06/03/2019
For those of you that would like to know more about Z. Randall Stroope, here is his biography.
Z. Randall Stroope is an American composer, conductor and lecturer. He has had recent conducting engagements at the Santa Maria sopra Minerva (Rome), Hong Kong, Barcelona, Singapore, Canterbury Cathedral (England), Berliner Dom (Germany), Salzburger Dom (Austria), St. John (Canada), Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts (Washington, D.C.), Carnegie Hall
(New York), and seven performances for Mass at the Vatican. He is also the Artistic Director for two summer music festivals in Europe. Randall’s composition teachers were Cecil Effinger and Normand Lockwood, both students of the famous French teacher/composer, Nadia Boulanger
(student of Gabriel Fauré). Principal publishers of his 165 works are Alliance Music Publications (Houston), Walton Music (Chicago) , Santa Barbara Music Press (California), Colla Voce (Indiana), and Oxford University Press (England). His shorter choral works — best known of which are Conversion of Saul, Lamentaciones de Jeremias, Magnificat, We Beheld Once Again
the Stars, Go Lovely Rose, The Pasture, Revelation, Homeland, I Am Not Yours, Caritas et Amor, Song to the Moon and Inscription of Hope — have sold over three million copies. His choral cycle — Four Sonnets of Garcilaso (which contains Amor de mi alma) — is based on the poetry of Spanish poet, Garcilaso de la Vega and one of his most performed works. Extended works
include Hodie! (This Day) for mixed chorus, brass/organ/percussion, his solo song cycle Love’s Waning Seasons, and American Rhapsody. He has published many instrumental works, including Fanfare (brass/percussion/organ) and Amor de mi alma (wind ensemble). Randall is
particularly drawn to the poetry of Sara Teasdale, George Herbert, Rainer Maria Rilke, James Agee and Robert Frost. He has conducted and produced over 50 Youtube recordings of his works, and his works can be heard throughout social media.
Dennis Schrock, in his book Choral Repertoire (2009), recognizes Randall for his compositional output and quality of writing, noting several works that have entered the mainstream of the choral medium. Conducting Women’s Choirs (2012), edited and compiled by Debra Spurgeon, and Composers on Composing for Choir (2007) both have a myriad of quotes and discussion of
Randall’s compositional output.
Randall’s works have been recorded or performed by prestigious ensembles nationally and internationally, including the Cincinnati Pops Orchestra, Oregon Bach Festival, Concordia Choir, Prairie Voices (Canada), Oriana Women’s Choir, United States West Point Glee Club, Grex Vocalis, NOVA, Bella Voce, Turtle Creek Chorale, Westminster Choir College and University of
British Columbia. His We Beheld Once Again the Stars was recently performed by the Philippine Madrigal Singers in their win of the European Grand Prix for Choral Singing. Stroope’s Revelation was performed by the Ehwa Chamber Choir (South Korea).
The Director of Choral and Vocal Studies at Oklahoma State University, Randall coordinates the undergraduate and graduate choral conducting program. The OSU Concert Chorale has performed on the many conventions, including the 2016 Southwest ACDA in Kansas City and the 2017 National ACDA convention in Minneapolis. The ensemble is also touring Italy in the
summer of 2017. Concert Chorale also does numerous recordings for publishers and social media.
Randall has received many awards, including the Douglas R. McEwen Award for National Choral Excellence (Arizona State University), Doug and Nickie Burns Endowed Chair in Choral Music (Oklahoma State University, 2013-2017), and an OSU Regents Distinguished Professor of
Research.
As a guest conductor, Randall directed 20 summer international music festivals in England, Germany, Spain and Italy, and conducted 41 American all-state choirs. He also taught summer sessions for FENIARCO (Italy National Choral Federation) last summer and again in 2018.
Born in Albuquerque, New Mexico, Randall completed a Master of Music (Voice Performance) degree at the University of Colorado Boulder, and Doctor of Musical Arts (Choral Conducting) degree at Arizona State University. He did post graduate work with Margaret Hillis, Chorus
Master of the Chicago Symphony. As a recipient of the Australian-American Fulbright, he has also done work in western Australia. He and his wife, Cheryl (a middle school choral teacher), love to travel and spend time with their sheltie.
