Biography

Thomas Joseph (b. 1988) composes in a variety of musical mediums and levels, ranging from early academic to highly advanced contemporary “new” art music. He has many works for piano, voice, solo instruments, traditional small ensembles, mixed ensembles, string orchestras, wind ensembles, as well as full orchestras. Joseph has also arranged music for steel pan orchestras. During study under Jonathan Newman at Shenandoah Conservatory, he has engaged in sessions with Pulitzer Prize Winners David Lang, John Corigliano; composers David Little and Eric Whitacre; and performance ensembles such as the American Modern Ensemble, Newspeak, and Eighth Blackbird.

Selected works include Temper Sigh Release (2017) for sinfonietta, Scatter Plot for Pierrot ensemble with electric guitar/percussion, Helium Flash for SSSAAATTTBBB Choir, Hypnic for soprano voice and piano, Beast Suite for Trombone and piano, Point--Line--Arc for solo violin, Shades of America and An Hour of Rumination for wind ensemble, Suite for Brass Quintet, Caricatures for Wind Quintet, Piano Sonata No. 2 in C minor, and Preludes and Fugue-- an antiphonal work for three quartets comprised of double reeds, clarinets, and strings. 

Joseph's most recent performance, Concerto Dystonia (2011) for solo horn and orchestra (as well as horn and piano) by the Space Coast Symphony Orchestra in July 2021, chronicles the composer's own battle with task-specific focal dystonia. Concerto Dystonia is meant to bring awareness to the neurological condition of focal dystonia, in which the brain short-circuits and the sufferer experiences muscle spasms with no apparent physical disabilities. Utilizing different playing techniques, the piece depicts a skillful performer's gradual decline in technical ability. However, hope for a future of recovery is also demonstrated to encourage fellow sufferers of focal dystonia.

As a student at Old Dominion, Joseph was awarded the Undergraduate Research Award to facilitate a recital which included an original work titled Quartet (2009-2010) for soprano saxophone, vibraphone, acoustic guitar, and harpsichord. This work also served as a teaching aid during the Undergraduate Research Symposium, where he lectured on the creative and organizational process of music composition. Additionally, he spearheaded another grant which produced ODU's first composition group student recital. In 2010, Thomas Joseph won the Young Artist Competition at ODU with Concert Music for Orchestra. Other performances include Fanfare (2010), commissioned and performed by the Eastern Virginia Brass Quintet; Sonatina for Flute and Piano, performed by Bonnie Kim (flute) and Andrey Kasparov (piano) at the Hampton Roads Flute Faire;  Dominion Fanfare by the ODU Wind Ensemble; and Beast Suite, premiered by Mike Hall (trombone) and Stephen Coxe (piano).

Thomas Joseph holds a Master of Music in Music Composition from Shenandoah Conservatory and a Bachelor of Music in Music Composition from Old Dominion University (Norfolk, VA). Joseph studied composition with Jonathan Newman at Shenandoah. At ODU, he studied composition under Andrey Kasparov, Mark Chambers, and orchestration/counterpoint with Adolphus Hailstork. Joseph has additional studies in piano and horn. He is also an adjunct faculty member of the Old Dominion Community Music Program for Theory and Composition. Joseph has 4 years of teaching experience as an full-time all-school music teacher in a pre-k through 12th grade program.