Manhattan Sunsets (2022) for Trumpet and Piano ~4:00
Four Short Movements (2022) for Violin and Piano ~6:00
About
Based in Los Angeles, Jacob Harrison is an internationally performed composer whose work focuses on concert and stage music. His wind ensemble piece Urban Pulse was championed by conductor Jack Stamp, leading to performances with the University of North Texas Wind Ensemble under the direction of Dr. Andrew Trachsel, the University of Central Florida Wind Ensemble under the direction of Dr. Scott Lubaroff, and the East Tennessee State University Concert Band under the direction of Dr. Christian Zembower.
As one of only ten composers selected in 2024 for the prestigious Chigiana C-GAP composition program, his piece The Path of Totality was premiered by the Filarmonica Arturo Toscanini under the direction of Tonino Battista.
Jacob is a prolific composer of chamber music and has had the privilege of collaborating with some of the foremost musicians in his home state of Indiana. In 2023, he recorded his work Three Studies for String Quartet with the Pneume Quartet, which held the designation of Kuttner Quartet at Indiana University Jacobs School of Music at the time of recording. Harrison’s Portraits of New Orleans was recently commissioned and premiered by Norman Hansom, trombonist for the Terre Haute Symphony Orchestra. He was also recently selected as an honorable mention in the Climate Notes Commissioning Initiative, sponsored by the University of California, Los Angeles.
In addition to his accomplishments as a composer, Jacob finds great joy teaching and is a sought-after educator. Since 2018, he has mentored high school and collegiate musicians, guiding them to success in their professional and musical endeavors.
His students have been accepted into some of the top institutions in the United States, including Harvard University, Princeton University, UCLA, Indiana University, and the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music.
Jacob holds degrees in composition and mathematics from Indiana State University, where he was the recipient of the Music Scholar Award. He will be attending the University of California, Los Angeles, to pursue graduate studies in composition in the fall of 2024 under the guidance of internationally acclaimed composer Richard Danielpour
Contact
Please email me directly or fill out the form below with any questions:
As a transplant to the state, I was immediately struck by the extraordinary breadth of California’s landscapes. In a single day, you can listen
to the hush of coastal waves, feel the pulse of a sprawling metropolis, experience the dryness of desert air, and the cool breath of forest
canopies. California Contrasts is my musical response to this remarkable juxtaposition—an exploration of place, of movement, and of identity within
a state defined by its variety. The piece is structured into two large sections — the first serving as a representation of lively and energetic urban
spaces, and the second serving as a representation of the open expanse of the natural landscape — which are repeated twice. Ultimately, California
Contrasts is not only a portrait of a place but also a personal meditation on belonging—how we come to recognize ourselves in unfamiliar landscapes
The Path of Totality
Jubilate
Program Note:
At its core, Jubilate is a celebration of the wind ensemble itself. I began writing the piece after a series of events rekindled my
connection to the broader music community, bringing back memories of my time performing in wind ensembles throughout high school
and college. Those experiences—marked by joy and camaraderie—inspired me to revisit some of the repertoire that had a lasting impact
on me, including Vincent Persichetti’s Pageant and Gustav Holst’s First Suite in E-flat. Elements of these works can be heard
throughout Jubilate, which, through its bright and playful character, aims to capture the sense of joy I experienced while playing
in these ensembles.
Urban Pulse
Program Note:
Although I am from a small town in Indiana, I have considered myself to be a “city person” for quite some time. I
love landing in a new place and learning what makes it unique; Boston is full of historic charm and Los Angeles has
a creative exuberance, for example. Despite their differences though, every city I have visited seems to have this
indescribable energy to it, which constantly pushes life forward. If you try to resist its force, you will get left
behind as the city evolves around you; if you allow yourself to get swept away by the force, however, you are in for
an exciting experience. It will be gritty, jarring, and overwhelming at times, but it will never be dull. Urban Pulse
tries to musically depict this energy as it pulls the listener through an unexplored city, revealing everything that
makes the city unique.
