Sean Friar

Sean Friar (born 1985 in Los Angeles, California) is an American composer and pianist. He currently lives in Denver, Colorado.

Biography Sean Friar was born and raised in Los Angeles. He studied Music Composition and Psychology at UCLA where he graduated in 2007. He continued his studies at Princeton University, where he received an M.F.A. and Ph.D. in Composition. His primary teachers were Paul Chihara, Paul Lansky, Steven Mackey, and Dmitri Tymoczko.

Friar has been commissioned by the Los Angeles Philharmonic, Ensemble Modern, New World Symphony, Alarm Will Sound, American Composers Orchestra, NOW Ensemble, the Cabrillo Festival of Contemporary Music, Present Music, and the Scharoun Ensemble of the Berlin Philharmonic. Other performers of his music include So Percussion, Ensemble Klang, Crash Ensemble, Psappha New Music Ensemble, Alter Ego, Ensemble Argento, and many others.

Friar is the recipient of the 2011 Rome Prize in Music Composition. He serves as the chair of the composition department at the Lamont School of Music at the University of Denver and was previously on the Music Composition faculty at the USC Thornton School of Music.

Concert Works

Friar's music is known for its propulsive energy, adventurous orchestration, and sense of humor.

Wind Ensemble

2017 "Dynamics" for solo cello and chamber winds. 2023 "Bassoon Concerto" for solo bassoon and wind ensemble. 2025 "Renew" for wind ensemble.

Orchestra/Large Ensemble 2009 "Out of Line" for chamber orchestra 2011 "Clunker Concerto" for percussion quartet on junk car parts and chamber orchestra 2013 "Noise Gate" for orchestra 2013 "In the Blue" for sinfonietta 2015 "Finding Time" for sinfonietta 2019 "Emerald Oasis" for orchestra

Solo Music 2010 "Teaser" for solo cello 2010 "Oboemobo" for solo oboe and effects pedals 2012 "Wind-up Etude" for solo piano 2016 "Chrysalis" for soloist on piano and percussion 2018 "Elastic Loops" for solo piano (composed 2007, revised 2018) 2023 "Two Solitudes" for solo piano (composed 2012, revised 2023)

Chamber Music 2006 "Hell-Bent" for violin, cello, and piano 2008 "Little Green Pop" for two saxophones, trombone, electric guitar, piano, percussion, and sound engineer 2008 "String Quartet" 2009 "Velvet Hammer" for flute, clarinet, electric guitar, piano, and bass 2009 "Scale 9" for clarinet, violin, cello, piano, and percussion (also versions with flute and viola) 2010 "Fighting Words" for soprano, clarinet, electric guitar, violin, cello, percussion, drum kit, and piano 2010 "Short Winds" for woodwind quintet (alternate version for saxophone quartet) 2012 "One-Way Trip" for clarinet, horn, two violins, viola, cello, bass, and piano 2012 "Mezereon" for English horn and prepared piano 2013 "Breaking Point" for clarinet, trumpet, electric guitar, two violins, viola, cello, bass, percussion, and piano 2014 "Two Solitudes" for flute, viola, and harp 2014 "Four Streets" for percussion quartet 2015 "Shades" for alto sax and piano 2015 "Mezereon" for alto sax and piano 2016 "Kindly Reply" for brass quintet 2016 "Come Again" for two pianos 2020 "Before and After" for flute, clarinet, electric guitar, piano, and bass 2020 "Fit" for two digital pianos with dynamic microtonal pitch-mapping (using Pianoteq software) 2022 "Impulse Control" for two clarinets and piano. 2023 "String Quartet 2: Memoriam"

Electronic 2008 "Boomdinger" for percussion quartet and laptop orchestra. (Collaboration with composer, Cameron Britt.)

Awards 2007, 2008, 2009, 2011 Morton Gould Young Composer Award 2008 Lee Ettelson Award 2009 Aaron Copland House Residency 2011 Rome Prize 2011 Finalist for Gaudeamus Prize 2012 Charles Ives Prize 2012 Chamber Music America Classical Commissioning Grant 2013 Fromm Foundation Commission

Recordings 2011 – "Velvet Hammer" with NOW Ensemble on "Awake" (New Amsterdam Records) 2012 – "Short Winds" with Madera Quintet on "Five at Play" (Crescent Phase Recordings) 2012 – "Teaser" with Mariel Roberts on "nonextraneous sounds" (Innova Recordings) 2018 – "Kindly Reply" with the Brass Project on "Cityscaping" 2021 – "Elastic Loops" with Matthew McCright on "Endurance" (Vox Novus) 2021 – "Before and After" with NOW Ensemble on "Before and After" (New Amsterdam Records)