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College of Music
Giving & Alumni
College of Music
Areas
Areas

COMPOSITION

Areas
Ensembles

WELCOME TO COMPOSITION AT MSU

The composition program at Michigan State University stands at the crossroads of music creation, research, and performance, integrating various art forms. Faculty and students work with both acoustic and electronic media, encompassing chamber and large ensembles, real-time interactive performances, video/film, installations, instrument design, and improvisation.

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Prospective Students
Our programs are designed to offer experiential learning through individual lessons and collaborative experiences.
Listen & Look
Explore media showcasing the work of students and faculty.
Electronic Music Studios
Explore resources dedicated to electronic music composition, including tools, techniques, and insights into this dynamic field.
Electronic Music Workshop
Discover new ways to create, perform, and explore sound in today’s digital music world.

Composition Faculty

David Biedenbender David Biedenbender
Associate Professor of Composition and Chair of the Composition Area
Alexis Bacon Alexis Bacon
Associate Professor of Composition
Ricardo Lorenz Ricardo Lorenz
Professor of Composition
Anthony T. Marasco Anthony T. Marasco
Assistant Professor of Composition and Technology
Mark Sullivan Mark Sullivan
Associate Professor of Composition
Zhou Tian Zhou Tian
Professor of Composition

Featured News

Dudamel debuts Humboldt’s Nature by Ricardo Lorenz in Los Angeles
March 17, 2026

The world premiere by the LA Phil of a deeply personal new work by MSU Music’s Ricardo Lorenz draws together Venezuela, Berlin, and a connection to Alexander von Humboldt.

Newfound Chamber Winds Brings Innovation and Collaboration to MSU
January 26, 2026

Guest ensemble appears in two concerts and a weeklong residency

GRAMMY-winning composer’s music featured in three concerts
October 20, 2025

Featured in a residency are Michael Daugherty’s vibrant, narrative-driven works and workshops offering students an opportunity to engage with a living composer.

MSU Ensembles to Highlight the Music of Michael Daugherty
October 13, 2025

Grammy-winning guest composer in residence collaborates with MSU College of Music

MSU Hosts the Dynamic Contemporary Sounds of American Modern Ensemble
October 1, 2025

Acclaimed guest ensemble in residence opens 2025–26 MSUFCU Showcase Series.

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Upcoming Events

Thursday, April 9, 2026
Wind Symphony Concert and World Premiers at Hill Auditorium
7:30 pm
Other
MSU Bands

The MSU Wind Symphony presents a varied program of classic and contemporary works, featuring world premieres by MSU composers.

Event Details
Free
Thursday, April 16, 2026
Concert Orchestra: Kings, Queens, and Variations
7:30 pm
Wharton Center
MSU Orchestras

The Concert Orchestra presents a program centered on Margaret Bonds’ Montgomery Variations and Respighi’s Belkis, Regina di Saba, pairing music inspired by the civil rights movement with the legendary story of the Queen of Sheba and King Solomon, alongside Philharmonic Fanfare by Gina Gillie.

Event Details
$$$
Monday, April 20, 2026
Musique 21: “From Darkness to Light”
7:30 pm
Fairchild Theatre
Musique 21

Six contemporary works explore darkness and light, featuring a new song cycle by MSU composer David Biedenbender, alongside music by today’s leading voices.

Event Details
$$$
Wednesday, April 22, 2026
Concert Band and Campus Band
7:30 pm
Wharton Center
MSU Bands

The program, conducted by Arris Golden, features Tuttarana by Reena Esmail, Second Suite in F by Gustav Holst, Resting in the Peace of His Hands by John Gibson, Fallingwater at Twilight by James David, and His Honor by Henry Fillmore.

Event Details
$$$
Thursday, April 23, 2026
Symphony Orchestra, “Rhythms in Motion: A Celebration of Dance”
7:30 pm
Wharton Center
MSU Orchestras

Conducted by Octavio Más-Arocas, the MSU Symphony Orchestra closes the season with an energetic program featuring Strauss’s Der Rosenkavalier Suite, Contreras’s Mariachitlán, Simon’s Hellfighters’ Blues, Ravel’s Boléro, and a student-composed Sam and Mary Austin Fanfare.

Event Details
$$$
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