Composer David Jason Snow (b. 1954) received his professional musical training at the Eastman School of Music (1972-1976) where he studied with Joseph Schwantner, Warren Benson, and Samuel Adler, and at the Yale School of Music (1976-1978) where he was a student of Jacob Druckman. While at Eastman, he was awarded the Bernard and Rose Sernoffsky Prize in composition (1974), the McCurdy Prize (1975), and the Howard Hanson Prize (1976), and at Yale he received the Frances E. Osborne Kellogg Prize (1978). Other honors include BMI Student Composer Awards (1977, 1979), Annapolis Fine Arts Foundation Composition Prizes (1981, 1983, 1984, 1985), an ASCAP Foundation Grant (1981), a National Association of Composers/USA Composition Prize (1981), a National Federation of Music Clubs Composition Prize (1981), National Endowment for the Arts Composer Fellowships (1982, 1985), a Meet the Composer Grant (1983), and Maryland State Arts Council Grants (1992, 1997). Snow has been awarded artist residencies at Yaddo (1981, 2000) and Millay Arts (2004), and commissions from the College Band Directors National Association Commission (1982) and the Renee B. Fisher Foundation (1997).
Among the organizations that have presented Snow's work in concert are the Ensemble Intercontemporain (Centre Georges Pompidou, Paris), the New Juilliard Ensemble (Museum of Modern Art, New York), the American Brass Quintet (John F. Kennedy Center, Washington, DC), the Yale Contemporary Ensemble (Sprague Hall, New Haven), the Yale University Band (Woolsey Hall, New Haven), the Harvard Wind Ensemble (Sanders Theater, Cambridge), and the Banda Municipal de Bilbao (Euskalduna Palace, Bilbao).
Except where noted, the scores and recordings listed on this page are protected by a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License.
Compositions by David Jason Snow
Woodwinds • Brass • Strings • Keyboards • Percussion • Mixed ensembles • Large ensembles • Songs with piano • Songs with instrumental ensemble • Choral music • DADA-musique • Stage work • Audio fixed media • Video fixed media
- Woodwinds
- Elephants exotiques, arranged for four bassoons SCORE
- Fun zaydelehs lied buch for woodwind soloist on bass clarinet, flute, and alto saxophone, and recorded sound SCORE RECORDED SOUND ACCOMPANIMENT(16-bit, 44.1kHz stereo FLAC)
- Hasana tanz
- arranged for oboe, clarinet, and bassoon SCORE
- arranged for B♭ clarinet, E♭ alto clarinet, and bass clarinet. Available for purchase from Woodwindiana
- The hieland clinch arranged for Scottish smallpipes SCORE
- Das Lakritzequartett
- Ma tovu (How lovely thy sanctuaries) arranged for E♭ soprano clarinet, B♭ clarinet, E♭ alto clarinet, and bass clarinet SCORE
- Nukular shrubdance arranged for soprano, alto, tenor, and baritone saxophones SCORE AND PARTS
- La promenade du pâtissier, from A Baker's Tale, arranged for clarinet, bass clarinet, and piano SCORE
Chamber music
(including solos, solos with piano, solos with electronics, and ensembles with piano)
- A baker's tale
- arranged for trumpet and piano SCORE AND B♭ AND C TRUMPET PARTS
- arranged for tuba and piano SCORE AND PART
- Brass quintet, 1974 for 2 trumpets, horn, trombone and bass trombone. Score and parts available for purchase from Subito Music Corp.
