Bruce Brown, D.M.A.

Dr. Jonathan Bruce Brown is a professor of music and chair of the music department at Spring Arbor University. He is an active composer and serves as composer in residence with the Jackson Symphony Orchestra. He also hosts the JSO's pre-concert lecture series known as Backstage Glimpses and a radio program, Backstage With the JSO, on HOME.fm

Dr. Brown's modern yet lyrical compositional style has made him a frequent recipient of commissions for new works. In recent years, he has completed commissions for the Jackson Symphony Orchestra, Brass Band of Battle Creek, District VIII of the Michigan School Band and Orchestra Association and the Jackson Chorale. He was also commissioned to write festive works for the 15th anniversary celebration of the South Carolina School for the Arts, the opening of the new music building at Central Michigan University, and the dedication of a new library at Spring Arbor University. Performances of his works have taken him across the country.

His composition, Legacy of Vision: Martin Luther King, has been performed in many venues including Constitution Hall in Washington D.C. In 1992, it was included in a nationally-syndicated radio program produced by the University of Illinois. His Symphony For String Orchestra has been recorded by the Prague Radio Symphony Orchestra, and is available on compact disc through MMC Music in Boston, Mass. After receiving a bachelor's degree from Central Michigan University, he studied composition with Neil McKay at the University of Hawaii, where his thesis composition, Three Pieces for Orchestra, was performed by the Honolulu Symphony.

Dr. Brown completed his doctoral studies under Martin Mailman at The University of North Texas, where his works won top honors in competitions in New York, Texas and California. At SAU, he was honored to receive the 1991 Sears-Roebuck Foundation Award for Teaching Excellence and Campus Leadership, and Faculty Merit Awards in 1988 and 1995. His compositions have also been recognized by annual awards from the American Society for Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP) since 1992.

In addition to his teaching duties in music, Dr. Brown has led SAU cross cultural programs in the Czech Republic and the Republic of South Africa.

Contact Dr. Brown through e-mail at bbrown@arbor.edu or by phone at 517.750.6499.