

Santa Cruz Sentinel The ''Santa Cruz Sentinel'' is a daily newspaper published in Santa Cruz, California, covering Santa Cruz County, California, and owned by Media News Group. Ottaway Community Newspapers, a division of Dow Jones & Company bought the paper in 1982 ...

says that he "wowed an enthusiastic audience … Sparr's guitar sang in a near-human voice." His music has been performed and commissioned by numerous ensembles, including the

Washington National Opera The Washington National Opera (WNO) is an American opera company in Washington, D.C. Formerly the Opera Society of Washington and the Washington Opera, the company received Congressional designation as the National Opera Company in 2000. Performa ...

Houston Grand Opera Houston Grand Opera (HGO) is an American opera company located in Houston, Texas. Founded in 1955 by German-born impresario Walter Herbert and three local Houstonians,Giesberg, Robert I., Carl Cunningham, and Alan Rich. ''Houston Grand Opera at ...

( HGOco,

Chicago Youth Symphony Orchestras Chicago Youth Symphony Orchestras (CYSO) is an orchestral music education organization in Chicago, Illinois that was founded in 1946 to provide music education and instrumental training of the highest quality to Chicago area youth. Organization Ch ...

, the

Albany Symphony Orchestra The Albany Symphony Orchestra is a professional symphony orchestra based in Albany, New York. Founded in 1930 as the People's Orchestra of Albany by Italian-born conductor John Carabella, the Albany Symphony is the oldest professional symphony ...

, eighth blackbird, & the

Dayton Philharmonic The Dayton Philharmonic Orchestra (DPO) is a fully professional musical group in Dayton, Ohio, formed in 1933. It is a member of the League of American Orchestras (LAO) and the Regional Orchestra Players' Association (ROPA), and presents programs ma ...

. He is the recipient of the $10,000 Grand Prize in the orchestra category for the

BMG BMG may refer to: Organizations * Music publishing companies: ** Bertelsmann Music Group, a 1987–2008 division of Bertelsmann that was purchased by Sony on October 1, 2008 *** Sony BMG, a 2004–2008 joint venture of Bertelsmann and Sony that wa ...

Williams College Williams College is a Private college, private liberal arts colleges in the United States, liberal arts college in Williamstown, Massachusetts. It was established as a men's college in 1793 with funds from the estate of Ephraim Williams, a col ...

National Young Composers Competition, was an alternate for the 1998-9 Rome Prize from the

American Academy in Rome The American Academy in Rome is a research and arts institution located on the Gianicolo (Janiculum Hill) in Rome. The academy is a member of the Council of American Overseas Research Centers. History In 1893, a group of American architects, ...

, and has won two BMI Student Composer Awards. Dr. Sparr is a graduate of the

Baltimore School for the Arts The Baltimore School for the Arts (BSA) is a public performing arts high school located in Mount Vernon, Baltimore, Maryland, United States and is part of the Baltimore City Public Schools system. Established in 1979, The Baltimore School for the ...

and received his Bachelor of Music degree from the

Eastman School of Music The Eastman School of Music is the music school of the University of Rochester, a private research university in Rochester, New York. It was established in 1921 by industrialist and philanthropist George Eastman. It offers Bachelor of Music (B.M ...

. He completed his Doctor of Musical Arts degree from the University of Michigan in 2003. His composition teachers include

Augusta Read Thomas Augusta Read Thomas (born April 24, 1964) is an American composer and professor. Biography Thomas studied composition with Oliver Knussen at Tanglewood; Jacob Druckman at Yale University; Alan Stout and Bill Karlins at Northwestern University ...

, Sydney Hodkinson, and

Pulitzer Prize The Pulitzer Prize () is an award for achievements in newspaper, magazine, online journalism, literature, and musical composition within the United States. It was established in 1917 by provisions in the will of Joseph Pulitzer, who had made h ...

winners

William Bolcom William Elden Bolcom (born May 26, 1938) is an American composer and pianist. He has received the Pulitzer Prize, the National Medal of Arts, a Grammy Award, the Detroit Music Award and was named 2007 Composer of the Year by Musical America. He ...

, Christopher Rouse, and

Joseph Schwantner Joseph Clyde Schwantner (born March 22, 1943, Chicago, Illinois) is a Pulitzer Prize-winning American composer, educator and a member of the American Academy of Arts and Letters since 2002. He was awarded the 1970 Charles Ives Prize. Schwantner ...

. D. J. has held residencies with numerous orchestras. Most recently he was the curator for the

Lubbock Symphony Orchestra The Lubbock Symphony Orchestra (LSO) is an orchestra based in Lubbock, Texas Lubbock ( ) is the 10th-most populous city in the U.S. state of Texas and the seat of government of Lubbock County. With a population of 260,993 in 2021, the city ...

SOUND! series from 2018-2020. From 2011-2014 he was the Young American Composer-in-Residence with the

California Symphony The California Symphony is a professional orchestra based in Walnut Creek, California, in the East Bay region of the San Francisco Bay Area. The orchestra, which "may be the most forward-looking music organization around", performs in the Lesher Cen ...

. He was the composer-in-residence with the

Richmond Symphony Orchestra The Richmond Symphony is based in Richmond, Virginia and is the largest performing arts organization in Central Virginia and one of the nation's leading regional orchestras. The organization includes a full-time orchestra with more than 70 musician ...

's education and community engagement department from 2009-2011.

External links

Official website

BMI Honors Student Composers at 48th Annual Awards: Bios

Zappa, Hendrix, art rock, disco blend into concert

Richmond Symphony Orchestra

* ttp://www.windrep.org/DJ_Sparr Wind Repertory Project
Hiss Golden Messenger and W-S Symphony collaborate for show at The Ramkat
{{DEFAULTSORT:Sparr, D. J. American male classical composers American classical composers American classical guitarists American male guitarists American rock guitarists Guitarists from Maryland 20th-century classical composers 21st-century classical composers Living people University of Michigan School of Music, Theatre & Dance alumni 20th-century American guitarists 21st-century American guitarists 20th-century American composers 20th-century American male musicians 21st-century American male musicians 1975 births