Julian Bennett Holmes

I am a composer and musician in Brooklyn, New York. See below for a more formal bio and my CV.

You can contact me at julianbennettholmes@icloud.com. And, you can sign up for my occasional email newsletter.

Upcoming concerts


Interesting links

Here are some things I like from around the Web, in my areas of interest:

Cycling

A Romani steel bicycle frame with an amazing curved seat tube.

Lounge music

Juan Garcia Esquivel

Italy in the 17th century and before

An engraved letter I.

Old but useful websites

Unusual music

A drawing for the layout of an archicembalo keyboard.

Hungarian novels

Sándor Márai

Sándor Márai

Gyula Krúdy

Gyula Krúdy
(Drawing by Ferenc Márton.)
John Batki

John Batki translated at least six of Krúdy’s novels into English. Here is some of his own writing, published on the internet:

Three of Batki’s short stories were published in The New Yorker. (I believe you need a subscription to read these articles, but you might be able to get them on the Internet Archive.)

Antal Szerb

Antal Szerb

On this server

Space Age Bachelor Pad website logo

Besides this one, I host a few other websites here:


My work elsewhere on the web


Formal CV

Brief biography

Julian Bennett Holmes (b. 1991 in Brooklyn) is an award-winning composer and organist, harpsichordist, percussionist; in charge of chapel music at Columbia University; doctoral candidate at the Manhattan School of Music; and Adjunct Associate Professor at Hofstra University.

Long biography

Julian Bennett Holmes (b. 1991 in Brooklyn) is an award-winning composer and organist, harpsichordist, percussionist, and music theorist. He is in charge of chapel music at Columbia University; associate editor of Music & Nature; doctoral candidate and teaching fellow at the Manhattan School of Music; and Adjunct Associate Professor of Music at Hofstra University.

He has won prizes including the Society for New Music’s Israel/Pellman Award, the Society for Chamber Music in Rochester Young Composer Award, the National Federation of Music Clubs Young Composers Award, and second prize at the International Antonín Dvořák Composition Competition. He has presented at conferences including EuroMAC (Strasbourg, France), the Rutgers University Musicological Society Conference, twice at the Society of Composers, and at the University of Delaware. He has hosted the New York City American Guild of Organists conference, and chaired the Graduate Theory Conference at the Manhattan School of Music.

His pieces have been performed across the United States and in Europe, and he has performed in Canada, widely across the United States, in the UK and in Europe, and as far as Croatia and the Republic of Georgia. He has played at festivals including South by Southwest (Austin), North by Northeast (Toronto), CMJ (New York), and the Sarajevo Film Festival in Bosnia. He has played hundreds of concerts on tour around North America and Europe, and he has given guest lectures in the United States and China.

He is also a record producer, having produced over thirty albums for labels including Impose Records, Beautiful Records, Intellectual Bird Records, Judd Records, and others. His compositions and performances appear on releases by Aagoo Records, Fire Talk Records, Single Girl Married Girl Records, 8bitpeoples Records, and others. He has worked as a producer and recording engineer at major studios in New York.

His performances have been reviewed in The Wire and elsewhere, and his work has been noted in New York Magazine, The New York Times, Paper Magazine, and others.

Current work

2018–
Sacred Music Coordinator, Columbia University. In charge of sacred music for the university: curator of over 40 public, professional concerts per year; performer of weekly organ meditations; music director of Baccalaureate Graduation and Lessons & Carols; music director of St. Paul’s Chapel; etc.
2022–
Adjunct Associate Professor of Music, Hofstra University
2021–
Doctoral Candidate in Composition, Manhattan School of Music
2021–
Associate Editor, Music & Nature (published by the Brook Center at the City University of New York)