- The Brass Ring for trumpet and piano. Score and parts available for purchase from qPress
- Dance movements for 2 trumpets, horn, trombone, and bass trombone SCORE AND PARTS
- Dear Rozenkavalier for tuba and piano or recorded sound accompaniment SCORE RECORDED SOUND ACCOMPANIMENT(16-bit, 44.1kHz stereo FLAC)
- Ditch Plains for trumpet and video SCORE VIDEO
- Elephants Exotiques
- for tuba quartet. Score available for purchase from Cimarron Music Press
- arranged for 3 tenor trombones and bass tromobne SCORE
- Fanfare for Varian Fry for 2 trumpets, horn, trombone, and bass trombone SCORE AND PARTS
- I gaze upon crystal effusions for horn and piano SCORE AND PART
- La promenade du pâtissier, from A baker's tale arranged for 2 trumpets, horn, trombone, and bass trombone SCORE AND PARTS
- A shaynem dank dir im pupik
- for 3 tubas SCORE AND PARTS
- arranged for 3 tenor trombones and bass tromobne SCORE AND PARTS
- Sonatina for trumpet and piano SCORE AND PART
- Winter for trumpet and piano SCORE AND PARTS
- A baker's tale
- arranged for 4 guitars SCORE AND PARTS
- arranged for 2 violins, viola, cello, and piano SCORE AND PARTS
- Berceuse arranged for 2 violins, viola, and cello SCORE
- Broadway boogie-woogie (Etude after Mondrian)
- arranged for 2 violins SCORE
- arranged for violin and viola SCORE
- arranged for violin and piano SCORE AND PART
- Deep space radio
- for 2 violins, viola, cello, and recorded sound SCORE
- arranged for violin, viola, cello, and recorded sound SCORE
- arranged for cello and recorded sound SCORE
- RECORDED SOUND ACCOMPANIMENT(16-bit, 44.1kHz stereo FLAC)
- Hasana tanz
- L'Histoire du pâtissier (A baker's tale) arranged for 4 guitars SCORE AND PARTS
- Layde Aurora's jigge arranged for cello and double bass SCORE AND PARTS
- Ma tovu (How lovely thy sanctuaries) arranged for treble viol, 2 tenor viols, and bass viol SCORE
- Midcentury modern for 2 violins, viola, and cello SCORE
- Nice girls don't for violin, cello, piano, and recorded sound SCORE AND PARTS RECORDED SOUND ACCOMPANIMENT(16-bit, 44.1kHz stereo FLAC)
- A night in Jakarta arranged for violin and recorded sound SCORE RECORDED SOUND ACCOMPANIMENT(16-bit, 44.1kHz stereo FLAC)
- Pasando por los movimientos: el tango del autoengaño for violin and piano SCORE AND PART
- Serenade for guitar, 2 violins, viola, and cello SCORE
- A shaynem dank dir im pupik
- Sonatina arranged for violin and piano SCORE AND PART
- String trio for violin, viola, and cello SCORE AND PARTS
- Total harmonic distortion for violin and recorded sound SCORE RECORDED SOUND ACCOMPANIMENT(16-bit, 44.1kHz stereo FLAC)
- Wedding march for 2 violins, viola, and cello SCORE AND PARTS
- Winter arranged for violin and piano SCORE AND PART
- A shaynem dank dir im pupik arranged for toy piano SCORE
- A baker's tale
- Broadway boogie-woogie: etude after Mondrian for piano SCORE
- Hommage, ragtime for piano SCORE
- How goodly are they tents, O Jacob arranged for organ SCORE
- La mia famiglia for piano SCORE
- The “Mommy, wipe me!” rag for piano SCORE
- Passacaglia for piano SCORE
- Pavane and galliard for carillon SCORE
- Santa's entrance into Valhalla arranged for piano and recorded sound SCORE RECORDED SOUND ACCOMPANIMENT(16-bit, 44.1kHz stereo FLAC)
- Studies for two MIDI-controlled pianos
