William Harper (born October 10, 1949) is a Chicago photographer and composer. His photography is concerned with natural form and line and his music is theatrical, technology-based work sourced from liturgical and folk traditions. Harper first earned critical acclaim for his work defining a Chicago style of new music theater and opera as the creator and producer of
many full-length original works for the American Ritual Theater Company (ARTCO).
Concurrent with these projects, and subsequently, Harper's opera, music theater,
dance, orchestra, chorus, and electro-acoustic works have been commissioned and
performed by companies including The Minnesota Opera Company, The New Music
Theater Ensemble of Minneapolis, INTAR Hispanic American Cultural Center, The
Goodman Theater, Hartford Stage and The Music Theatre Group. Harper's recently
completed Unquiet Myths, a suite of electro-acoustic pieces was commissioned by The
Ellen Sinopoli Dance Company for Spill Out!, which premiered in 2006 and is scheduled
to begin a national tour this year. William Harper received a PhD in music composition
from the Eastman School of Music, and has received support from many foundations
including the National Institute for Music Theater, the Djerassi Foundation, the Yaddo
Foundation, the National Endowment for the Arts, the Illinois and New York State Arts
Councils and The MacArthur Foundation.
Harper has three sisters including a twin sister, Jessica Harper, Lindsay Harper duPont and Diana Harper. He also has two brothers, Sam Harper and Rev. Charles Harper.
Contents
Photography
Recent Exhibitions & Events
2013 Water!, juried show, Center for Fine Art Photography, Fort Collins
2012 Hot New Pix, Center Gallery at the Midwest Center for Photography, Wichita
2012 Transformational Learning, group show, Brick Gallery, Chicago
2012 Night Light, juried show, Darkroom Gallery, Essex Jct., Vermont
2012 Family Dynamics, juried show, Kiernan Gallery, Lexington, Virginia
2012 Between Dusk and Dawn, juried show, Kiernan Gallery, Lexington, Virginia
2012 Family Dynamics, juried show, Kiernan Gallery, Lexington, Virginia
2012 Portfolio Prize, Center for Fine Art Photography, Fort Collins
2012 Water, Ice & Light - Solo show, University Club, Chicago
2011 Grand prize, Filter Festival, Chicago
2011 Beginnings, juried show, Black Cloud Gallery, Chicago
2011 Faces of Evanston, Noyes Cultural Arts Center, Evanston, IL
2011 Real People, juried show, The Courthouse, Woodstock, IL
2010-12 Court, Transistor, Chicago
2009 Finding Middle Ground, Dayton Visual Arts Center
Music: Selected Works
Operas and Music Theatre
2000 Heroism with Frederick Feirstein, Nassau Community College, New York
1997 The Bacchae Harvard University, Katherine Walker, Music Theater Group, New York
1995 Extraordinary Measures with Eve Ensler, Music Theater Group, New York
1993 El Greco INTAR Hispanic American Arts Center, New York
1992 Martin Guerre (Orchestrations) with Roger Ames Hartford Stage, Hartford
1992 Cooking the World with Bob Berkey Music Theater Group, New York
1989 Snow Leopard Minnesota Opera Company, Minneapolis
1987 Tantracidal Mania Minnesota Opera Company, Minneapolis
1986 Peyote Roadkill ARTCO, Chicago
1983 John Ball Shot Them All N.A.M.E. Gallery, Chicago
Recordings
2006 Unquiet Myths, A collection of electro-acoustic pieces
2005 Requiem, Mass for chorus, SATB and electronic accompaniment
2004 Marlidendur, Music for strings, percussion, and boys choir
2002 The Banjo of Death Sleeping, Three electro-acoustic pieces
2000 El Greco, Opera
Works for Orchestra
1999 Marlidendur Gudmundur Emilsson, The Baltic Philharmonic Chamber Orchestra, Reykjavik
1997 Scenes from the Valley of the Black Pig Full Orchestra, ARTCO, Chicago
1996 Requiem Mass Chorus, Orchestra and Alto Solo, Harle & Ken Montgomery Foundation
1994 Seasons of the Heart Song for Soprano Solo and String Orchestra. Texts by Bernardo Solano, INTAR, New York.
1990 Marouska Variations Full Orchestra, ARTCO, Chicago
Dance, Film, and Incidental Music
2012-13 Reflections on the way o the Gallows - Eight films and a Dark Tourism project by Collette Copeland
2006 Unquiet Myths for Spill Out! Ellen Sinopoli Dance Company, Troy
1992 Words Divine INTAR Hispanic American Arts Center, New York
1987 Waiting in the Dark For Bay Area Playwrights, Mill Valley
1986 Changing Habits WTTW-TV, Chicago
1986 Macando Dreiske Performance Ensemble, Chicago
1985 Illinois Turner Broadcasting, Atlanta
1985 Light Kanopy Dance Theater, Madison
1984 Crimson Cowboy (Opera/Dance Work) ARTCO, Chicago
1984 Julius Caesar Alliance Theater, Atlanta
1984 Red River The Goodman Theater, Chicago
1983 Dead Birds (Opera/Dance Work) ARTCO, Chicago
1983 Calyx Columbia Dance Center, Chicago
1983 I've Known Rivers (Dance/Opera Work) MoMing, Chicago