There are many opportunities for students to
study composition at Trinity. You may be a student who wishes to major in the
field, a musician who wants to perfect your creative skills, or a non-major who
has an interest in composing music for the first time. Several courses are
available at different levels of experience. Most study consists of one
individual lesson and one one-hour group seminar each week. In all cases, you
will have the opportunity to hear your works performed, whether in the setting
of a student recital, the yearly composition recital, or by one of the
Department’s ensembles. All composition lessons are taught by Dr. Timothy
Kramer. Please submit all scores, recordings and inquiries to him at the Department
of Music, Trinity University, One Trinity Place, San
Antonio, TX 78212. He may also be contacted by telephone at (210)
999-8261 or by email at tkramer@trinity.edu.
Major in Composition (BM degree)
The Bachelor of Music degree in Composition is for students who are interested in intensive training in the field. The degree prepares the student for either advanced graduate study or professional work. The required courses are demanding, but rewarding. Recent graduates have gone on for further study at institutions such as Indiana University, the New England Conservatory, and the University of Michigan, often with fellowships. Interested students should submit scores of their works in consideration for scholarships. Students may begin taking individual lessons in the first year. It is also possible to enter this program by demonstrating an aptitude for composing by the end of the second year at Trinity.
Timothy Kramer's works have been performed widely throughout the United States, from Carnegie Hall to college campuses, and in Canada, Mexico, Europe, South America, and Asia with performances by the Indianapolis, Detroit, Tacoma, and San Antonio Symphony Orchestras, the Winters Chamber Orchestra, North/South Consonance, the SOLI Ensemble, the ONIX Ensemble (Mexico), Luna Nova, and the Detroit Chamber Winds and Strings. He has received grants from the Guggenheim Foundation, the NEA, the MacDowell Colony, Meet the Composer, BMI, ASCAP, the American Guild of Organists, and the American Music Center among others. His degrees are from Pacific Lutheran University (B.M.) and the University of Michigan (D.M.A.), and he was a Fulbright Scholar to Germany in 1988-89. Originally from Washington State, he is now Professor at Trinity University in San Antonio where he also runs CASA (the Composers Alliance of San Antonio). His works are published by Southern, Earnestly Music, Hinshaw, and Selah and are recorded on Calcante, North/South, and Capstone.
