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Bio: Gregory Theisen |
A composer and pianist, Gregory Theisen's original compositions performed at the International New Music Festival in Zagreb, the Lisbon Contemporary Music Festival, and concerts in Germany and Belgium. A former member of Zeitgeist, he worked with John Cage, Terry Riley and Frederick Rzewski, whose works were commissioned and performed by Zeitgeist. Gregory's music has also been performed in numerous US concerts, festivals and symposia, and was included in the PBS program “The Greg Theisen Quintet (Jazz).”
Gregory served as the music director for many musical theater productions at theaters including, Guthrie Theater (Christmas Carol), Ordway Music Theater (I Won’t Dance; Ruthless!; Into The Woods), Children's Theatre (The Frog Bride), Nautilus Music-Theater (many Rough Cuts), History Theatre (Cow Girls; Mesabi Red), Ritz Theater (Venus by Chan Poling) and Columbia Artist Management (An Evening of Lerner & Loewe; An Evening of Tony Sandler; Porter and Berlin). Gregory composed and music directed for Charm; Catch Me A “Z”; Raisin’ Cain at the Children’s Theatre.
He also played keyboards with the Minnesota Orchestra (European Tour played keyboard on Fearful Symmetries by John Adams; Nightmare Before Christmas), Guthrie Theater, and for approximately one hundred (100) Broadway musical productions in the Twin Cities.
He studied composition with Dr. William Latham and jazz with Dan Haerle, at the University of North Texas and currently teaches piano performance, jazz, and composition at MacPhail Center for Music in Minneapolis. He also served as the Associate Music Director at Nativity Lutheran Church in Minneapolis.
Original music scores for theater, film and other commissions include:
Music Directed:
Studio Recordings include:
Other original works:
Gregory served as the music director for many musical theater productions at theaters including, Guthrie Theater (Christmas Carol), Ordway Music Theater (I Won’t Dance; Ruthless!; Into The Woods), Children's Theatre (The Frog Bride), Nautilus Music-Theater (many Rough Cuts), History Theatre (Cow Girls; Mesabi Red), Ritz Theater (Venus by Chan Poling) and Columbia Artist Management (An Evening of Lerner & Loewe; An Evening of Tony Sandler; Porter and Berlin). Gregory composed and music directed for Charm; Catch Me A “Z”; Raisin’ Cain at the Children’s Theatre.
He also played keyboards with the Minnesota Orchestra (European Tour played keyboard on Fearful Symmetries by John Adams; Nightmare Before Christmas), Guthrie Theater, and for approximately one hundred (100) Broadway musical productions in the Twin Cities.
He studied composition with Dr. William Latham and jazz with Dan Haerle, at the University of North Texas and currently teaches piano performance, jazz, and composition at MacPhail Center for Music in Minneapolis. He also served as the Associate Music Director at Nativity Lutheran Church in Minneapolis.
Original music scores for theater, film and other commissions include:
- Kite Sites for Zeitgeist and dancers
- Charm (written by Tony Stebley, Midland, MI)
- Catch Me A “Z” (with by Steven Dietz, Children’s Theater Company)
- Raisin’ Cain (written by Jon Quackenbush, Children’s Theater Company)
- American Grizzly Documentary of Frederick Manfred, narrated by Robert Bly, PBS),
- Serenade for Strings 3 movements (Commissioned by the Brainerd Chamber Orchestra),
- A Brief Conversation (Film by Ann Prim)
- The Ballad of Nicollet Mall (currently work in progress)
- Luminous Epinoia, a meditation for Viola and Choir (Nativity Lutheran Choir).
Music Directed:
- Christmas Carol (Guthrie Theater)
- I Won’t Dance (Ordway Music Theater)
- Ruthless! (Ordway Music Theater)
- Into the Woods (Ordway Music Theater)
- The Frog Bride (Children’s Theater Company)
- Venus (Chan Poling Production)
- An Evening of Lerner & Loewe (Columbia Artist Management Inc.)
- An Evening of Tony Sandler (Columbia Artist Management Inc.)
- Porter and Berlin (Columbia Artist Management Inc.)
- Many Rough Cuts programs (Nautilus Music Theater)
- Nativity Lutheran Church (Assoc. Music Director)
Studio Recordings include:
- Christmas Passages (co-arranger) - nominated for a Grammy Award under the Independent Distributors category
- Gentle Sonnets (Composer, Victoria Magazine/Hearst)
- An Evening with Chopin (Lifescapes)
- Chopin’s Nocturnes (Lifescapes)
- Water of Life recording with David Livingston
- Kono-michi (Arranger) Japanese Folk Songs sung by Momoko Tanno
Other original works:
- Set the Sun (lyrics Megan Clark) a 12 minute short opera based on the Icarus myth, REACH/MNFringe Festival
- Opportunity Knocks (with Monica Raymond) a ten-minute musical, Rough Cuts, Nautilus Music Theater
- Tales of a Babysitter (with Christina Ham) a theatrical song sequence, Rough Cuts, Nautilus Music Theater
- John Oso and Destiny (with Ken McCullough), a short mythic opera, Rough Cuts, Nautilus Music Theater
- So Long Since I Slept Through the Night (with William Reichard), Composer Librettists' Workshop, Nautilus Theater
- When Sweet Children Play (with Dan Dukich), Composer Librettists' Workshop, Nautilus Music Theater