- Timor Timur arranged for piano and recorded sound SCORE • RECORDED SOUND ACCOMPANIMENT(16-bit, 44.1kHz stereo FLAC)
- The velvet gentleman: ballet indigeste for MIDI-controlled piano MIDI FILE
- Assault and battery for percussion (3 players) SCORE
- Dance of the Red Tiger Devil for percussion (5 players) SCORE
- Eat this for percussion (1 player) and dancers SCORE
- Man with hammer for percussion (1 player) SCORE
- A shaynem dank dir im pupik arranged for percussion (2 players) SCORE
- A shaynem dank dir im pupik
- arranged for clarinet, 3 double basses, and percussion (1 player) SCORE
- arranged for violin, bassoon, and tuba SCORE AND PARTS
- At the rebbe's table (Baym rebns tisch) for flute, clarinet, violin, cello, and piano SCORE
- A baker's tale
- for clarinet, bassoon, trumpet, violin, and piano SCORE AND PARTS
- arranged for flute, violin, cello, and harpsichord SCORE
- arranged for clarinet, bassoon, trumpet, trombone, violin, double bass, and percussion (1 player) SCORE AND PARTS
- arranged for clarinet, horn, and piano SCORE
- arranged for clarinet, trumpet, percussion (1 player), and piano SCORE AND PARTS
- arranged for clarinet, violin, and piano SCORE
- arranged for clarinet, 2 violins, viola, and cello SCORE AND PARTS
- arranged for clarinet, cello, and piano SCORE
- arranged for trumpet, violin, and piano SCORE AND PARTS
- arranged for 2 violins, viola, cello, and piano SCORE AND PARTS
- Broadway Boogie-Woogie (etude after Mondrian) arranged for flute, oboe, clarinet, horn, bassoon, 2 violins, viola, cello, and piano SCORE
- Effluvia for flute, oboe, bass clarinet, bassoon, horn, violin, viola, cello, and piano SCORE
- Hasana tanz
- for flute, clarinet, and cello SCORE AND PARTS
- arranged for clarinet, bass clarinet, and harp SCORE
- Muted suggestions
- for trumpet and marimba. Score and part available for purchase from Ensemble Publications
- arranged for trombone and bass marimba SCORE
- Nice girls don't for violin, cello, piano and recorded sound SCORE AND PARTS RECORDED SOUND ACCOMPANIMENT(16-bit, 44.1kHz stereo FLAC)
- Nukular pigdance for piano, double bass, and drums SCORE
- Nukular shrubdance arranged for flute, cello, and double bass SCORE AND PARTS
- Poor Mr. Cabbage! for 2 tubas and percussion (1 player) SCORE
- Santa's entrance into Valhalla
- arranged for 2 trumpets, 4 horns, 2 trombones, and percussion (3 players) SCORE AND PARTS
- arranged for 6 tromones, 2 bass trombones, and percussion (3 players) SCORE
- Trio for alto flute, double bass, and piano SCORE
- A baker's tale
- arranged for band SCORE
- arranged for chamber orchestra SCORE AND PARTS
- arranged for mandolin orchestra SCORE AND PARTS
- arranged for piano and string orchestra SCORE
- arranged for string orchestra SCORE AND PARTS
- Buddha breath for cello and orchestra SCORE AND PARTS
- Carter's complaint for orchestra and recorded sound SCORE RECORDED SOUND ACCOMPANIMENT(16-bit, 44.1kHz stereo FLAC)
- Concordia formae
- arranged for chamber orchestra SCORE AND PARTS
- arranged for wind quintet and strings SCORE
- Fanfare for Varian Fry arranged for orchestra SCORE
- Guernica for 2 brass quintets and band SCORE AND PARTS
- Hasana tanz
- arranged for violin and orchestra SCORE AND PARTS
- arranged for electric violin and orchestra SCORE AND PARTS
- Jakarta
- for oboe, violin, and percussion ensemble SCORE AND PARTS
