Sean Friar

Sean Friar 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.

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

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
2010 "Fighting Words" for soprano, clarinet, electric guitar, violin, cello, percussion, drum kit, and piano
2010 "Short Winds" for woodwind quintet
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
2022 "Impulse Control" for two clarinets and piano.
2023 "String Quartet 2: Memoriam"

Electronic