Timothy Mahr (born March 20, 1956) is a professor of music at St. Olaf College, and an

American American(s) may refer to: * American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the "United States" or "America" ** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America ** American ancestry, pe ...

composer A composer is a person who writes music. The term is especially used to indicate composers of Western classical music, or those who are composers by occupation. Many composers are, or were, also skilled performers of music. Etymology and Defi ...

and conductor.

Early life

Mahr was born in Reedsburg,

Wisconsin Wisconsin () is a state in the upper Midwestern United States. Wisconsin is the 25th-largest state by total area and the 20th-most populous. It is bordered by Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake M ...

. He earned a

Bachelor of Music Bachelor of Music (BM or BMus) is an academic degree awarded by a college, university, or conservatory upon completion of a program of study in music. In the United States, it is a professional degree, and the majority of work consists of prescr ...

degree in

Theory A theory is a rational type of abstract thinking about a phenomenon, or the results of such thinking. The process of contemplative and rational thinking is often associated with such processes as observational study or research. Theories may be s ...

and Composition in 1977 and a

Bachelor of Arts Bachelor of arts (BA or AB; from the Latin ', ', or ') is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate program in the arts, or, in some cases, other disciplines. A Bachelor of Arts degree course is generally completed in three or four years ...

degree in

Music Education Music education is a field of practice in which educators are trained for careers as elementary or secondary music teachers, school or music conservatory ensemble directors. Music education is also a research area in which scholars do origina ...

in 1978, both from St. Olaf College in

Northfield Northfield may refer to: Places United Kingdom * Northfield, Aberdeen, Scotland * Northfield, Edinburgh, Scotland * Northfield, Birmingham, England * Northfield (Kettering BC Ward), Northamptonshire, England United States * Northfield, Connec ...

Minnesota Minnesota () is a state in the upper midwestern region of the United States. It is the 12th largest U.S. state in area and the 22nd most populous, with over 5.75 million residents. Minnesota is home to western prairies, now given over to ...

. In 1983 he completed a

Master's degree A master's degree (from Latin ) is an academic degree awarded by universities or colleges upon completion of a course of study demonstrating mastery or a high-order overview of a specific field of study or area of professional practice.

at the University of Iowa in

Trombone The trombone (german: Posaune, Italian, French: ''trombone'') is a musical instrument in the Brass instrument, brass family. As with all brass instruments, sound is produced when the player's vibrating lips cause the Standing wave, air column ...

Performance. He completed his

doctorate A doctorate (from Latin ''docere'', "to teach"), doctor's degree (from Latin ''doctor'', "teacher"), or doctoral degree is an academic degree awarded by universities and some other educational institutions, derived from the ancient formalism ''l ...

Musical Arts in Instrumental Conducting in 1995, also at the University of Iowa. Currently, he is a

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

music Music is generally defined as the art of arranging sound to create some combination of form, harmony, melody, rhythm or otherwise expressive content. Exact definitions of music vary considerably around the world, though it is an aspect ...

at St. Olaf College and conductor of the St. Olaf Band. Mahr teaches courses in composition, music education, and conducting.

Professional work

He is Past President of the North Central Division of the College Band Directors National Association (1999–2001) and has served on the board of directors of the National Band Association and the Minnesota Band Directors Association. Mahr remains active as a guest conductor and clinician, in demand as a guest composer/conductor on over 35 college and university campuses. Mahr's compositions have been performed by ensembles worldwide, and many have been published. The first recipient of a commission from the

American Bandmasters Association The American Bandmasters Association (ABA) was formed in 1929 by Edwin Franko Goldman to promote concert band music.Raoul F. Camus. "American Bandmasters Association." In Grove Music Online. Oxford Music Online, http://www.oxfordmusiconline.com/sub ...

Commissioning Project, Mahr continues to be commissioned by universities, colleges, high schools, state band associations and community groups nationally. Notable commissions include works for the

Music Educators National Conference The National Association for Music Education (NAfME) is an organization of American music educators dedicated to advancing and preserving music education as part of the core curriculum of schools in the United States. Founded in 1907 as the Mus ...

, the

Kappa Kappa Psi Kappa Kappa Psi National Honorary Band Fraternity (, colloquially referred to as KKPsi), is a fraternity for college and university band members in the United States. It was founded on November 27, 1919, on Thanksgiving Day, at Oklahoma Agricul ...

