William Pearson

wpearso2@illinois.edu
203 W Washington Street, #3
Champaign, IL 61820
(518) 495-1040

EDUCATION
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign - Urbana, IL 2012 - Present

Doctor of Musical Arts in Composition - 2014 - Present

Composition studies with Erin Gee and Erik Lund
Minor Field of Study in Philosophy Current GPA: 3.87

Master of Music in Composition - 2012 - 2014

State University of New York at Purchase - Purchase, NY 2008 - 2012

Bachelor of Music in Composition - Magna Cum Laude

Composition Studies with Du Yun, Suzanne Farrin, and Huang Ruo

Eastman School of Music - Rochester, NY 2006 - 2007

Began Bachelors in Organ and Historical Keyboards Performance

Organ studies with David Higgs, Harpsichord and Improvisation with William Porter

ASSISTANTSHIPS and FELLOWSHIPS

2017 - 2018 Kate Neal Kinley Memorial Fellowship
Teaching Assistantship - Music Theory III and IV
Musicianship III and IV
2016 - 2017 Teaching Assistantship - Music Theory III and IV
Aural Skills III and IV
2015 - 2016 Teaching Assistantship - Music Theory I and II
Aural Skills III and IV
2014 - 2015 Teaching Assistantship - Music Theory III and IV
Graduate Review Aural Skills
2013 - 2014 Teaching Assistantship - Music Theory I and II
Aural Skills I and II
2012 - 2013 Music and Performing Arts Fellowship (UIUC)
 ACADEMIC and PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

Adjunct Instructor of Music - Illinois-Wesleyan University (AY17-18)

Teaching MUS111 : Intro to Music Composition, first year group composition class.

Presenter - BGSU Graduate Conference in Musicology (Feb 24-25, 2017)

Presented my paper John Cages Peculiar Musical Ontology: Concrete Anti-
Creationism as a part of Reevaluation of Philosophical Frameworks in Music session.

Theory/Composition Teacher - UIUC Pre-College Academy (2015-present)

Teaching students aged 9-17 Music Composition and Advanced Music Theory.

Theory/Composition Teacher - Illinois Summer Youth Music (2015, 2017)

Teaching high school students Music Composition and Theory.

Student Representative - Graduate Committee (2016-17)

Selected to represent UIUC Graduate Music Students on University of Illinois Music
School Graduate Committee.

Guest Conductor - Illinois Modern Ensemble (April 14, 2016, November 2017)
Conducted world premier of Zhaoyu Zhangs Skulls Gene for Chamber Orchestra.
Also conducted reading session for Undergraduate Composers at UIUC.

Composition Institute Participant (2016)

Atlantic Music Festival at Colby College, Maine.

Composition Program Participant (2016)

Fresh Inc. Festival at UW Parkside with Chicago-Based Fifth House Ensemble.

Film Screenings (2015)

Bummertown - Animated comedy short written/scored by William Pearson, screened
at Visionfest NYC Film Festival, Seattle Independent Film Festival, and Chicago Comedy Film Festival.

Published Poem (2014)

Winter Broken, published in Sobotka Literary Magazine, Winter 2014 Edition.

Composition Program Participant (2013)

Montreal Contemporary Music Lab at McGill University, Montreal, QC.

Composition Program Participant (2012)

Matrix12 Composers Conference in Warsaw, Poland.

Presentation/Panel Discussion - Neuberger Art Museum, Purchase, NY (2011)

Intentional Systems in Music - Lecture on the application of philosopher Daniel
Dennetts intentional stance to music composition/analysis, subsequent panel
discussion with other artists.
 AWARDS and COMMISSIONS
Theodore Presser Foundation Award (2016)
The Presser Foundation - $10,000 award for the composition and performance of large staged
work, The Young Son with TAK Ensemble at St. Peters Chelsea in NYC - June 3, 2017

Outstanding Rating as Teaching Assistant (2016)

Ranked in top 10% University-wide on student evaluations for Music Theory, Aural Skills classes

Commission - SUNY Purchase Alumni Commission (2014)

Sylvia and Leonard Marx Foundation - commission for composition, performance of the young son
for Pierrot Ensemble with Purchase Contemporary Ensemble at SUNY Purchase, NY - April 29, 2014

Commission - Music/Dance Collaboration (2012)

Two Bridges Neighborhood Council - commission for collaboration with choreographer Theo
Boguszewski to compose and perform Ekho for mixed quintet and four dancers at Two Bridges
Community Room in NYC - September 28-29, 2012

Commission - SUNY Purchase Orchestra (2012)

SUNY Purchase Symphony Orchestra - commission for Behind Glass for Orchestra - Guillermo
Figueroa, Conductor at SUNY Purchase, NY - February 25, 2012

Commission - SUNY New Music and Culture Symposium (2011)

