Dr. Sean Heim

Dr. Sean Heim

Professor, Director, Music Theory and Composition
College of Performing Arts; Hall-Musco Conservatory of Music
Expertise: Composer; Music Theory; Honors Program;
Office Location: Oliphant Hall 306
Phone: (714) 744-7829
Scholarly Works:
Digital Commons
Affiliations:
University Honors Program
Education:
Rowan University, Bachelor of Music
Arizona State University, Master of Music
The University of Queensland, Ph.D.

Biography

Sean Heim received his first serious musical training in secondary school and soon after began studies in music composition with Harold Oliver at Rowan University (BM cum laude). He then worked with Louis W. Ballard at the Atlantic Center for the Arts, studied with Chinary Ung at Arizona State University (MM), and holds a Ph.D. from The University of Queensland in Brisbane, Australia, where he worked with Philip Bracanin. He currently resides in Southern California and is Associate Professor of Music and Director of Music Composition/Theory at Chapman University.

The primary focus of Heim’s work as a composer has been to develop an imaginative personal language that strongly reflects the compositional techniques and aesthetic of his own western tradition as well as the distillation and infusion of theoretical principles and musical elements found in numerous cultures. His most recent work seeks to delve even deeper to express the base commonalities that lie beneath the surface emanations of culture. Heim’s music also reflects a deep interest in physics and the natural world, and it is out of these collective curiosities that he has created unique fusions that continually evolve by means of increased conceptual and technical abstraction.

Heim has received numerous awards, honors, and commissions from such prestigious institutions as the Fromm Music Foundation, the National Endowment for the Arts, Meet the Composer, the American Music Center, the Atlantic Center for the Arts, the American Composers Forum, and the ASCAP Foundation – including the Rudolf Nissim Prize. His music has been performed to critical acclaim throughout Asia, Australia, Europe, and the United States by many distinguished performers, ensembles and, concert series including: Vicki Ray, Susan Ung, Joseph Wytko, Da Capo, the California E.A.R. Unit, the Moscow Contemporary Music Ensemble, Topology, the Los Angeles Percussion Quartet, the Auros Group for New Music, the Eclipse Quartet, Ensemble Green, the New York Miniaturist Ensemble, Interpretations, Piano Spheres, Hear Now, the Focus Festival at Juilliard, and the Thailand International Composition Festival. His discography includes releases on Sono Luminus, Ein Klang, and Capstone Records.

