29 September 1937; New Salem, New York
American composer
Works for Brass Ensemble
- Sonata for brass quintet
- The Four Directions for brass ensemble
Biography
Vehar holds a Bachelor of Music degree from Ithaca College and a Master of Music degree from the University of Michigan, and had three years’ postgraduate study in New York City. Her private composition studies were with Warren Benson, Ross Lee Finney, Roberto Gerhard and Ned Rorem. She had additional advanced composition workshops with Milton Babbitt, John Cage, Leon Kirchner, Roger Sessions, Jacob Druckman and John Corigliano. Vehar frequently presents master classes in composition at such institutions as SUNY Fredonia and Potsdam, Pittsburg State (Kan.), Austin-Peay State (Tenn.), Wake Forest U. (N.C.), Syracuse, and the Eastman School of Music.
Persis Parshall Vehar has had works commissioned and performed by leading orchestras, opera companies, ensembles, soloists and schools throughout the United States, Canada, and Europe. With over 300 compositions ranging from solo song to full orchestral works and operas, Vehar’s works have been performed at many of the leading concert halls. She is the recipient of 30 annual ASCAP Plus Awards for excellence in composition and seven Meet the Composer grants, and is included in the International Museum’s Collection of Distinguished Musicians in London and the Biblioteque Internationale De Musique Contemporaine in Paris.
Conductor JoAnn Falletta said, “Persis is a composer of great imagination and tremendous talent. She enjoys writing for musicians whom she knows and cares about, and her music is always deeply personal and very communicative.”