Jeff Junkinsmith

Jeff Junkinsmith (b. 1956) is an American  composer best known for his choral music. His unique harmonic and contrapuntal language draws on such diverse influences as Josquin and Dufay as well as Bartok, Keith Emerson and early Genesis; Stravinsky and Ralph Vaughan Williams along with Ian Anderson and James Taylor. His music is at once challenging and accessible, “meticulously crafted” yet “eminently singable.”

Jeff’s music has been performed extensively in the US and Europe, most recently at Canterbury Cathedral in London. His work for piano four-hands, Rashomon, was performed to enthusiastic audiences in Eastern Europe and in the United States.

In addition to his composerly pursuits, Junkinsmith has enjoyed a long and successful career as a pianist for ballet and modern dance classes. Over the course of a forty-five year journey, he has worked with the likes of Mark Morris, Twyla Tharp, Martha Graham Company, Paul Taylor Company, and Violette Verdy to name only a few. He currently works at Pacific Northwest Ballet.

Having studied composition at Occidental College with Robert Gross, Junkinsmith went on to complete a Masters and Ph.D. in composition and music theory at The University of Iowa under the instruction of Richard Hervig, William Hibbard and, especially, D. Martin Jenni. He went on to teach at The University of Iowa, University of Washington, Cornish College of the Arts and recently retired from Shoreline Community College in Seattle after twenty-five years as the “theory guy.”