Erik R. Lund

Associate Professor of Composition-Theory

B.M., Northern Illinois University; M.M., D.M.A., University of Illinois

Erik Lund’s compositions have won the League of Composers, International Society for Contemporary Music (ISCM) and ASCAP composition competitions, and he has received grants for his work from the Musik Biennale-Berlin Festival, Meet the Composer, ASCAP, the Illinois Arts Council, and the Research Board of the University of Illinois. His works have been commissioned and/or performed by more than a dozen ensembles, including the Arditti Quartet (UK), Orchestra Giovanile Italiana (Italy), Crash Ensemble (Ireland) and Wolpe Trio (Germany), as well as by several soloists. Professor Lund’s works have been performed at major festivals in the United States, Europe, and South Korea, and are recorded on Opus One Records, Cybele Records, and Einstein Records, and are published by Media Press and Brixton Publications. As trombonist, he has recorded with composers Anthony Braxton, Morgan Powell, Vinko Globokar, and with the Walleye improvisation ensemble. Professor Lund is also co-author of CASPAR (Computer-Assisted Software Project for Aural Skills Reinforcement), which is published internationally by W.W. Norton & Company.

My philosophy of teaching music centers on the process of composition. In teaching composition itself my goal is to facilitate self-discovery of my student’s own voice and manner of expression, which necessitates an understanding of what others have done before, and are engaged in presently. In the teaching of theory I insist that the music being studied — whether 18th Century tonal counterpoint or 20th century serial music — be understood both analytically (studying the works of others) and compositionally (hands-on application of the studied techniques in one’s own compositional exercises). I wish for my students to be well informed, and for them to have a strong and creative mind of their own.