Thomas M. Sleeper (February 16, 1956 – October 15, 2022) was an American composer and conductor. He was the Orchestra Conductor at Stetson University in DeLand, Florida from 1985 to 1993, and Director of Orchestral Activities and Conductor of the
University of Miami
The University of Miami (UM, UMiami, Miami, U of M, and The U) is a private university, private research university in Coral Gables, Florida, United States. , the university enrolled 19,852 students in two colleges and ten schools across over ...
Frost
Frost is a thin layer of ice on a solid surface, which forms from water vapor that deposits onto a freezing surface. Frost forms when the air contains more water vapor than it can normally hold at a specific temperature. The process is simila ...
Symphony Orchestra until his retirement in 2018. He was also the director of the
Florida Youth Orchestra
The Florida Youth Orchestra is a philharmonic orchestra for young musicians, ages 6 – 19. It was founded in 1988 by South Florida
South Florida, sometimes colloquially shortened to SoFlo, is the Regions of the United States#Florida, southern ...
from 1993 to 2020.
History
Sleeper was born in
Wagoner, Oklahoma
Wagoner is a city in Wagoner County, Oklahoma, Wagoner County, Oklahoma, United States. The population was 8,323 at the 2010 United States Census, 2010 census,CensusViewer: Population of the City of Wagoner, Oklahoma. Retrieved March 16, 201/ref> ...
, and was a member of the
Cherokee Nation
The Cherokee Nation ( or ) is the largest of three list of federally recognized tribes, federally recognized tribes of Cherokees in the United States. It includes people descended from members of the Cherokee Nation (1794–1907), Old Cheroke ...
. He received his Bachelor of Music at the
University of Texas
The University of Texas at Austin (UT Austin, UT, or Texas) is a public research university in Austin, Texas, United States. Founded in 1883, it is the flagship institution of the University of Texas System. With 53,082 students as of fall 2 ...
, and subsequently received his Master of Music at
Southern Methodist University
Southern Methodist University (SMU) is a Private university, private research university in Dallas, Texas, United States, with a satellite campus in Taos County, New Mexico. SMU was founded on April 17, 1911, by the Methodist Episcopal Church, ...
, where he studied under Daryl F. Rauscher of the
Dallas Symphony Orchestra
The Dallas Symphony Orchestra (DSO) is an American orchestra based in Dallas, Texas. Its principal performing venue is the Morton H. Meyerson Symphony Center in the Arts District, Dallas, Arts District of downtown Dallas.
History
The orchestra tr ...
and James Rives-Jones. From 1975 to 1978, while in
Austin
Austin refers to:
Common meanings
* Austin, Texas, United States, a city
* Austin (given name), a list of people and fictional characters
* Austin (surname), a list of people and fictional characters
* Austin Motor Company, a British car manufac ...
, Sleeper was active with an avant-garde group of composer/performers called "Fermata". As a member of "Fermata" he worked with composers such as Jerry Willingham,
Jerry Hunt
Jerry Edward Hunt (November 30, 1943 – November 27, 1993) was an American composer who created works using live electronics partly controlled by his ritualistic performance techniques which were influenced by his interest in the occult. He was ...
and Robert Xavier Rodriguez. In 1978 Sleeper was appointed Associate Conductor of the Dallas Civic Symphony. Following his conducting stint with the Dallas Civic Symphony, Sleeper began to compose many pieces of music including, but not limited to, operas, concerti, symphonies, solo and chamber music.
Sleeper was a frequent guest conductor all over the world and has performed with ensembles such as the Central Philharmonic of China (where he gave the Chinese premiere of Mahler's Symphony No. 5 in 1992), Argentina's San Juan Symphony Orchestra, and Bulgaria's Ruse State Philharmonic. In addition, he was named the Artistic Advisor of the China-Wuhan Symphony in 1993 where he gave the Chinese premiere of Brahms' 2nd Piano Concerto with soloist Justin Blasdale. Sleeper was an advocate of new music, and has commissioned and conducted the premieres of works of composers including Roberto Sierra,
Thomas Ludwig
Thomas Ludwig is an American composer of classical music and a symphony Conducting, conductor. His works have been performed and recorded with orchestras such as the London Symphony Orchestra, Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra, and the New York Cit ...
,
Henry Brant
Henry Dreyfuss Brant (September 15, 1913 – April 26, 2008) was a Canadian-born American composer. An expert orchestrator with a flair for experimentation, many of Brant's works featured spatialization techniques.
Biography
Brant was born ...
,
Carlos Surinach
Carlos Lund (or Carles Suriñach) i Wrokona (; March 6, 1915 – November 12, 1997) was a Spanish-born , and Robert Xavier Rodriguez. He later lived in
Miami, Florida
Miami is a East Coast of the United States, coastal city in the U.S. state of Florida and the county seat of Miami-Dade County, Florida, Miami-Dade County in South Florida. It is the core of the Miami metropolitan area, which, with a populat ...
