Composer Joel Phillip Friedman’s natural creative impulse is to work across genres, and to compose music that is equally informed by his classical training and his engagement with the vernacular. His varied portfolio includes work for small and large ensembles, musical theater, opera, dance, film, jazz, and rock. Friedman's work is characterized by rhythmic energy, a fine balance between expressive power and playful wit, a sense of dramatic narrative, and melodic and harmonic inventiveness. New collaborations, teaching activities and projects continually refresh his thinking and writing.
His music has been performed by gifted musicians and ensembles Works-in-progress include Fallings, an experimental chamber music theater piece (Seth Friedman, libretto); The Emily Songs his electro-acoustic rock settings of Emily Dickinson’s poetry; and a new work for pianist Edvinas Minkstimas. His orchestration of Elastic Band, commissioned by the New Orchestra of Washington, was just premiered and is forthcoming on the Acis label.
He has received awards and fellowships from ASCAP, Montalvo Arts Center, MacDowell, the Society of Composers, the New Music Orchestral Project, John Duffy Composers Institute, Meet the Composer, the American College Theater Festival, and nominations from the American Academy of Arts and Letters, Outer Critics Circle and Drama Desk Awards.
Mirroring his diverse compositional projects, Joel teaches a range of university courses in composition, theory/analysis, and history, and has originated courses on The Beatles, History of Rock and Jazz, and Musical Theater.
