Justin
Freer
composer l arranger l conductor l musician
History:
American composer/conductor JUSTIN FREER was born and raised
in Huntington Beach, CA, and has established himself as one of the
West Coast's most exciting musical voices. Freer began his formal
studies on trumpet, playing in wind ensembles, marching bands and
community orchestras. He quickly turned to piano and composition
and composed his first work for wind ensemble at age eleven. Continuing
trumpet performance while studying piano and composition, Freer
saw multiple wind ensemble, choral and big band performances of
his music while still a teenager and gave his public conducting
debut at age sixteen.
Continually
composing for various different mediums, he has written music for
world-renowned trumpeters Doc Severinson and Jens Lindemann and
continues to be in demand as a composer and conductor for everything
from orchestral sessions in Hollywood to chamber music at some of
the largest music clinics and conventions in the world. Major League
Soccer recently called upon Freer to compose and conduct music for
the 2011 Major League Soccer Championship Cup in Los Angeles, CA.
He has served as composer for several independent films including
Jahim Jones' Generation Never and has written motion picture advertising
music for some of 20th Century Fox Studios' biggest advertising
campaigns including Avatar, The Day the Earth Stood Still, Dragonball
Evolution and Aliens in the Attic. Freer has been appointed associate
conductor for The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King Live
in Concert with the Grand Rapids Symphony and will join the Sydney
Symphony and Brisbane Philharmonic in productions of Fellowship
of the Ring and The Two Towers. To follow he will appear as principal
conductor with the RTE Concert Orchestra in Dublin (The Two Towers)
and the Munich Symphony throughout Germany in 2013 (Fellowship of
the Ring).
Renowned wind
conductor and Oxford Round Table Scholar Dr. Rikard Hansen has noted
that, "In totality, Freer's exploration in musical sound evoke
moments of highly charged drama, alarming strife and serene reflection."
Freer has been
recognized with numerous grants and awards from organizations including
ASCAP, the Society of Composers and Lyricists, the Henry Mancini
Estate and the National Federation of Music Clubs. His list of composer/conductor
residency engagements includes collaborations with the wind ensembles,
orchestras and choirs of the Aries Composers Festival, Henry Mancini
Institute, University of North Texas, UCLA, Texas A&M, University
of Nebraska, Kansas State University, Purdue University, the University
of Illinois, St. Cloud State University, Cal State University, Los
Angeles and others.
As a producer
he has worked with the London Symphony Orchestra, Sir Neville Mariner,
conductor, and the Pacific Symphony Orchestra, Carl St. Clair, conductor,
on recordings of Paul Chihara's orchestral works. Freer is the Founder
and Music Director of the Los Angeles Brass Ensemble and formerly
held the post of Music Director of the acclaimed UCLA Brass Choir,
whom he has led in performances with Sir Angel Romero, Doc Severinson
and Jens Lindemann.
Mr. Freer earned
both his B.A. and M.A. degrees in Music Composition from UCLA, where
his principal composition teachers included Paul Chihara, Ian Krouse
and Roger Bourland. In addition, he was mentored by legendary composer/conductor
Jerry Goldsmith.
Current Credits:
In recent seasons his works have been performed by the Musashino
Academia Musicae Wind Ensemble, Henry Mancini Institute Orchestra,
Texas All-State Symphonic Band, the Grand Symphonic Winds and the
wind bands of the University of North Texas, Purdue University,
Kansas State University, University of North Dakota, University
of Illinois, Indiana University, UCLA, St. Cloud State University,
and Cal State University, Los Angeles, among many others. Recent
premieres include Rio's Convergence, commissioned for the Texas
All-State Symphonic Band, Make It So, commissioned by the Henry
Mancini Institute Orchestra, and Liberty Fallen, commissioned by
the St. Cloud State University Wind Ensemble in conjunction with
the American Composers Forum, which premiered to astounding critical
success at Benson Great Hall, Minnesota. His music has also appeared
as a subject of discussion at the Oxford Round Table of Scholars
and has been performed throughout the world from New York City's
Carnegie Hall to Tokyo Opera City Concert Hall.
Freer compositions Broken Altar and Liberty
Fallen played by the UCLA Wind Ensemble and guests St. Cloud State
Unviersity Wind Ensemble at the Friday March 9 concert at UCLA's
Schoenberg Hall
 
Contact:
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