Hollis Thoms Bio

B.A. Music and English

St. Olaf College, Northfield, Minnesota

Concordia College, River Forest, Illinois

M.M. Music Composition

Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois

Ph.D. Music Composition (Course Work)

Eastman School of Music, Rochester, New York

Joseph Klingenstein Fellow

Columbia University, New York New York

Ed.S. Educational Administration

University of Toledo, Toledo, Ohio

Masters of Liberal Arts

St. John's College, Annapolis, Maryland

Hollis Thoms is an Annapolis composer of over 100 works for a variety of ensembles. He has a BA from Concordia University Chicago, an MM from Northwestern University, an EdS in educational administration from the University of Toledo, a masters in liberal arts from St. John’s College, Annapolis, and finished the course work for the PhD in musical composition from the Eastman School of Music.

His principal composition teachers were Richard Hillert,M. William Karlins, Warren Benson and Samuel Adler.

In addition, he has been the recipient of a number of fellowships: the year-long Joseph Kingenstein Fellowship to Columbia University to do research and creative work in English and music, writing a 45 minute song-cycle, “Sargasso,” for soprano, cello and piano based on the poetry of Sylvia Plath as part of his fellowship year project that was performed at Columbia University during his fellowship year; an Alden B. Dow Creativity Fellowship to write the ballet, “Love Journey,” based on the writings of Dante; was a Fulbright Exchange Teacher to Scotland where he wrote “Postcard” for orchestra which was later performed by the Northwest Symphony Orchestra under the direction of Dr. Paul Vermel; and was selected to participate in the summer seminar for school administrators at Harvard University.

In addition, he has had 30 articles published in educational journals on a variety of administrative and teaching topics. He has also been a teacher of music and English, a school administrator and regional director of schools. Two articles specifically on composition have been published: “Encouraging the Musical Imagination through Composition” appeared in a book entitled “The Best of MEJ: Creativity in the Music Classroom” edited by Donald L. Hamann, published by MENC in 1991, and “The Spiritual Dimension to Composing: Results of a Survey,” published by PAN PIPES in 2007.

In 2005 his “Requiem for 9/11” for soprano and string orchestra was premiered at St. John’s College , Annapolis . This 40 minute work is based on five new poems by American poets on the 9/11 tragedy and ends with a setting of Rainer Maria Rilke’s “Herbst.” In 2007 his one act, hour long, opera “Socrates” was also premiered at St. John’s College and included talks by distinguished St. John ’ College tutors on the significance of the death of Socrates.

Most recently he has completed another opera entitled “The Moustache” a 90-minute work for four singers and chamber ensemble based on a fantasy (though historically possible) meeting between Cipriano Ferrandini, an Italian barber who was central to the Baltimore Plot of 1861 to kill Lincoln before he was inaugurated, and John Wilkes Booth, who eventually killed Lincoln in 1865. The opera brings to life the meeting of these two conspirators on March 24, 18 65 , a few weeks before Lincoln ’s assassination. The opera is scheduled to be premiered in 2009, during the Lincoln bicentennial. In addition, Mr. Thoms is also working on a two-hour “Passion According to Nicodemus” for soloists and chamber ensemble that is scheduled for its premiere in 2008.

Mr. Thoms has written works for a variety of ensembles from solo to orchestral, many on commission, and also for his own professional musician wife, Jacqueline, and children: Dr. Jason Thoms (BA St. Olaf College, MM and DMA, Michigan State University), assistant professor of choral music at Concordia University New York; Sonja (Thoms) Winkler (BA Eastman School of Music, MM Rice University), oboist and conductor, and Jonas Thoms (BA Eastman School of Music, masters in progress at University of Cincinnati), hornist.

A sample of some of his works include: “Contrasts, Fragments and Echoes (2),” a string quartet performed by Ethos String Quartet, Illinois; “Postcard” for orchestra by the Northwest Symphony Orchestra, Illinois; “Te Deum” for mixed chorus and chamber ensemble by Central United Methodist Church, Fayetteville, Arkansas; “Fishing: Perch, Thoreau and Bruckner for mixed chorus commissioned by Heritage Chorale, Illinois; “A Trumpet None Can Silence” for the Concordia University Wind Symphony, Illinois; “…a blue true dream of sky” commissioned for the Oak Park and River Forest Children’s Chorus, Illinois; “Resonance 1” for piano and orchestra by the Oak Park and River Forest High School Symphony Orchestra, Illinois; “A Joyful Noise!” for choirs, instruments, piano and organ commissioned by Salem Lutheran Church, Glendale, California; “Psalm 46” a motet commissioned by Grace Lutheran Church, River Forest, Illinois; “Nonet 1” for strings, Eastman School of Music, New York; “Variations” for woodwind quintet, Glendale, California; “Lyric” for oboe and string orchestra, Eastman School of Music; “Trio 1” for oboe, bassoon, and piano, Rice University, Texas; “Trio 2” for horn, violin and piano, Eastman School of Music; “Agnus Dei” for mixed choir, Michigan State Univerisity; “Silence” a song-cycle of eleven poems by the composer for soprano, baritone and piano, Glendale, California; “Sargasso” for soprano, cello and piano based on poems by Sylvia Plath, Columbia University, New York.