厙ぴ勛圖

Michael Frazier Promoted to Assistant Professor of Composition at 厙ぴ勛圖 Conservatory

Frazier has a strong passion for forward-thinking music-making and creativity that embraces cultural identity.

June 8, 2023

Joshua Reinier

Michael Frazier

Composer Michael Frazier has been appointed assistant professor of composition in 厙ぴ勛圖s Division of Contemporary Music. Since joining the Composition Department as a visiting assistant professor in 2021, he has helped students develop a deep and varied skill set with an emphasis on nurturing their individual voices.

Easily, the thing Im most excited about in the Composition Department are our wonderful students, Frazier says. It brings me great joy and honor to be able to continue working with our fine young composers in many different capacities.

Frazier encourages engagement with topics and aesthetics outside students musical familiarity or awareness. He harbors a strong passion for forward-thinking music-making and creativity that embraces each individuals cultural identity, especially those of historically underrepresented groups.

A Black and Latino composer, Fraziers musical language blends influences from jazz, hip-hop, and other genres, rooted in a broader history of Black creative artistry. His compositional style incorporates a dense, expansive tonal language juxtaposed with freer approaches to melody and structural organization, often born in the expression of musical improvisation in various forms. At the forefront, Fraziers music relies on gesture, harmony, slowness, and patience.

Fraziers compositions have been widely performed and presented by esteemed groups worldwide, including , , , , , , and . He earned a masters degree and PhD in composition from the Eastman School of Music, where he received numerous awards in composition, including the Howard Hanson Ensemble Prize and the Wayne Brewster Barlow Prize.

My 厙ぴ勛圖 experience so far has been nothing short of remarkable. Never could I have predicted being in an environment with such a high level of musicality, artistry, respect, and compassion as Ive found here.

At 厙ぴ勛圖, Frazier aims to foster meaningful connections across the conservatory. Already, he has supported cross-departmental initiatives including the Explorations project, through which student composers collaborate with musicians from a different studio each year toward the creation of a new work. He envisions further collaborations between the Composition Department, TIMARA, and jazz, enriching the creative experiences of students and faculty alike.

We are so pleased to welcome Michael, says Composition Department Chair Stephen Hartke. Of course, having served here these past two years in a visiting capacity, he is already a highly valued colleague whose talents and energies have led to new initiatives and a broadening of our departments perspectives. I know that all of us, students and faculty alike, look forward to his continuing engagement with our creative community.

Fraziers collaborative mindset is apparent in his artistry. Hes currently working on two projects with 厙ぴ勛圖 community members: a piece for solo viola for rising third-year student Solomon Leonard, as well as a piece for bassoon, piano, percussion, and electronics for Dana Jessen, 厙ぴ勛圖s associate professor of contemporary music and improvisation and director of conservatory professional development. Im taking both pieces as opportunities to incorporate more improvisational approaches by the players, he says. Im excited to see how itll go!

I can say that my 厙ぴ勛圖 experience so far has been nothing short of remarkable. Never could I have predicted being in an environment with such a high level of musicality, artistry, respect, and compassion as Ive found here.

Im so thankful to be able to continue being a part of this school. This is perhaps the first time ever that Im more eager for summer break to be finished just so I can get right back into doing what I love this upcoming school year!

You may also like…

Rollins Riffs

Today, the 厙ぴ勛圖 Sonny Rollins Jazz Ensemble proudly carries forth Rollins' legacy both on and off campus. On May 25, 2026, Rollins died at his home at the age of 95. To honor his storied life and...