SUNY New Music and Culture Symposium - commission for the composition of Adagio Mesto for
Horn and Piano - New Paltz, NY - Oct. 3, 2011

LIST of WORKS
Orchestra / Chamber Orchestra

...tristis,senex,puerum... for Chamber Orchestra - Fall 2013 (11)

Premiered at the Krannert Performing Arts Center at UIUC - October 22, 2013

Behind Glass for Orchestra - Winter 2012 (5)

Commissioned by Purchase Symphony Orchestra - Guillermo Figueroa, Conductor
Premiered at the Performing Arts Center at Purchase College - February 25, 2012

The Intentional Stance for Chamber Orchestra - Spring 2010 (6')

Premiered at SUNY Purchase - April 13, 2010

Large Ensemble

Mark J. Ralph, 16, Son of Kenneth Ralph of Preble for Wind Quintet - Summer 2016 (6')
Premiered at Fresh Inc. Festival by Fifth House Ensemble - June 2016
a shadow is reading,In the corner over there for Pno, Vla, Vcl, and 2 Voices - Summer 2015
Commissioned by Presser Foundation
Premiered at St. Peters Chelsea by TAK Ensemble - June 3, 2017

The Young Son for Fl, Cl, Vln, Vcl, Pno and Perc - Spring 2014 (15)
Commissioned by Sylvia and Leonard Marx Foundation
Premiered at SUNY Purchase - April 29, 2014

Unda Maris for Fl, Ob, Tpt, Vln, Cello, Bass, Piano and Percussion - Fall 2010 (7')
Premiered at SUNY Purchase - October 2010

Autre Reflexion for Wind Quintet - Winter 2009 (15')

Premiered at SUNY Purchase - February 2009

Small Ensemble

Childrens Piece #1 for Pianist and Assistant - Summer 2017 (6)

Commissioned by Presser Foundation
Premiered at St. Peters Chelsea by TAK Ensemble - June 3, 2017

Faulkner/Brahms for Horn and Piano - Spring 2017 (12)

Premiered at UIUC - May 7, 2017

Half of My Love/Life for Violin, Cello, Piano and Percussion - Summer 2016 (5)
Premiered at Atlantic Music Festival - August 2016

Ashbery Responses for Trombone, Violin, Bass and Piano - Spring 2016 (7)
Written for Ensemble Mise-En
Premiered at University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign - April 2016

FiveFiveFiveFive for 3 Horns - Summer 2013 (5)

Premiered at Conservatoire de musique et dart dramatique du Qubec - June 22, 2013

Clepsydra for Flute, Cello, Trumpet and Percussion - Fall 2012 (15)
Premiered at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign - February 3, 2013

String Quartet No. 2 - Spring 2012 (26)

Premiered at the Neuberger Art Museum - May 4, 2012

Adagio Mesto for Horn and Piano - Summer 2011 (7)

Commissioned by SUNY New Music and Culture Symposium
Premiered at SUNY Stony Brook - October 3, 2011

A Power of Facing for Percussion Quartet - Winter 2010 (5')

Written for IKTUS Percussion Quartet
Premiered at the Roerich Museum - March 7, 2010
String Quartet No. 1 - Fall 2009 (15')
Premiered at SUNY Purchase - December 1, 2009

The Indelible Stamp for Piano and Two Percussionists - Fall 2008 (7')
Premiered at SUNY Purchase - November 2008

Vocal and Choral

Kurtag Responses for Singing Pianist - Spring 2014

Premiered at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign - April 24, 2014

Lugebat David Absalon for Singing Pianist - Spring 2013 (7)

Premiered at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign - May, 2013

In the corner over there a shadow is reading for Mezzo, 'Cello, Piano - Winter 2011 (26)
Premiered at SUNY Purchase, April 15, 2011

Still Such Ancient Things for SATB choir- Spring 2012 (6)
Written for Purchase College Chorus, David Recca - Conductor

Solo

My eyes and my love are losing their way for Solo Cello - Spring 2011 (7)
Premiered at Symphony Space, Manhattan, NY - June 22, 2011

At heart, all is constructed, and yet for Solo Trombone - Winter 2011 (7)
Premiered at SUNY Purchase - April 15, 2011

This is a Strange Loop, 3 movements for Solo Piano - Summer 2010 (8')
Premiered at Conkling Hall in Renssealerville, NY - August 7, 2010

Video/Installation

Walls of My House - Video - Summer 2017

Commissioned by Presser Foundation
Premiered at St. Peters Chelsea by TAK Ensemble - June 3, 2017

Winter Break - Video - Fall 2014

Premiered at UIUC - April 24, 2014
Companion Poem - Winter Broken - Published in Sobotka Literary Magazine

Organ Mapping - Installation and Video - Fall 2014

Installed at UIUC on Sept. 24, 2014