Associate Professor, Composition
Composition/Theory Area Coordinator

Eric Guinivan’s music has been performed by orchestras, chamber ensembles, and soloists across the United States, Europe, and Asia.  His works have received notable honors from BMI, ASCAP, the American Academy of Arts and Letters, the Theodore Presser Foundation, and Meet the Composer.  Eric has received commissions from Chamber Music America, the Fromm Foundation at Harvard University, New York Youth Symphony, the International Horn Society, the Firebird Ensemble, Staunton Music Festival, the Lotte Lehmann Foundation, and the Society of Composers, Inc., among others.   His output includes works for orchestra, wind ensemble, brass band, chamber orchestra, film, percussion, and a wide variety of chamber ensembles and solo instruments. 
 
Eric’s music has been featured at numerous international festivals and conferences, including Cello Biennale Amsterdam, the Banff International String Quartet Competition, Melbourne International Chamber Music Competition, the College Band Director’s National Association National Conference, the Percussive Arts Society International Convention, the Royal Northern College of Music Brass Band Festival, the North American Brass Band Association National Championship, the International Trombone Festival, the International Tuba and Euphonium Conference, and the American Liszt Society Festival.
 
An active performer, Eric was a founding member of the GRAMMY-nominated Los Angeles Percussion Quartet and has performed with orchestras and chamber ensembles across the country.  Eric made his Carnegie Hall debut in 2011 performing as soloist with the New York Youth Symphony in the premiere of his work  Meditation and Awakening   for percussion and orchestra.  The  New York Times subsequently described the work  as "engaging," praising its "shimmering colors" and "frenetic energy."  Eric has also performed as soloist with the Downey Symphony and the University of Southern California Thornton Symphony and regularly performs with the Shenandoah Valley Bach Festival and Staunton Music Festival in Virginia.
 
Eric founded the new music website  Composers Circle  and curated the site from 2012 through 2016, featuring one composer and one piece every day.  The site aimed to increase exposure for composers by sharing a wide range of recent recordings of new music with a broad audience.  During its nearly five-year run of programming, it featured over 1,500 works by more than 900 composers from 30 countries, and the project was featured in an in-depth interview in the  Society of Composers, Inc. newsletter  in February 2015.  To date, composers Circle has been viewed by more than 70,000 unique visitors from 160 countries.
 
Eric received Bachelor of Music Degrees in Composition and Percussion Performance from Indiana University and holds Masters and Doctoral degrees in composition from the University of Southern California Thornton School of Music.  Eric joined the faculty of the James Madison University School of Music in 2013 and is currently Associate Professor of Composition.

 

Composition Professors and Instructors

Eric Guinivan

Eric Guinivan
Associate Professor
Composition/Theory Area Coordinator
guiniver@jmu.edu

Music Theory Professors and Instructors

Eric Guinivan

Eric Guinivan
Associate Professor
Composition/Theory Area Coordinator
guiniver@jmu.edu

Gui Hwan Lee

Gui Hwan Lee
Assistant Professor
lee3gh@jmu.edu

John Peterson

John Peterson
Associate Professor
Associate Director of the School of Music
peter2jr@jmu.edu

Dominic Baldoni

Dominic Baldoni
Aural Skills Instructor
baldondj@jmu.edu

Jeremiah Padilla

Jeremiah Padilla
Aural Skills Instructor
padilljq@jmu.edu

Linlin Uta

Linlin Uta
Aural Skills Instructor
huang3xx@jmu.edu

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