News

JOHN WINS A 2022 AMERICAN PRIZE TRIFECTA!
“It was a very good year!”

 

2022 American Prize Honored Artist: Composer

The inscription on the certificate reads: “Composer John Muehleisen has been selected as an Honored Artist of The American Prize, 2022. Honored Artists are individuals (or ensembles) who have proven themselves to be of ‘sustained excellence’ over a number of seasons as laureates of The American Prize competitions. Presented by The American Prize National Nonprofit Competitions in the Performing Arts, the award consists of a beautifully framed citation recognizing John Muehleisen’s contributions to the art.”

Co-Winner of 2022 American Prize, Social Justice Related Division for Professional Composers
for Consolation: Requiem for Parkland (below)

2022 American Prize 2nd Place
for Larger Choral Works, Professional Division
also for Consolation: Requiem for Parkland (below)

I’m grateful to the American Prize and to their Chief Judge, David Katz, for these awards, the mission of which, as David states, is “to recognize and reward excellence in the arts wherever in America it is found.” And as the inscription reads on every American Prize certificate, “May this honor inspire you to continue to strive for the highest levels of quality in all your musical endeavors….” And it certainly does!

Featured Works

2023 ACDA CONFERENCE SALE !!!!

Save 15% off the cost of works
from my online catalog
on all orders through March 31!

For an extra 5% discount (20% total),
enter the special code from the sign on my table
during the conference Composer Fair
in the Discount/Special Offer Code
field on the order form
on my website

The following works are specially featured, but the entire online catalog is on sale through March 31. Works with asterisks (*) were featured at my Composer Fair table or in Reading sessions.

SONGS to SEE US THROUGH:
Choral works of HUMOR, HEALING, and HOPE

Looking for upbeat and positive choral works to dispel the clouds of COVID? Here’s a newly curated set of my choral works designed to bring some light and hope into our world as we emerge from the darkness of the past year. In that spirit, I offer the works below for your consideration. Keep the faith, my choral brothers and sisters, and continue your ministry of mercy by singing beauty, hope, and resilience into the world to heal wounded souls and to gladden human hearts.

HUMOR
Welcome relief in troubled times
* Eat Your Vegetables! – Set One
(Joanne Gunnerson)
SATB choir and Bb clarinet

Eat Your Vegetables! – Set Two
(Joanne Gunnerson)
SATB choir, trumpet, and percussion

Three Limericks
(Joanne Gunnerson)
SATB choir, trumpet, and percussion

HEALING
Singing and gathering together in community
* Life has Loveliness to Sell
(Sara Teasdale)
SATB a cappella

* Sing to Me!
(Ella Wheeler Wilcox)
SATB div. a cappella

* Singing Together
(Jill Clymer)
SATB div. a cappella

That Music Always Round Me
(Walt Whitman)
SATB div. a cappella

The Gathering (“Come in”)
(Robert Bode)
SATB choir, Audience, and Piano
with optional percussion played by singers
(tambourine, triangle, low hand drum)

HOPE
Finding hope and peace in the midst of adversity
A Psalm of Life
(Henry Wadsworth Longfellow)
SATB div, trumpet, and piano

* Hope
(Emily Dickinson)
SSA a cappella

Love Is
(Rabi’a of Basra)
SATB div. and trumpet

Making Peace
(Denise Levertov)
SATB div., soprano + tenor saxophone (one player), and piano

