Alexander Elliott Miller,
D.M.A.
Curriculum Vita
December
2011
Download PDF Version
EDUCATION
University of Southern California
D.M.A. in Composition,
2010
- Dissertation:
"Disappearance," percussion quartet (2010).
- Minor Areas: Theory
& Analysis, Guitar Performance, Electronic Music.
- Teaching Assistant, Composition Department.
- Jimmy McHugh Composition Prize,
2009.
- Studies with Donald
Crockett, Frank Ticheli & Erica Muhl
Eastman School of Music
M.M. in Composition,
2006
- Thesis: "Four," guitar
quartet (2006).
- Publication of
"Four" by VP
Music Media in Rome, Italy ( www.vpmusicmedia.com)
- Louis Lane Prize for Excellence in Composition,
2006.
- Studied Pedagogy of Music Theory
with Steven Laitz.
- Studies with Robert
Morris, Ricardo Zohn-Muldoon & Carlos Sanchez Gutierrez.
University of Colorado at Boulder
B.M. in Composition with High
Honors, 2004
B.M. in Guitar Performance with High Honors,
2004
- Outstanding Graduating Student,
CU College of Music
- Howard Waltz
Scholarship (1st ever composer recipient)
- James M. Grossi Composition Scholarship
- Outstanding Student of the Freshman Class
- Studies with Richard Toensing, Michael Theodore & John
Drumheller
EMPLOYMENT
Illinois State University
Visiting Assistant Professor of Music Theory &
Composition, 2011 - 2012.
University of Southern
California
Adjunct Instructor of Music Theory, 2010 -
2011.
West Chester University of
Pennsylvania
Instructor of Music, Fall 2009. Sabbatical
Replacement.
California Lutheran
University
Adjunct Instructor of Composition, Spring 2009.
Sabbatical Replacement.
University of Southern
California
Teaching Assistant, Composition Department, 2007 -
2009.
University of Colorado at
Boulder
Guitar
Instructor, Department of Continuing Education, 2002 -
2004
FELLOWSHIPS &
RESIDENCIES
MacDowell Colony
Composition Fellow, May-June 2012.
University of
California at Berkeley
Center for New Music & Audio
Technology
CNMAT Summer 2011 Workshop for Max/MSP/Jitter,
2011.
Chamber Music Conference and Composers Forum of the
East
Bennington College
Composition Fellow,
2009.
Composition
Studies with John Fitz-Rogers.
Performance of “Fall Color,”
fl., ob., cl., hn., bs., vln., vla., vc. (2009).
Aspen Music Festival &
School
Composition Studies with Sydney Hodkinson,
2008.
Performance of “The Moments
in Between,” wind quintet (2008) and reading by the American Academy of
Conducting at Aspen of “Wanderings of the Mind While Attempting to Ruminate
on a Painting of Dali,” orchestra (2008).
Nevada Encounters of New Music
(NEON) Festival
University of Nevada, Las Vegas
Composition studies with
Bernard Rands, Chen Yi, Bruce Boughton & Dmitri Tymoczko,
2008.
Performance of "Actions & Resonances."
Bowdoin International Music Festival
Bowdoin College
Composition Studies with Samuel Adler, Aaron Jay Kernis & Richard
Danielpour. 2003.
Performance of
“Three Sketches,” fl., cl. (2001)
PUBLICATIONS OF
COMPOSITIONS
HoneyRock Percussion Performance Literature,
Pennsylvania.
Publication of “Banging(,) Pots & Pans” for 2
marimbas. 2011.
VP Music Media, Italy.
Publication of
“Four” for guitar quartet.
2006.
FESTIVAL & CONFERENCE
PERFORMANCES
College Music Society: 30th Great Lakes Regional
Conference. Harper College. 2012.
Los Angeles Percussion Quartet,
Chapman University. 2012.
Illinois State Music Teachers Association
Conference. Illinois State University. 2011.
At the Limit of Notes, What's Next? Ensemble.
2011.
8th Annual Festival of Contemporary Music
(San Francisco, CA). 2010.
Brave New Works. SCI Region VIII Conference, University of
Puget Sound. 2010.
Daniel Geeting Faculty Recital, California Lutheran
University. 2010.
Music on Argyle (Los Angeles, CA), 2010.
Synchromy New Music (Los Angeles, CA), 2010.
Chamber Music
Conference & Composers Forum of the East, Bennington College.
2009.
Quintet Attacca, Lake Forest College.
2009.
7th Annual Festival of Contemporary Music
(San Francisco, CA). 2009.
Los Angeles Composers
Project: What's Next? Ensemble. 2009.
Aspen
Music Festival & School. 2008.
