Andre Myers
Andre Myers (b. 1973) is an artist and instructor of piano, composition, and theory. He serves on the University of Redlands School of Music faculty, teaching composition, music theory, and electronic music. Intense and lyrical, his music mixes narrative drama, poetry, and meditations on color to create work that aspires to moments of honesty, poignancy, and depth. A native of Ann Arbor, Michigan, Andre has been commissioned by the Michigan Philharmonic Orchestra three times, where he served as composer-in-residence for the Philharmonic’s CLASSical music outreach program. His second commission from the Philharmonic, a musical adaptation of Holling C. Holling’s picture book Paddle to the Sea, has been performed regularly since 2005 as a part of the orchestra’s “Koncert for Kids” series, and the composer has narrated the work for tens of thousands of school children.
Other recent commissions include Partita for Solo Violin for the celebrated Los Angeles Philharmonic violinist and MacArthur Fellow Vijay Gupta, Cadenza & Aria for international viola soloist Brett Deubner, and Quilting: Poems of Countee Cullen for the acclaimed countertenor Darryl Taylor and Orchestra Santa Monica. In addition, his piece BOP! for two flutes and piano was selected for performance by the MAN Trio as a part of the group’s collaboration with new music presenters Vox Novus and received its premiere in November 2015 in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Andre has composed for orchestra, choir, solo, chamber ensembles, and theater and dance. His works have been featured at the Videmus@25 Academic Conference, performed by the symphony orchestras of Albany, Detroit, University of Michigan, Occidental/Cal-Tech, and Santa Monica, featured on Minnesota public radio, and presented in conferences across the United States and Europe. Honors include the University of Michigan’s Rackham Merit Fellowship and King Spirit Award, the inaugural awarding of the University of Michigan’s Willis Patterson Medal, and an associate artist residency at the Atlantic Center for the Arts.
Andre received his B.Mus. in composition from the Eastman School of Music and his M.Mus. and A.Mus.D. in composition from the University of Michigan. His principal teachers in composition were William Banfield, Warren Benson, Samuel Adler, Joseph Schwantner, David Liptak, Robert Morris, Bright Sheng, William Bolcom, Evan Chambers, and Erik Santos. He has served on the faculty at Occidental College, University of Redlands, and Renaissance Arts Academy in Los Angeles. Andre currently lives in Redlands, California, with his wife Andrea, their dogs Charlotte & Walter, and their cat, Jean-Paul.