.
In April 2019, Sleeper was diagnosed with
amyotrophic lateral sclerosis
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), also known as motor neuron disease (MND) or—in the United States—Lou Gehrig's disease (LGD), is a rare, Terminal illness, terminal neurodegenerative disease, neurodegenerative disorder that results i ...
. He died due to complications from the disease on October 15, 2022, at the age of 66.
Notable works
*''Einstein's Inconsistency'', a series of eight operas that get progressively shorter (roughly following a reverse
Fibonacci series
In mathematics, the Fibonacci sequence is a sequence in which each element is the sum of the two elements that precede it. Numbers that are part of the Fibonacci sequence are known as Fibonacci numbers, commonly denoted . Many writers begin the s ...
) and may be recombined in any order or number creating a new overall structure. Composed 2014.
*''Symphony No. 5 "chamber symphony"'', premiered April 2015 at the
University of Miami
The University of Miami (UM, UMiami, Miami, U of M, and The U) is a private university, private research university in Coral Gables, Florida, United States. , the university enrolled 19,852 students in two colleges and ten schools across over ...
Frost School of Music
Phillip and Patricia Frost School of Music is the music school at the University of Miami in Coral Gables, Florida. From 1926 to 2003, it was known as University of Miami School of Music.
Academics and programs
The University of Miami's Frost ...
, Gary Green, conductor.
*''Symphony No. 4'', premiered October 2015 with the
Meadows
A meadow ( ) is an open habitat or field, vegetated by grasses, herbs, and other non-woody plants. Trees or shrubs may sparsely populate meadows, as long as they maintain an open character. Meadows can occur naturally under favourable condition ...
Symphony Orchestra, Paul Phillips, conductor.
*''Sonata for Piano and Alto Saxophone (Seven Deadly Sins)'', 2014, written for pianist Santiago Rodriguez and saxophonist Dale Underwood. Premiered December 7, 2014.
*''Symphony No. 3 "ex nihilo"'', premiered February 2014 by the
United States Navy Band
The United States Navy Band, based at the Washington Navy Yard in Washington, D.C., has served as the official musical organization of the U.S. Navy since 1925. The U.S. Navy Band serves the ceremonial needs at the seat of U.S. government, pe ...
, Captain Brian O. Walden, conductor. The work is dedicated to Dr. William Hipp, Dean Emeritus of the Frost School of Music.
*''Hetaera esmeralda'', 2014, written for Greek pianist/conductor Zoe Zeniodi. Premiere by Zeniodi with the Alhambra Orchestra, April 30, 2014, with the composer conducting.
*''Symphony No. 2 "Little Leylie"'', premiered in November 2012 in Dania, Florida, by the
Florida Youth Orchestra
The Florida Youth Orchestra is a philharmonic orchestra for young musicians, ages 6 – 19. It was founded in 1988 by South Florida
South Florida, sometimes colloquially shortened to SoFlo, is the Regions of the United States#Florida, southern ...
.
*''Thomas Ludwig Violin Concerto'', premiered by Thomas Sleeper with the Miami University Symphony Orchestra.
*''Violin Concerto No. 2'', written for UK violinist
Hugo Ticciati
Hugo Ticciati (born 1980) is a British-born violinist and Conductor (music), conductor of Italian origin, living in Sweden. He has performed in several worldwide events such as the Gotland Chamber Music Festival (Sweden), the Saint-Denis Festiva ...
and Greek conductor Zoe Zeniodi. Premiered in the Casa dei Mezzo Music Festival on Crete, June 2013.
*''Concerto for Flute and Flute Orchestra'', commissioned by Trudy Kane and the Frost Flute Orchestra. Premiered in November 2012 in Miami, Florida, with Trudy Kane, soloist, and Andrés Jiamie, conductor.
*''Concerto for Violin and Orchestra, "Hypnagogia"'', for violin and orchestra, commissioned by the Greater Miami Youth Orchestra. Premiered in March 2012 in Miami, Florida, with Huifang Chen, soloist and Andrés Jiamie, conductor. The work was later recorded with the Brno Philharmonic and soloist Huifang Chen.
*''PARALLAX'' for euphonium and wind ensemble, written for and premiered by Timothy Shade, Wichita, Kansas, September 2011.
*''Parallages'', for solo piano, written for Greek pianist Zoe Zeniodi. Premiered in the Casa dei Mezzo Music Festival on Crete, June 25, 2011.
*''Through a Glass Darkly'' for soprano and orchestra, written for soprano Irini Kyriakidou, conductor Zoe Zeniodi and the Broward Symphony Orchestra. Premiered in Bailey Hall on February 26, 2011. Recorded by the United States Navy Band, Brian O. Walden, conductor, in 2012.
