Old Dreams
Unfulfilled, But Not Forgotten

Timothy J. Brown received his undergraduate musical training at the State University of New York College and at the School of Music at Fredonia. He went on to study music education and vocal performance at Goddard College in Plainfield, VT, and received his M.A. there. Brown taught in public schools for 12 years and enrolled in the doctoral program in music theory and composition at the University of Northern Colorado. He directs the Chancel Choir at Mountain View United Methodist Church in Boulder, CO, and is a commissioned minister of the United Church of Christ.

Robert Rival is a Canadian composer whose contemporary tonal style is characterized by drama, clarity and lyricism, described by critics as "well crafted," "engaging" and "immediately appealing". His music, for chamber ensemble, voice, orchestra and the stage, has been broadcast on CBC radio and performed by the Gryphon Trio and other leading Canadian musicians and ensembles. He has received grants from the Canada Council for the Arts and the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council. Rival has an MFA in musical theatre writing from NYU and is currently a DMA composition candidate at the University of Toronto. www.robertrival.com

Frederick Frahm is a graduate of Pacific Lutheran University (BM in Church Music & MM in Organ Performance), he studied organ and counterpoint with David Dahl, Gregory Peterson, and Randall McCarty; composition with Gregory Youtz (PLU), Gary Smart (University of Wyoming), Walter Pelz (Concordia University, River Forest), and Roger Briggs (Western Washington University). The composer's manuscripts, recordings and correspondence (1982-2008) are archived in the Mortvedt Library at Pacific Lutheran University in Tacoma, WA. Frahm currently serves as Director of Music and Principal Organist at St. Luke's Lutheran Church in Albuquerque, NM.

Emanuela Ballio was born in Milan (Italy) in 1968. She started studying the piano at a very early age and classical dance at the “La Scala” theatre in Milan. At the age of 22 she graduated in composition with top marks from “G.Verdi” Conservatory in Milan under the guidance of U.Rotondi. She studied electronic music with A.Vidolin and film music with E.Morricone and was awarded an advanced diploma in composition with F.Donatoni at the “Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia” in Rome, after which she soon became a teacher of Composition. She is currently on the teaching staff at the Conservatory “Luca Marenzio” of Brescia.

Randolph Partain studied piano and composition at Florida Southern College, where his naked and fiery forms for wind ensemble was the first student composition ever presented on the college’s Festival of Fine Arts concert series.  In May of 2005, he graduated summa cum laude with a Doctoral degree in Music Composition from Rice University, under the tutelage of Karim Al-Zand and Arthur Gottschalk.   While in Houston, Partain has taught a variety of undergraduate music courses at Rice University, Houston Community College, and Sam Houston State University, and he continues to accompany, arrange, and compose. He is currently Director of Worship and the Arts at Lord of Life Lutheran Church in The Woodlands, Texas.
Mr. Partain comments on my performance at Unreal Music.