Recent compositions & publications

2024
The Name of the Sound and the Sound of the Name written for the Harvard Divinity School Center for the Study of World Religions
2023
D (Album, with Eugene Wasserman & Keegan Monaghan. Listen or download on Apple Music, Bandcamp, Spotify, YouTube)
2022
Sonata in ecco (1629), by Biagio Marini (op. 8); new arrangement for two violins and continuo. (Available at IMSLP.)
Chamber Drone Music with Eugene Wasserman & Keegan Monaghan (video from the premiere at Columbia University)
Concerto for three trumpets in echo (video from the premiere at the Manhattan School of Music)
Adagio of Resonance for cello & piano (Video from the premiere at Columbia University)
2021
Historia der Geburt Jesu Christi, SWV 435 (1664), by Heinrich Schütz; new performing edition of the Evangelist’s recitatives only, as in the first edition. (Available at IMSLP.)
Piano Pitch Machine (Album: listen or download on Apple Music, Bandcamp, Spotify, YouTube)
Nine Variations on a Ground (EP: listen or download on Apple Music, Bandcamp, Spotify, YouTube)
Chorale prelude on Min Jesus, lad min Hjerte få en såden Smag på dig for wind quintet (Listen on SoundCloud)
Chorale prelude on Vater unser in Himmelreich for organ (Listen on SoundCloud)
Partita for solo cello (Watch on YouTube)
Nostos with George Stathos (Watch on YouTube)
2020
Giga for guitar (Watch on YouTube)
Piano Trio (Listen or download on Apple Music, Bandcamp, Spotify, YouTube)
Theremin & drums improv with Sasha Brodsky (watch on YouTube)
“Two field recordings” (Published in The Gardan Journal, issue 3)

Recent press

Teaching

Prizes

2021
MSM Contemporary Opera Commission Prize
Jessie S. Yee Memorial Commission (Finalist)
2020
Kaleidoscope call for scores (Semi-finalist)
2019
ASCAP Young Composer Awards (Finalist)
Society for New Music Israel/Pellman Award
2018
ASCAP Young Composer Awards (Finalist)
Musical Chairs Chamber Ensemble composer search
Society for Chamber Music in Rochester Young Composer Award
2017
National Federation of Music Clubs Young Composers Awards
2016
International Antonín Dvořák Composition Competition (Second prize)
Mannes College Bohuslav Martinů Prize (best orchestral composition)
Mannes College Felix Salzer Award (best graduating theory student)

Conferences

2023
New York City Chapter of the American Guild of Organists (conference host)
2020
Rutgers University Musicological Society Conference (lecture-recital)
2019
Society of Composers, Region V, at Eastern Illinois University
University of Delaware: Old Threads in New Tapestries (poster presentation)
2018
Graduate Theory Conference at Manhattan School of Music (conference chair)
Society of Composers, Region VI, at Kansas State University
2017
EuroMAC 9 in Strasbourg, France (poster presentation)

Commissions, residencies, fellowships, guest lectures

2023
Guest lecture: American Music 1980–2023 at South China Normal University in Guangzhou, China
2022
Avaloch Farm Music Institute residency (New Hampshire)
2021
Recercare commissioned and premiered by Daniel Colalillo
Blue Hill Bach Marville Young Artist Fellowship
Tricinium, Bicinium and Chorale prelude on Vater unser in Himmelreich for organ commissioned by the Blue Hill Bach festival
2020
Piano Trio commissioned by the Vuillaume Trio
Giga for Guitar commissioned by Tom Clippinger
Partite for Three Recorders and Two Viols commissioned by What a Neighborhood
2018
Piano Quintet commissioned by What a Neighborhood; premiered at the Zeneakadémia in Budapest
Sonata for Alto Saxophone & Marimba commissioned by Duo Ikt
Trio for Flute, Cello, and Double Bass commissioned by the Musical Chairs Chamber Ensemble
2017
Fantasy for Violin & Electronics commissioned by Joanna Jenner (founding member of the Orpheus Chamber Orchestra)
Four Teasdale Songs commissioned by What a Neighborhood
2016
Song for Solo Viola commissioned by Adam Kramer

Education

2025 (anticipated)
DMA in composition, Manhattan School of Music
Studied composition with Marjorie Merryman. Theory department teaching fellow. Instructor for various courses. Dean’s list.
2018
MM in composition, Manhattan School of Music
Studied composition with Richard Danielpour and harpsichord with Kenneth Cooper. Dean’s list.
2016
Double BM, composition & theory, Mannes College of Music.
Studied composition with Lowell Liebermann and theory with Robert Cuckson. Composition assistantship. Grant from Peter M. Gross fund. Tutor in theory and analysis. Honors graduate. Dean’s list.

Discography (on Discogs)