- arranged for violin and percussion ensemble SCORE
- arranged for violin, viola, and percussion ensemble SCORE AND STRING PARTS
- On Clearwater Mountain
- for trumpet and string orchestra SCORE AND PARTS
- arranged for flute and string orchestra SCORE
- arranged for chamber orchestra SCORE
- Sinfonia concertante for horn, percussion (3 players), piano, and wind ensemble SCORE AND PARTS
Vocal music
- Songs with piano
- Songs with instrumental ensemble
- Aubade arranged for high voice, 2 violin, viola, and cello SCORE
- Aubade/Nocturne for high voice, flute, clarinet, violin, cello, and piano SCORE
- Blake songs for high voice, 2 violins, viola, and cello SCORE
- Reflections for mezzo-soprano voice, horn, and piano SCORE
- Zog nit keynmol az du geyst dem letstn veg
- Choral music
Last update: November 1, 2023
DADA-musique
Stage work
Audio fixed media
Audio files (16-bit 44.1kHz stereo FLAC) for streaming or download, organized into 10 series:
SERIES 1: ALBUM DER KLAVIATURMONSTRASITÄTEN • ALBUM DES MONSTRUOSITÉS DU CLAVIER • ALBUM OF KEYBOARD MONSTROSITIES Les 5000 doigts du Docteur T: étude de piano robotique (01:00) A shaynem dank dir im pupik (08:52) A baker's tale. 1. La promenade du pâtissier (03:20) A baker's tale. 2. Méditations à la croissance spirituel (03:43) A baker's tale. 3. Hymne au village céleste; 4. Dénouement (03:29) Etude after Mondrian (04:55) Fantasia on a rhapsody by Rachmaninoff on a theme by Paganini (02:15) Fugue from Wittgenstein revisited (01:41) Galop from Parlour music (03:55) The modern harpsichord COMMENTARY AUDIO (04:25) Pavane and galliard (04:58) Passacaglia en unisono (03:32) Three studies for two Disklaviers. 1. Onde sulla spiaggia (04:06) Three studies for two Disklaviers. 2. Raging libido (03:18) Three studies for two Disklaviers. 3. DefRag (02:05) The velvet gentleman: ballet indigeste (24:28)
SERIES 3: ASTRAL BAGGAGE (HEAD TRIPS FOR LUFTKINDER) Pavane (01:47) Did you want sprouts on that? (04:28) Into the cosmic mandala (05:37) Goodnight, moon (words by M.W. Brown) (02:28) No easy death (04:36) Galliard (02:51) Candybox (04:02) Traitées au fromage (08:24) Dance of the Red Tiger Devil (09:02) Exercitatio anatomica de motu cordis et sanguinis in animalibus (04:58) Yo GABA GABA (08:44) Zippy's New Age dance (12:02) Pavane (01:39) Deep space radio (07:55) Galliard (02:45) Kopfausflug für ein Luftkind (12:03) A night in Jakarta (10:53) Toute certitude se termine par la mort (02:28) Die Würfel sind gefallen: variations on Mozart's Musical Dice Game, K. 516f (01:57) Shlof mayn kind, mayn treyst mayn sheyner (5:68)
SERIES 5: AUDIBLE DADA (STUDIES IN KULTURVERNEINGUNG), VOLUME 2 Adventures in necromusicology, with your host Charles Arthur Rawlings (episodes 1-2) (11:34) The diagnostic and statistical manual of musical disorders COMMENTARY AUDIO (23:31) Organ Leroy at his organ... again (27:28) The quantum fields COMMENTARY AUDIO (08:36) Sumptuous sinews COMMENTARY AUDIO (29:59) Music from Sumptuous sinews (24:34) This is only a test (09:54)
SERIES 6: THE AUDIBLE ENVIRONMENT Brooklyn underground (7:51) Das Lied von der Magnetosphäre (7:56) Manahatta: mythic city (12:00) The Mozart effect (7:14) Set sail for the heliopause! (8:02) The sound of one shoe dropping (7:46) Tuning into, situating within (13:51)
