biography

Andrew Earle Simpson, composer, pianist, and organist, is ordinary professor and chair of the division of Theory and Composition at the Benjamin T. Rome School of Music of The Catholic University of America in Washington, DC. A composer of opera, film, orchestral, chamber, choral, dance, and vocal music, his most recent projects reflect an interest in cross-disciplinary music, silent film, and theatrical music. He has received awards and grants from the American Music Center, American Composers Forum, The Alice M. Ditson Fund of Columbia University, The Loeb Classical Library Foundation, the Ann and Gordon Getty Foundation, and the Maryland State Arts Council, among many others.

Simpson’s music has been performed across the United States and abroad by such ensembles as the Cedar Rapids Symphony Chamber Players, Indianapolis Chamber Orchestra, Contemporary Music Forum, counter)induction, Tampa Bay Composers Forum, Great Noise Ensemble, Pictures on Silence, Red Cedar Trio, Boland-Dowdall duo, Lyralos Ensemble (Greece), Catholic University Opera Theater, Cantate Chamber Singers, Reston Chorale, numerous other professional and university ensembles, and by such conductors and performers as Theodore Antoniou, Tim Hankewich, Marvin Hamlisch, Brian Ganz, Michael Cameron, Nancy Ambrose King, Noah Getz, and Tim McAllister.

An active silent film composer, pianist, and organist, Simpson is House Film Accompanist at the Library of Congress’ Mt. Pony Theater, and Resident Film Accompanist at the National Gallery of Art.  He has also performed at the Giornate del Cinema Muto in Pordenone, Italy, the New York Public Library, AFI Silver Theater, Slapsticon, and other venues.  Recent performances include the Capital Fringe Festival and the Kennedy Center in Washington, DC and a concert of his film music with musicians from the Brazilian Symphony Orchestra at the Sala Cecelia Meireles in Rio de Janeiro (2009).

Simpson is also co-founder of the Snark Ensemble, an instrumental group devoted to creating and performing new scores to silent film.  The ensemble created and recorded new film scores for a DVD box set, “Harry Langdon: Lost and Found “(2007), and “Becoming Charley Chase” (2009), both released by All Day Entertainment.  Simpson’s piano scores also appear on All Day’s “American Slapstick, Volume 2 (2008).

At Catholic University, Simpson created the Master of Music in Composition, Stage Music Emphasis program, which opened in August 2005.  This innovative graduate program, unique in its scope, combines practical training in collaborative and theatrical composition with professional academic coursework. 

Andrew Earle Simpson’s instrumental chamber music is recorded on the Capstone, Athena, and Arizona University Recordings labels.  In April 2009, the Red Cedar Trio released Fireflies, a CD devoted entirely to Simpson’s music, on the Fleur de Son Classics label.

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