The Stars Still Shine
(Charles Anthony Silvestri)
SATB div. a cappella

Tides of Peace
(Henry van Dyke)
SATB div. a cappella

Performances

2022 Performances

  • Feb. 12 – The Gathering – newVoices Choir, Phillip Swan, cond. (Appleton, WI)
  • March 10 – Eat Your Vegetables! – Set One – Cleveland Statue University Chorale, Brian Bailey, cond. (Cleveland, OH)
  • March 27 – Eat Your Vegetables! – Set One – Ohio Wesleyan University Choral Art Society, Xin Su, cond. (Delaware, OH)
  • April 2 – De Profundis – Opus 7 Vocal Ensemble, Loren Pontén, cond. (Seattle, WA)
  • April 25 – The Soul’s Expression – Baylor University Chamber Singers, Brian Schmidt, cond. (Waco, TX) – TEXAS / MIDWEST PREMIERE
  • May 21 – “Nor I for You” from After Love – Opus 7 Vocal Ensemble, Loren Pontén, cond. (Seattle, WA)
  • May 21 – Singing Together – Opus 7 Vocal Ensemble, Loren Pontén, cond. (Seattle, WA)
  • June 3 – Sing to Me! – Bay Choral Guild, Sanford Dole, cond. (Campbell, CA)
  • June 4 – Sing to Me! – Bay Choral Guild, Sanford Dole, cond. (San Francisco, CA)
  • June 5 – Sing to Me! – Bay Choral Guild, Sanford Dole, cond. (Palo Alto, CA)
  • June 11 – Hope (poem by Emily Dickinson) for SSA choir a cappella – Seattle Girls Choir: Prime Voci, Sarra Sharif Doyle, cond. (Seattle, CA)
  • June 12 – Imagination! (poem by Phillis Wheatley) for SATB choir a cappella (WORLD PREMIERE) – Commissioned by The Donald Brinegar Singers in honor of the conductor’s 70th birthday, The Donald Brinegar Singers, Donald Brinegar, cond. (Pasadena, CA)
  • June 26 – Hope (poem by Emily Dickinson) for SSA choir a cappella – Seattle Girls Choir: Prime Voci, Jacob Winkler, cond. (Seattle, CA)
  • Various Dates – Hope (poem by Emily Dickinson) for SSA choir a cappella – Seattle Girls Choir: Prime Voci, Jacob Winkler, cond. (Summer 2022 Tour)
  • July 6 (2 performances) – Cantata Caffeinata (libretto by Charles Anthony Silvestri) for Soprano + Baritone Soloists, SATB choir, Soprano Saxophone, Percussion, and Organ (WORLD PREMIERE) – Commissioned by the American Guild of Organists for the Biennial National Convention in Seattle, WA, Anne Lyman, conductor. (Seattle, WA)
  • October 15 – The Gathering – newVoices Choir, Phillip Swan, cond. (Appleton, WI)
  • October 21 – A Psalm of Life – Ensign Chorus, Steve Danielson, cond. (Benaroya Hall, Seattle, WA)
  • October 22 – Eat Your Vegetables! – Set Two – Opus 7 Vocal Ensemble, Loren Pontén, cond. (Seattle, WA)
  • December 4 – “O Adonai” and “O King of Nations” from The Great “O” Antiphons – Cathedral Basilica of Saints Peter & Paul, Charlene Angelini, cond. (Philadelphia, PA)
  • December 10 – “The First Miracle” from This Night and “O Emmanuel” from The Great “O” Antiphons – Opus 7 Vocal Ensemble, Loren Pontén, cond. (St. James Cathedral, Seattle, WA)
  • Date TBD – The Gathering – Unitarian Universalist Congregation Atlanta Choir, Donald Milton, cond. (Atlanta, GA)

2023 Performances

Commissions & Premieres

Recent Premieres

  • June12, 2022 – Imagination! (poem by Phillis Wheatley) for SATB choir a cappella (WORLD PREMIERE) – Commissioned by The Donald Brinegar Singers in honor of the conductor’s 70th birthday, The Donald Brinegar Singers, Donald Brinegar, cond. (Pasadena, CA)
  • July 6, 2022 (2 performances) – Cantata Caffeinata (libretto by Charles Anthony Silvestri) for Soprano + Baritone Soloists, SATB choir, Soprano Saxophone, Percussion, and Organ (WORLD PREMIERE) – Commissioned by the American Guild of Organists for the Biennial National Convention in Seattle, WA, Anne Lyman, conductor. (Seattle, WA)

Upcoming Premieres

  • May 13, 2023 – Pilgrim Beatitudes (libretto by Euan Tait) for Two  Soloists, SATB choir, 2 Percussion, Piano, and Strings (WORLD PREMIERE) – Commissioned by Opus 7 Vocal Ensemble to celebrate their 30th Anniversary Season. (Seattle, WA)
  • Fall 2023 (Date TBD) – Borders, (WORLD PREMIERE of Complete Version) – Commissioned by Matthew Melendez and the Great Bend Center for Music in collaboration with the Distinguished Concerts International New York Premiere Project, with support from the Mason County Washington Historic Preservation Commission and Sierra Pacific Industries – Great Bend Chorale and Youth Chorale; Tess Altiveros, sop; Matthew Melendez, cond.
  • Fall 2023 (Date TBD) – And Music Shall Untune the Sky for choir and soprano saxophone (WORLD PREMIERE) – Commissioned by Brian Gorelick. Performing ensemble TBD.

* Please contact composer for perusal scores of works listed above.