SERIES 7: ORCHESTRAL SELECTIONS FROM MARRIAGE AT WORK, A MUSICAL COMEDY
Book and lyrics by Paul Franklin Stregevsky
Music by Paul Franklin Stregevsky and David Jason Snow
Orchestrations by David Jason SnowOverture (03:59) Life on the fringe (05:03) Hineni! (04:52) Marriage is work (02:20) Eight weeks (03:17) The rebbe says (06:48) Someone just like me (03:16) A world of many colors (02:59) Marriage at work (05:36) Prelude to Act two (04:51) When I was one (04:53) The ways I would tell you (05:24) Going through the motions (02:56) Pass it on (04:31) The sins on me (03:02) Something strange (05:43) Forty days, forty years (04:22) Eight weeks/A world of many colors (reprise) (02:31) Future imperfect (03:28)
SERIES 8: POPULAR MUSIC AND ITS DISCONTENTS Bad girls (4:55) Bright shiny thingy (2:07) Broadway reject (2:51) But they seemed like such nice folks (3:15) Depilação brasileira (O samba da apropriação cultural) (3:52) Disco plotz (2:30) The German Roll (In memoriam Betty Rowland) (2:05) Goodbye, Columbus (4:45) Hommage à l'Afrique (2:10) I think you're a jerk (2:59) I'm getting sick over you (words by Peter Kougasian) (2:13) Jailbait (3:44) Laissez les bons temps saigner (1:48) Leila (2:55) Let's eat (words by the Firesign Theatre) (4:17) La mia famiglia (8:14) My little umbrella (1:49) Nice guys finish last (4:22) Righteous motherfucker (2:57) Some serious shit (6:27) Stuck together (words by Peter Kougasian) (3:55) Theme from A summer STD infection (1:48)
SERIES 9: THIS, TOO, IS MUSIC Beat me mama, 29 to the bar (5:47) Campane dell'inferno (4:00) Campane dell'inferno (carillon version) (4:15) Der verbannte Alberich (“Raus, raus, du abgesagter Kriecher!”)(9:00) Heavy metal hebop (5:08) It's the process, not the product (10:53) Notes from underground (35:47) Prayer (3:54) Squeeze me mama, 29 to the bar (5:51) St. Modestus blesses the AK47s (1:53) The sum of all differences COMMENTARY AUDIO (3:04) Suono grafica (6:04) Terminal lucidity (7:17) This too is music (5:23) Three etudes for imaginary harp (10:57) Trumpet nigun: In memoriam Louis Bannet (4:41) Wave dynamics (4:54)
SERIES 10: VEX AMERICANA Beat me mama, 29 to the bar, 23 to the octave (5:48) La beaute sera CONVULSIVE ou ne sera pas (12:11) Bernie's gig, live at the Alka-Hole (5:48) Fun zaydeleh's lied buch (Fred DeChristofaro on bass clarinet, flute, alto sax) (10:22) Hommage à Abdullah Ibrahim (20:55) In the Middle Ages (words by E. Ewazen, C. Kollgaard, D. Snow) (3:19) The Internationale (composed by Pierre Chrétien Degeyter) (0:51) Man with hammer: motion study on a sculpture by Peter Grippe (2:06) Nukular pigdance (3:21) Parlour music (14:36) Santa's entrance into Valhalla (3:49) Slippery when wet (4:14) Swarm (4:00) That old sad song (1983) (3:38) Le tombeau de Maynard G. Krebs COMMENTARY AUDIO (3:55) Vex americana COMMENTARY AUDIO EXCERPTS (06:33) Wittgenstein revisited (13:33) Bride of Wittgenstein: Classical miasma (7:11) Video fixed media
8-bit pseudo-random godhead generator (5:44) Beat me, mama, 29 to the bar (3:33) Crazytown (3:22) Ditch Plains (6:15) Grande liturgie situationniste (5:38) I scare myself (8:23) Man with hammer: motion study on a sculpture by Peter Grippe (2:06) Mommy, wipe me! (1:45) Optimal harmonic fidelity control (5:03) Scherzo no. 9 (6:05) Time and the machine (10:33) Wake me when we get there (4:59)