Recent Creative, Scholarly Work and Publications

I completed work on, J.O.T.R., for the Varied Trio (violin, percussion, and piano) in Los Angeles. The work will be premiered in 2020.
I continued work on a commission for two sopranos, bass clarinet, and string quartet for the Voices of the Pearl project.
My work, Stillness, was performed by PLR (the piano trio of Alyssa Park, Tim Loo, and Vicki Ray) on 4/27/19. The concert was cohosted by Synchromy and the Chapman New Horizons concert series.
I completed work on Lung-ta, an 8 minute work for piano duo. This piece is a reimagining of my solo piano work by the same title, however, the duo version has been expanded and reworked extensively.
I completed a re-orchestration of my work, so pa, for The Arroyo Ensemble in Los Angeles.
Lung-ta, for piano duo, was performed by Briely Cutting and Liam Viney on 8/23/18 at the Playhouse, Western Sydney University, Penrith, NSW, Australia.
I conducted 4 performances of my work, Rarrk, for the Hear Now Festival of LA composers. The work was featured on the Festival concert on 4/30/17 in Venice Beach, CA and also on three outreach concerts: 4/5/17 - Los Angeles Community College, 4/7/17 - Chapman University, and 4/7/17 - California State University, Dominguez Hills.
No Quarter, for string quartet, was performed by the Nirmita String Quartet on 7/19/17 at Chulalongkorn University in Bangkok, Thailand.
I completed work on Rarrk, a 7 minute work for English horn player, Paul Sherman. The work is scored for English horn, flute, violin, cello, and piano.
I completed work on, e il naufragar m'è dolce in questo mare, a 5 minute work for violin, viola, percussion, and piano.
I composed, rehearsed, and conducted an original work for Chancellor Daniele Struppa's Inauguration as President of CU. The performed took place as part of the inauguration events on 9/27/16 at the Musco Center for the Arts.
l'eau, la mort, et les etoiles, for guitar solo, was performed by Michael Kudirka on 2/11/16 at Chapman University in Orange, CA.
l'eau, la mort, et les etoiles, for guitar solo, was performed by Michael Kudirka on 2/12/16 at the University of Southern California in Los Angeles, CA.
l'eau, la mort, et les etoiles, for guitar solo, was performed by Michael Kudirka on 2/14/16 at the California Institute for the Arts in Valencia, CA.
Standing in the Storm of Time, piano and string quartet, was performed by Vicki Ray and the Eclipse Quartet on 4/25/16 at Chapman University in Orange, CA.
Rarrk, for English horn, flute, violin, cello, and piano was performed by Paul Sherman, Asuncion Ojeda, Shalini Vijian, Peter Jacobson, and Vicki Ray on 7/23/16 in Siem Reap, Cambodia.
In the Between, for piano solo, was performed by Vicki Ray on 7/31/16 at the Him School of Music in Phnom Penh, Cambodia.
I completed work on Standing in the Storm of Time, a 20 minute work for Vicki Ray and the Eclipse Quartet. The work is scored for piano and string quartet.
Standing in the Storm of Time, piano and string quartet, was performed by Vicki Ray and the Eclipse Quartet on 11/8/15 at Harvey Mudd College in Pomona, CA.
Standing in the Storm of Time, piano and string quartet, was performed by Vicki Ray and the Eclipse Quartet on 11/10/15 at Monk Space in Los Angeles, CA.
Stillness, for violin, cello, and piano, was performed by the Da Capo Chamber Players on 3/12/14 during their residency at Chapman University.
My work night-breath, for soprano and metal percussion (music composition), was released by the Austrian label Ein Klang Records on the recording Lotus Blume.
Composer in Residence - The Viola Workout, Crested Butte, CO - 6/16/13-6/30/13. Presented lectures on music theory/notation, taught composition students, and coached chamber music readings.
No Quarter, for string quartet (music composition), was performed by the What's Next Ensemble at Boston Court in Pasadena, CA on 4/26/13.
In the Between, for solo piano (music composition), was performed by Vicki Ray on the NEXMAP concert series at the Center for New Music in San Francisco, CA on 4/27/13.
Jupiter, the moon, and myself. . ., for soprano, flute, violin, and piano, was performed by Brightwork New Music on 10/3/13 during their residency at Chapman University.
When Wind Comes to Sparse Bamboo, for alto Saxophone, was performed by Anna Marie Wytko, at the Concert Privé de Gantchoula, Paris, France, 6/16/13
Lung-ta (Wind Horse), for piano solo (music composition), Duration 7 minutes.
night-breath, for soprano and metal percussion (music composition), was recorded on 1/15/12 for the album release Lotus Blum on Austrian record label Ein Klang.
The performance of my work No Quarter by the Eclipse Quartet at Roulette in NYC was reviewed by the online blog, I Care If You Listen, on 6/5/12.
The performance of my work In the Between by Vicki Ray at Boston Court in Pasadena, CA was reviewed in the online blog, Patch, on 6/9/12.
Composer in Residence - The Viola Workout, Crested Butte, CO - 6/16/12-6/30/12. Presented lectures on music theory/notation, taught improvisation classes, and coached chamber music readings.
In the Between, for piano solo (music composition), was performed by Vicki Ray at the Bang on a Can Summer Festival at MASS MoCA in North Adams, MA on 7/12/12.
In the Between, for piano solo (music composition), was performed by Vicki Ray at Boston Court in Pasadena, CA on 6/1/12.
No Quarter, for string quartet (music composition), was performed by the Eclipse Quartet at the LACE Gallery (Los Angles Contemporary Exhibitions) in Los Angeles, CA on 5/14/12.
No Quarter, for string quartet (music composition), was performed by the Eclipse Quartet at Roulette in NY, NY on 5/22/12.
night-breath, for soprano and metal percussion (music composition), was performed by Stacey Fraser and Nick Terry at the Steinway Gallery in Pasadena, CA on 9/30/12.
Appeared as a guest on John Schneider’s Global Village on KPFK radio in Los Angeles, CA on 12/8/11.
Composer in Residence - University of Las Vegas, Las Vegas, NV - 4/20/11-4/22/11. Worked with UNLV composition students in masterclasses and presented a seminar on my music for the general population.
Composer in Residence - The Viola Workout, Crested Butte, CO - 6/20/11-6/30/11. Presented lectures on music theory/notation and coached chamber music from the 20th/21st centuries.
Rupa-khandha, for percussion quartet (music composition), was recorded for release by the Sono Luminus record label on 8/20/11 at Skywalker Sound in Lucas Valley, CA.
Rupa-khandha, for percussion quartet, (music composition) Duration 16 minutes. Commissioned by the Los Angeles Percussion Quartet and made possible by Fromm Music Foundation at Harvard University.
I received an ASCAP plus award in recognition of my contributions to creativity in the field of music composition.
Neak Ta, for viola and percussion (music composition) was performed by Susan Ung and Nick Terry at Chapman University on 1/14/11.
A Confluence of Cultures: Echoes From the Pacific Rim (full-length concert) - 1/14/11. I was the host and producer of this concert.
In the Between, for piano solo (music composition), was performed by Vicki Ray at Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, AZ on 1/31/11.
Neak Ta, for viola and percussion (music composition), was performed by Susan Ung and Nick Terry at the Chiang Kai-Shek National Concert Hall, Taipei, Taiwan on 3/1/11.
Neak Ta, for viola and percussion (music composition), was performed by Susan Ung and Nick Terry at the Red Square Gallery, Hong Kong on 3/6/11.
Holomovements, for oboe, violin, viola, double bass and piano (music composition), was performed at the Hear Now - A Festival of New Music by Contemporary Los Angeles Composers - 5/14/11 - First Lutheran Church of Venice, Venice, CA.
No Quarter, for string quartet (music composition), was premiered by Ensemble Green at the Pasadena Conservatory of Music, Pasadena, CA on 4/30/11.
night-breath, for soprano and metal percussion (music composition), was premiered by Stacey Fraser and Ivan Manzanilla at California State University at San Bernardino, San Bernardino, CA on 6/3/11.
Rupa-khandha, for percussion quartet (music composition), was premiered by the Los Angeles Percussion Quartet at Zipper Hall in Los Angeles, CA on 9/10/11.
No Quarter, for string quartet (music composition), was recorded for future release (fall of 2014) by the Eclipse Quartet on 12/17/11 at Architecture in Los Angeles, CA. The session was engineered by Scott Fraser, long-time producer and engineer for the Kronos Quartet.
I received an ASCAP plus award in recognition of my contributions to creativity in the field of music composition.
night-breath, for soprano and metal percussion (music composition), Duration 7 minutes. Commissioned by the Asian Young Musicians' Connection.
No Quarter, for string quartet (music composition), Duration 12.5 minutes.
Jupiter, the moon, and myself. . ., for soprano, flute, violin and piano (music composition), was performed by the Blackbird Music Project featuring Julieanne Klein at the Orange County High School of the Arts, Santa Ana, CA on 10/15/10.

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