*''Concerto for Alto Saxophone and Orchestra'', written for and premiered by Dale Underwood with the Florida Youth Orchestra, Zoe Zeniodi, conductor, in Bailey Hall, November 2010, and in the chamber version for 9 instruments with Ensemble 21 under the direction of Zoe Zeniodi, February 23, 2011. Recorded by the United States Navy Band, Brian O. Walden, conductor, in 2012.
*''XENIA'' for tenor and orchestra, based on texts by
Jane Alison
Jane Alison (born 1961) is an Australian author.
Early life and education
Born in Canberra in 1961, Alison spent two years in Australia as a small child, growing up mainly in the United States as a child of diplomatic parents. She attended pu ...
from her novel ''The Love-Artist''. Premiered by John Duykers and the Frost Symphony Orchestra with conductor Zoe Zeniodi in Gusman Hall on February 20, 2010.
*''Translucence'' for trombone and orchestra, premiered by Timothy Conner and the Frost Symphony Orchestra with conductor Zoe Zeniodi in Gusman Hall on March 7, 2009.
*''String Quartet No. 3'', written for and premiered by the Delray String Quartet, February 2009.
*''The Sisters Antipodes'', a short opera written in conjunction with Australian author Jane Alison and visual artist
Sherri Tan
Sherri Tan is an American figurative artist whose work includes collage, sculpture, photography, books and multimedia. Her work has been exhibited in galleries and museums across the US including the Bass Museum of Art, Miami; the Museum of Ar ...
, premiered November 2009.
*''Concerto for Cello and Orchestra'', premiered by Jillian Bloom at Carnegie Hall on March 23, 2008. The work was later recorded by Jennifer Culp with the Brno Philharmonic.
*''Concerto for Trumpet'', premiered by Craig Morris, former principal trumpet of the
Chicago Symphony Orchestra
The Chicago Symphony Orchestra (CSO) is an American symphony orchestra based in Chicago, Illinois. Founded by Theodore Thomas in 1891, the ensemble has been based in the Symphony Center since 1904 and plays a summer season at the Ravinia F ...
.
*''String Quartet No. 2, "Bergonzi"'', written for the Bergonzi String Quartet.
*''Aceldama: Field of Blood'', an opera performed throughout the world.
*''Symphony No. 1'', premiered and recorded by the Meadows Symphony Orchestra in Dallas, Paul Phillips, conductor.
*''Concerto for Bassoon and Orchestra'', written for
bassoon
The bassoon is a musical instrument in the woodwind family, which plays in the tenor and bass ranges. It is composed of six pieces, and is usually made of wood. It is known for its distinctive tone color, wide range, versatility, and virtuosity ...
ist Kathryn Sleeper.
*''Adagio for Orchestra''
*''Piano Concerto No. 2'', premiered by pianist Justin Blasdale.
*'' One Water'', documentary film score
*''The Silver Mirror'', documentary film score
Discography
*''Thomas Sleeper: Through a Glass Darkly'': Adagio from Symphony No. 1, ''Through a Glass Darkly'', Finale from ''The Silver Mirror'', Symphony No. 4, Uroboros Music, 2016, Thomas M. Sleeper (composer)
*''Sleeper: Four Concerti'',
Albany Records
Albany Records is a record label that concentrates on unconventional contemporary classical music by American composers and musicians. It was established by Peter Kermani in 1987 and is based in Albany, New York.
In May 2024, Albany Records wa ...
, 2014 (TROY 1475), Thomas M. Sleeper (composer)
*''Thomas Sleeper: Music for Flute: Concerto for Flute and Flute Orchestra, Four miniatures for Bassoon and Flute, Xandre'', Uroboros Music, 2013, Thomas M. Sleeper (composer)
*''Sleeper: Symphony No. 1, XENIA, Six Arias for Cello and Orchestra'', Albany Records, 2010 (TROY 1212), Thomas M. Sleeper (composer)
*'' Maslanka, Sleeper: Reflections: Concerto for Trumpet'',
Naxos Records
Naxos comprises numerous companies, divisions, imprints, and labels specializing in classical music but also audiobooks and other genres. The premier label is Naxos Records, which focuses on classical music. Naxos Musical Group encompasses about ...
, 2007, Thomas M. Sleeper (composer)
*'' Rodríguez: Works For Chorus and Orchestra'', Albany Records, 2001, Thomas M. Sleeper (conductor)
*'' Surinach: Symphonic Melismas, Double Concerto, etc.'', Centaur Records, 1996 (conductor)
*''Aceldama'', Albany Records (composer, conductor)
*'' Ticheli, Van Der Slice, Sleeper: Orchestral Works'', Albany Records (composer, conductor)
*Works of Finzi,
Brahms
Johannes Brahms (; ; 7 May 1833 – 3 April 1897) was a German composer, virtuoso pianist, and conductor of the mid- Romantic period. His music is noted for its rhythmic vitality and freer treatment of dissonance, often set within studied ye ...