Graffiti Sets
Program Note:
During the summer of 2025, I had the opportunity to travel through the cities of
Padova, Roma, and Siena, Italy.While exploring these cities, I was struck by two
things: the stunning architecture—some of which dates back to the 12th and
13th centuries—and the graffiti that now adorns many of these historic buildings.
The graffiti ranged from irreverent drawings and illegible scribbles to deeply
profound and expertly crafted works of art. As I encountered more and more of
these visual juxtapositions, I began to reflect on the relationship between these
art forms: the old and the new, the traditional and the rebellious.
Graffiti Sets is my musical exploration of this relationship—a search for
balance between the modern and the traditional in today’s musical landscape.
Two Studies
Two Studies
Program Note:
Two Studies for Wind Quintet was written in the winter of 2024 as an experimentation in the use of synthetic
modes to inform the harmonic material of a piece. The modes used within each study are related by
inversion, yet the resultant harmonies and usage produce wildly contrasting affects. The first movement,
titled “Intrada,” evokes the sense of an austere and solemn processional, juxtaposing homorhythmic textures with
moments of polyphony. The second movement, “Symphonies,” en homage to Stravinsky’s “Symphonies of Wind Instruments,”
is much more angular and jagged, leaning into the dissonant “rubs” that are present within the mode.
Siku
Program Note:
Siku (see-koo): the Kalaallisut word for sea ice.
Over the past two decades, rising global and ocean temperatures have caused asignificant decline in Greenland's ice mass,
resulting in dramatic changes to the island's natural environment. Moved by the alarming loss of the Greenland ice sheet,
Siku endeavors to musically depict melting ice. The piece opens with a frigid texture, gradually evolving into a more fluid
sound marked by subtle "cracks" in the melodic line. The harmonies become increasingly tense, building to a climactic moment
evoking the imagery of fracturing ice sheets. The composition concludes with sounds that suggest sea ice drifting away,
slowly disappearing into the vast expanse of the ocean.
Valley of the shadow
Program Note:
“… though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death…”
— Psalm 23:4
The “Valley of the Shadow of Death” has long served as a powerful metaphor symbolizing the profound difficulties and hardships one
experiences during their life. Valley of the Shadow draws inspiration from this imagery, delving into the emotional turbulence that
arises during times of personal crisis. The piece explores a range of intense inner states—anger, hatred, despair, grief—each distinct
yet deeply interconnected. These feelings, though volatile and overwhelming, stem from the same source: a desire for change and release.
Valley of the Shadow tries to capture the emotional complexity of walking through metaphorical darkness—acknowledging both the weight of
suffering and the quiet resilience required to emerge from it.
Five Miniatures
Program Note:
The first draft of Five Miniatures was composed over a ten-day period as a set of experiments exploring the expressive
potential of two fundamental intervals—the minor third and the major third—and the different ways in which these intervals
can interact with each other. The first movement serves as a powerful and aggressive introduction, using both intervals
simultaneously to create unsettling sonorities and in succession to create melodic (014) sets. In stark contrast, the
second movement takes the form of a graceful waltz, in which the harmonies move predominantly by thirds. The third movement
is a lighthearted scherzo, where minor thirds frequently smear into major thirds for playful effect. Ideas and motifs from
the first movement are revisited in the fourth movement, acting as a recapitulation before the finale. In the lively fifth
movement, small fragments from all previous movements are heard at play, but with a more sinister tone.
A Set of Carrolls
Program Note:
A Set of Carrolls is a setting of four texts by Lewis Carrol. Each song
acts as a vignette, focusing on different stages of life; A Nursery Darling
evokes the pure and innocent nature of a newborn in the style of a
lullaby. The Jabberwocky captures the rambunctious and playful energy
of a young child. The Mighty Dead leans into the angst and anxiety that
often comes in adolescence and young adulthood. Finally, An Epilogue
conveys the calm and reflective nature of an older adult looking back on
his life..
O Magnum Mysterium
Alleluia
Elements
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i = 0;
while (!deck.isInOrder()) {
print 'Iteration ' + i;
deck.shuffle();
i++;
}
print 'It took ' + i + ' iterations to sort the deck.';