Tau Beta Sigma Tau Beta Sigma Honorary Band Sorority, (, colloquially referred to as TBSigma or TBS) is a co-educational service sorority. The sorority, headquartered at the historic Stillwater Santa Fe Depot in Stillwater, Oklahoma, numbers over 3,800 active ...

National Intercollegiate Band The National Intercollegiate Band (NIB) is a concert band, sponsored by honorary band fraternity and sorority Kappa Kappa Psi and Tau Beta Sigma, that performs every two years at the national convention of the two organizations. Organized in ...

, the 50th anniversary of the American School Band Directors Association and the

United States Air Force Band The United States Air Force Band is a U.S. military band consisting of 184 active-duty members of the United States Air Force. It is the Air Force's premier musical organization and is based at Bolling Air Force Base, Washington, D.C.. Within t ...

. He received the 1991 ABA/

Ostwald Award The Sousa/Ostwald Award is an annual award given by the American Bandmasters Association for a composition for concert band A concert band, also called a wind band, wind ensemble, wind symphony, wind orchestra, symphonic band, the symphonic wi ...

for his work "The Soaring Hawk." Mahr was elected to membership in the American Bandmasters Associations in 1993. Mahr conducted the Massachusetts All-State band at Symphony Hall in Boston (2000). This performance featured his outstanding original score, "Endurance," based on Shackleton's attempt to reach the South Pole. In 2010, Mahr was a clinician for the 50th anniversary of the WELS National Band Festival in Onalaska, WI at Luther High School. He composed the piece "Tres Solas" (which has not been released yet) specifically for this event.

Accomplishments

Mahr is perhaps best known for his

compositions Composition or Compositions may refer to: Arts and literature * Composition (dance), practice and teaching of choreography *Composition (language), in literature and rhetoric, producing a work in spoken tradition and written discourse, to include ...

for

concert band A concert band, also called a wind band, wind ensemble, wind symphony, wind orchestra, symphonic band, the symphonic winds, or symphonic wind ensemble, is a performing ensemble consisting of members of the woodwind, brass, and percussion famil ...

, including the highly descriptive

tone poem A symphonic poem or tone poem is a piece of orchestral music, usually in a single continuous movement, which illustrates or evokes the content of a poem, short story, novel, painting, landscape, or other (non-musical) source. The German term ''T ...

"The Soaring

Hawk Hawks are bird of prey, birds of prey of the family Accipitridae. They are widely distributed and are found on all continents except Antarctica. * The subfamily Accipitrinae includes goshawks, sparrowhawks, sharp-shinned hawks and others. Th ...

" (1990), and "Endurance" (1991) ( commissioned by the

Commissioning Project). His compositions are often performed by

high school A secondary school describes an institution that provides secondary education and also usually includes the building where this takes place. Some secondary schools provide both '' lower secondary education'' (ages 11 to 14) and ''upper seconda ...

and

university A university () is an institution of higher (or tertiary) education and research which awards academic degrees in several academic disciplines. Universities typically offer both undergraduate and postgraduate programs. In the United States, t ...

symphony bands and

wind ensemble A concert band, also called a wind band, wind ensemble, wind symphony, wind orchestra, symphonic band, the symphonic winds, or symphonic wind ensemble, is a performing ensemble consisting of members of the woodwind, brass, and percussion famil ...

s, but professional groups, such as the Minnesota Symphonic Winds and the

also perform his works. Mahr's perhaps most famous work, Dig Down Deep, Grade 3, has been performed and loved by many, including the St. Olaf Band. In January of 2018, the St. Olaf Band performed this piece on a joint concert with an elementary summer band, and the performance was adored by all who came to listen.

Family life

He is married to Jill Mahr, music performer and educator, and they have two children, Jenna and Hannah.

References

External links

St. Olaf CollegeSt. Olaf BandMinnesota Symphonic Winds''A Musical Mind'' (St. Olaf Magazine, January 2007)

{{DEFAULTSORT:Mahr, Timothy 1956 births Living people 20th-century classical composers 21st-century classical composers People from Reedsburg, Wisconsin American classical trombonists Male trombonists St. Olaf College faculty St. Olaf College alumni 21st-century American composers American male classical composers American classical composers 21st-century classical trombonists 20th-century classical trombonists 20th-century American composers 20th-century American male musicians 21st-century American male musicians