Kris Peysen is a composer currently pursuing a Ph.D. in Music Composition at the University of Iowa. He holds a Bachelor of Music degree from the University of North Texas and a Master of Music degree from the University of Louisville, both specializing in composition. His works have been performed by Voices of Change, Invoke, the Out of Bounds Ensemble, and members of the Beo String Quartet.
?His music is typically rhythmically active, formally inventive, orchestrationally vivid, and harmonically a mix of tonal and non-tonal elements. Influences range from classical composers such as Stravinsky, Beethoven, Shostakovich, and numerous others to progressive rock bands such as Tool, Anglagard, and The Mars Volta. His music often strives for a synthesis of these disparate elements.
Notable awards include the 9th Annual Russell Horn Young Composer’s Award in 2008 for his piece Pagan Dance, the WMSA Scholarship to attend Wintergreen Summer Music Festival in the summer of 2014, and the Steven S. Gerber Scholarship to attend Fresh Inc. Festival in 2018.
For more information, visit his website at www.krispeysen.com.