Episode 23

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Published on:

9th Apr 2024

1.23 - Quincy Hilliard

Join Jason as he welcomes composer Quincy Hilliard to the podcast!

Quincy C. Hilliard’s compositions for wind band are published by several major music publishers, and are performed throughout the world where there are wind bands of British-American instrumentation. His stature as an outstanding composer is apparent as conductors frequently commission him for new compositions.

Dr. Hilliard has been a recipient several times of the distinguished American Society for Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP) award recognizing the numerous performances of his works and was chosen as one of a select group of composers to write a piece for the 1996 Olympics. He has also written the music score for a film documentary entitled “The Texas Rangers” for public television. In addition to composing, Dr. Hilliard is invited to all parts of the world to conduct, adjudicate festivals, and demonstrate effective teaching techniques and has written extensively on pedagogical topics in journals and publications.

In the spring of 1997, Dr. Hilliard was appointed by the Governor of Louisiana to the Louisiana Arts Council. Dr. Hilliard is also the president of Hilliard Music Enterprises, Inc., a personal consulting firm that has a corporate board of distinguished music educators. He is currently composer in residence and professor of music theory and composition, and holds the Heymann Endowed Professorship of Music at the University of Louisiana in Lafayette.

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About the Podcast

Composer Chats
Composer Chat is a podcast where we talk a little bit about music, a little bit about life, and a whole lot about whatever we feel like at the moment! Each episode I am joined by a special guest composer and we will chat about their pathway towards success in their musical career!

About your host

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Jason Nitsch

Jason Nitsch’s music is equally at home on the concert stage, in outdoor venues, and streaming online, reaching the broadest audience of musicians, performers, and music enthusiasts possible. As a composer dedicated to the exploration of new ideas, his music has evolved over a 25-year career to incorporate more and more non-traditional elements, such as effect tracks, sound drops, and enveloping electroacoustic works combining live and pre-recorded elements. Much of his work is rooted in a large ensemble context; his wind ensemble works have received thousands of performances throughout the US including at Midwest, State Music Conferences including Texas, Colorado, and Kentucky Music Educators Associations, Colleges and Universities like Baylor University, the University of North Texas, and Syracuse University, and at other regional music festivals (ITEA).

In recent years Jason has focused on more intimate chamber musical settings, including collaborations with solo musicians such as trumpeter Kate Amrine , Cellist Carolyn Regula (The Cello Doll) and vocalist Michaela Catapano, as well as chamber groups across the US (Chicago Brass Choir), while continuing expand his sizable catalog of works for larger instrumental forces.

Jason is well known for his work as an educator, dedicated to providing young promising musicians with the foundational experiences on which a lifetime of music-making can be built, and is pursuing research into the ways that music students process their experiences as learners and performers.

Combining his long career in music with a deep love of science fiction and a natural talent for storytelling, Jason recently launched his first podcast, “Beyond the Belt: Adventures from the Outer Rim.” “Beyond the Belt” is a collection of 8 original dramatic science fiction episodes for which he served as writer, producer, and composer. It tells the story of a scientific research experiment gone horribly wrong. With Zombies (of course!).

Jason has released three digital albums in recent years, including the Season One Soundtrack from the Beyond the Belt podcast, “1000 Steps to Nowhere", a collection of chamber music compositions, and most recently “The Dead Teach the Living,” featuring nine vocal collaborations ranging from solo works to Orchestral compositions.

Jason is a lover of dogs, video games, and all things Star Wars (yes, even the prequels). He is also a husband, father of two budding musicians, and a patron of art forms that stretch traditional boundaries.

He currently lives in Waxhachie, TX with his family. He can occasionally be sighted lurking at select music conferences.