Donald Reid Womack (born 1966) is a composer of

contemporary classical music Contemporary classical music is Western art music composed close to the present day. At the beginning of the 21st-century classical music, 21st century, it commonly referred to the post-1945 Modernism (music), post-tonal music after the death of ...

. He was born in

Virginia Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern and Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States between the East Coast of the United States ...

, raised in East

Tennessee Tennessee (, ), officially the State of Tennessee, is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It borders Kentucky to the north, Virginia to the northeast, North Carolina t ...

and studied at

Furman University Furman University is a private university in Greenville, South Carolina, United States. Founded in 1826 and named after Baptist pastor Richard Furman, the Liberal arts college, liberal arts university is the oldest private institution of higher l ...

and

Northwestern University Northwestern University (NU) is a Private university, private research university in Evanston, Illinois, United States. Established in 1851 to serve the historic Northwest Territory, it is the oldest University charter, chartered university in ...

, receiving degrees in philosophy, music theory, and music composition. He has composed more than 100 works for orchestra, chamber ensembles, solo instruments, and voice. Major works include a concerto for

shakuhachi A is a Japanese longitudinal, end-blown flute that is made of bamboo. The bamboo end-blown flute now known as the was developed in Japan in the 16th century and is called the .

, koto and orchestra (''After''), two gayageum concertos (''Scattered Rhythms'' and ''무노리 Mu Nori''), a haegeum concerto (''Dancing With Spirits 혼무''), a geomungo concerto (''검은 용 Black Dragon'') a violin concerto (''In questi tempi di Conflitto''), a viola concerto (''Blue Ridge Seasons''), an oratorio for

chorus Chorus may refer to: Music * Chorus (song), the part of a song that is repeated several times, usually after each verse * Chorus effect, the perception of similar sounds from multiple sources as a single, richer sound * Chorus form, song in whic ...

and

chamber orchestra Chamber music is a form of classical music that is composed for a small group of Musical instrument, instruments—traditionally a group that could fit in a Great chamber, palace chamber or a large room. Most broadly, it includes any art music ...

(''Voices of Kalaupapa''), and a triple concerto for

shakuhachi A is a Japanese longitudinal, end-blown flute that is made of bamboo. The bamboo end-blown flute now known as the was developed in Japan in the 16th century and is called the .

biwa The is a Japanese short-necked wooden lute traditionally used in narrative storytelling. The is a plucked string instrument that first gained popularity in China before spreading throughout East Asia, eventually reaching Japan sometime durin ...

and koto with ensemble of Japanese instruments (''Three Trees 三木''). Womack's influences meld a broad range of sources, including post-minimalism,

rock Rock most often refers to: * Rock (geology), a naturally occurring solid aggregate of minerals or mineraloids * Rock music, a genre of popular music Rock or Rocks may also refer to: Places United Kingdom * Rock, Caerphilly, a location in Wale ...

, bluegrass, and especially intercultural elements — in particular East Asian instruments. He spent a year in

Tokyo, Japan Tokyo, officially the Tokyo Metropolis, is the capital of Japan, capital and List of cities in Japan, most populous city in Japan. With a population of over 14 million in the city proper in 2023, it is List of largest cities, one of the most ...

studying Japanese instruments, as well as a year in

Seoul, South Korea Seoul, officially Seoul Special Metropolitan City, is the capital city, capital and largest city of South Korea. The broader Seoul Metropolitan Area, encompassing Seoul, Gyeonggi Province and Incheon, emerged as the world's List of cities b ...

learning Korean music, and has composed nearly 60 works for Japanese, Korean and Chinese instruments in various combinations. His music has been described as "original, creative and ingenious" (''Shimbun Akahata''), "powerful and impressively crafted" and "eclectic but also distinctive" (''Honolulu Star-Bulletin''), "raw energy alternating with a brooding potentiality" (''Honolulu Advertiser''), "wonderfully mellow and sprightly in its metrical incisiveness" (''Buffalo NY Daily News''), "capable of providing stimulus for a new century" ('' Neue Musikzeitung''), and as having "the concentration of a haiku." (''Classical CD Review'') Womack's works have been performed throughout the U.S., as well as in many countries in Europe, Asia, Oceania, South America and Africa by such ensembles as the

Tokyo Metropolitan Symphony Orchestra The (also known as Tokyō (都響)) is a Japanese orchestra based in Tokyo. Their offices are based at the Tokyo Bunka Kaikan, a concert venue owned by the Tokyo Metropolitan Government. The orchestra performs regularly at Tokyo Bunka Kaikan, Su ...

Louisville Orchestra The Louisville Orchestra is the primary orchestra in Louisville, Kentucky. It was founded in 1937 by Robert Whitney (1904–1986). The Louisville Orchestra employs salaried musicians, and offers a wide variety of concert series to the communit ...

Honolulu Symphony The Hawaiʻi Symphony Orchestra, formerly known as Honolulu Symphony Orchestra, was founded in 1900. It is the second oldest orchestra in the United States west of the Rocky Mountains. The orchestra now plays mainly at the Hawaii Theatre Center ...

, Changwon Philharmonic, National Orchestra of Korea, KBS Traditional Korean Orchestra, Seoul National Gugak Orchestra, Busan National Gugak Orchestra, Seoul Metropolitan Traditional Orchestra, Pittsburgh New Music Ensemble, Hong Kong New Music Ensemble, Pro Music Nipponia (日本音楽集団), and AURA-J. Among his awards are a Guggenheim Fellowship, two

Fulbright The Fulbright Program, including the Fulbright–Hays Program, is one of several United States cultural exchange programs with the goal of improving intercultural relations, cultural diplomacy, and intercultural competence between the people ...

Research Fellowships, winner of the Gyeonggi Korean Orchestra International Composition Competition, First Prize in the

Sigma Alpha Iota Sigma Alpha Iota () is an international music fraternity. It was established in 1903 at the University School of Music in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Sigma Alpha Iota is a member of the National Interfraternity Music Council and the Professional Frater ...

Inter-American Music Awards, two Individual Artist Fellowships from the

Hawaii State Foundation on Culture and the Arts Hawaii ( ; ) is an island state of the United States, in the Pacific Ocean about southwest of the U.S. mainland. One of the two non-contiguous U.S. states (along with Alaska), it is the only state not on the North American mainland, th ...

, and an Excellence in Research Award from the University of Hawaii. Since 1994 Womack has resided in

Honolulu, Hawaii Honolulu ( ; ) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Hawaii, located in the Pacific Ocean. It is the county seat of the Consolidated city-county, consolidated City and County of Honol ...

, where he is professor of music composition and theory, and a faculty member of the Center for Japanese Studies and the Center for Korean Studies at the

University of Hawaii A university () is an educational institution, institution of tertiary education and research which awards academic degrees in several Discipline (academia), academic disciplines. ''University'' is derived from the Latin phrase , which roughly ...

References

Honolulu Star-Bulletin, March 30, 2003 (retrieved December 7, 2008)
* ttps://web.archive.org/web/20081222045913/http://www.hawaii.edu/uhmmusic/ Donald Reid Womack profile at the University of Hawaii (retrieved December 7, 2008)

External links

Official websiteUniversity of Hawaii Music Department website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Womack, Donald Reid 1966 births Living people 21st-century American classical composers American male classical composers Furman University alumni Bienen School of Music alumni Classical musicians from Virginia 21st-century American male musicians