Be a university professor/instructor of composition (and/or another field)Ī time-honored career path, and one with many advantages for a composer, is that of university teaching. Such composers as John Adams, Pierre Boulez, and Esa-Pekka Salonen follow in the distinguished line of composer-conductors from Hector Berlioz through Gustav Mahler and Richard Strauss to Leonard Bernstein. Conductors, by the nature of their profession, are able to exercise influence over - in an even broader sense than that of solo or chamber performance - the performances of their works, and many composers have found conducting to be a necessary skill for the promotion of their music. Be a composer-conductorĪlthough related to the above category of composer-performer, many composers have found the dual career path of composer-conductor to be very advantageous for their careers. Additionally, as a composer who performs, you have the opportunity to make friends and contacts among your fellow performers - those who will be performing your music. Such noted composers as Frederic Rzewski, William Bolcom (piano), Steve Reich (percussion), and many others combine careers in performance with those of composition. The most clear advantage is that you, as performer, are in a position to present your own music in the manner in which you intend it to be heard. There are many advantages for the composer who also performs. Many composers, by virtue of their musical backgrounds, are performers as well. Ultimately, whatever your career path, you will likely find that your professional career combines many of the endeavors listed below, and will undoubtedly include many not included here, or even not yet invented! Typical Composition Career Options Be a composer-performer What connects all composers, however, is the innate desire to create music, something which goes beyond the particular differences between individual careers. ![]() Ultimately, your own career as a composer will depend upon a large number of elements, and be influenced by many things. So, while there is no definite way of knowing exactly which path you should follow as a composer, here are some examples of typical career paths taken by composers. ![]() ![]() All of these contain the potential for fulfilling, satisfying professional careers, and the exact makeup of a given composer's career will differ from composer to composer. The vast majority of compositional careers blend creative activity with performing, conducting, teaching, administration of music, or other musical (and, in many cases, non-musical) endeavors. Trained composers enjoy a wide variety of possible career paths, almost all of which involve combining composition with another aspect of music-making.
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