Nevada Encounter of New Music Festival, University
of Nevada at Las Vegas. 2008.
New Music
Festival, University of Nebraska, Kearney. 2007.
Nathaniel May Recital, Washington University.
2007.
Ulrika Davidson Recital, Eastman School of Music.
2006.
SCI Region VIII Conference, University of
Montana, Missoula. 2005.
Bowdoin International Music Festival,
Bowdoin College. 2003.
AWARDS, GRANTS
& COMMISSIONS
MacDowell Colony. Composition Fellow.
2012.
USC Composition Department Award. 2011.
Commission of “Scrim”
; What’s Next? Ensemble. 2010.
Grant from the American Composers Forum:
“Making Music in the Schools.” 2010.
Commission of "Disappearance" ;
Los Angeles Percussion Quartet. 2010.
Performance by Brave New Works,
Tacoma, WA. 2009.
Commission of “Scarff Street Soliloquies” ; Dr.
Daniel Geeting, CLU. 2009.
Reading by the Penderecki Quartet, Los Angeles,
CA. 2009.
USC Jimmy McHugh Composition Prize. 2009.
Performance by the USC
Symphony. 2009
Performance by the USC Contemporary Music Ensemble.
2009.
ASCAP Morton Gould Young Composers Award Finalist. 2008.
Reading by
the American Academy of Conducting at Aspen. 2008.
Performance by the USC
Percussion Ensemble. 2008.
Eastman School of Music Louis Lane Prize for
Excellence in Composition. 2006.
ASCAP Morton Gould Young Composers Award
Finalist. 2006.
CU College of Music "Outstanding Graduating Student."
2004
CU College of Music "Outstanding Student of the Freshman Class."
2001.
University of Kansas Jazz Festival, "Outstanding Soloist."
1999.
INVITED GUEST LECTURES &
PRESENTATIONS
Illinois State University
Composition Studio
Presenter. 2011.
National Band
Association, ISU Chapter
Invited to lead a discussion of music
theory pedagogy. 2011.
University of California at
Riverside
Electronics Live!
Presenter. Culver Center for the Arts. 2011.
West Chester University of
Pennsylvania
Composition Studio Guest Artist.2009.
Pepperdine University
Composition Studio Guest Artist.
2009.
California Lutheran
University
Composition Studio Guest
Artist. 2008.
California
Lutheran University
Guest Panelist
& Presenter. Post-Modern LA Concert.
2008.
RADIO BROADCASTS OF
COMPOSITIONS
KUSC 91.5 FM, Los Angeles.
Thornton Center
Stage, Alan Chapman, host.
Episode VI,
"New Music for Orchestra." Broadcast of
"Wanderings of the Mind While
Attempting to Ruminate on a Painting of Dali." March 29th,
2009.
ADMINISTRATIVE
EXPERIENCE
Illinois State University
Red Note New Music
Festival
Adjudicator: Red Note New Music Festival Call for Scores, semi
finals, 2012.
What's Next? Ensemble
Adjudicator
& Musician, 2009 - 2011.
- Adjudicator: Los Angeles Composers'
Project Call for Scores, 2009 & 2011.
- Electric
Guitarist, 2009 - 2010.
Los Angeles
Percussion Quartet
Assistant
Producer, 2010
Produced sessions for “Ritual Dances” by Eric Guinivan.
University of Southern
California
Teaching Assistant, 2007 -
2009
Organized Student
Composition Concerts.
Maintained
Composition Department Website; Initiated and created the “Achievement”
page.
Wrote, produced and administered undergraduate and graduate entrance
exams.
Eastman School of Music
Department Assistant, 2004 -
2006
Organized and promoted Student Composition
Concerts.
American Music Research
Center
Scanner &
Archivist, 2003
Scanned early 20th Century ragtime scores for digital
preservation.
University of Colorado at
Boulder
Research Assistant,
2002 - 2004
Scanned manuscript of the composer, George Crumb, for
digital preservation.
COURSES
TAUGHT
Illinois State University
Private Composition
Lessons (graduate & undergraduate)
MUS 407: Analysis for Performers
(graduate students)
MUS 201: Music Theory III (Honors)
MUS 207:
Musicianship III (Honors)
MUS 102: Music Theory II
MUS 108: Musicianship
II
University of Southern California
MUCO 130 a/b:
Basics of Music Theory (non-music majors)
West Chester University of Pennsylvania
MTC 113:
Music Theory II
MTC 114: Aural Activities II
MTC 214: Aural Activities
III
California Lutheran
University
Private Composition Students
(undergraduate)
University of Southern California (as
Teaching Assistant)
MUCO 232 a/b: Aurals Skills lab.