Richard Zarou (born 1981) is a contemporary composer of concert and film music and the host of the new music podcast "No Extra Notes". Zarou is from Centreville, VA and completed his undergraduate studies at

Shenandoah University Shenandoah University is a private university in Winchester, Virginia, United States. It has an enrollment of approximately 4,000 students across more than 200 areas of study in six schools and colleges. Shenandoah University is one of five Unit ...

in Virginia. He completed his

Master of Music The Master of Music (MM or MMus) is, as an academic title, the first graduate degree in music awarded by universities and conservatories. The MM combines advanced studies in an applied area of specialization (usually performance in singing or i ...

degree in music composition at

Florida State University Florida State University (FSU or Florida State) is a Public university, public research university in Tallahassee, Florida, United States. It is a senior member of the State University System of Florida and a preeminent university in the s ...

in 2006 and completed his

Doctor of Musical Arts The doctor of musical arts (DMA) is a doctorate, doctoral academic degree in music. The DMA combines advanced studies in an applied area of specialization (usually Performance, music performance, music composition, or conducting) with graduate-le ...

degree in music composition, again at

, in December 2008. Zarou's concert music has been featured on a number of festivals and concerts both in the US and abroad. His work "Catatonic Visions of a Spring-Loaded Case" for bass trombone and CD was premiered by Jonathan Warburton and has received several performances both in the US and in the UK since its 2008 premiere. Zarou has also been programmed on the national conference of the Society of Composers, Inc., the College Music Society's 50th anniversary concert program, the prestigious Electronic Music Midwest festival,

Florida International University Florida International University (FIU) is a public research university with its main campus in Westchester, Florida, United States. Founded in 1965 by the Florida Legislature, the school opened to students in 1972. FIU is the third-largest univ ...

's FEASt FEST, and the Delta State University's Electroacoustic Juke Joint, among many others. As a film composer, Richard Zarou has worked with a number of professional and student filmmakers. Perhaps his most significant contribution was to the 2007 documentary Breaking the Silence: Torture Survivors Speak Out, a film by Terry Coonan and Vallerie Richard Auzenne in collaboration with the torture victim advocacy group TASSC. Zarou is perhaps best known for his electroacoustic compositions including his recent album-length release "In From the Rain". His music, particularly his electroacoustic works, is characterized by a vibrant energy, often process-oriented organization, and a clear focus on emotional impact. Zarou has worked with a number of musicians including bass trombonists Jonathan Warburton (UK) and Aaron Misenheimer, cellist Katie Geeseman, flutist Barbi Risken, pianist Martin Levicky (Czech Republic), mezzo-soprano Sarah Horick, and the Eppes String Quartet, among many others. Richard Zarou was also the first composer to receive a commission for a new work for the Loudon County String Orchestra which was premiered in January 2009.

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External links

*http://www.richardzarou.com/ *http://www.fsu.edu/news/2007/09/25/torture.survivors/ *http://www.thisisnotalabel.com/EMM-2008---Richard-Zarou-on-Ad-Vitam-Aeternam.php *http://elizabethjoankelly.com/Documents/Freeplay10program.pdf *http://www.societyofcomposers.org/data/publications/newsletter/issues/2005/SCINewsXXXV6.pdf {{DEFAULTSORT:Zarou, Richard Florida State University alumni 1981 births Living people Shenandoah University alumni 21st-century American composers String quartet composers