Connor Gibbs (b. 1995) is a composer, singer, and music educator from Western Massachusetts. He currently works as the Concert Operations and Youth Orchestra Manager for the South Dakota Symphony Orchestra and actively composes while outside the office. Connor received his MM in Composition from Bowling Green State University in 2022 and a BA in Music (Voice) from Wagner College in 2017.
Connor’s music has been around the United States and Europe at festivals and workshops and is frequently centered around themes of interpersonal relationships or the mysteries of the greater universe. His work is often programmatic and built around interests in unique musical textures and new sounds. Highlight festival and workshop performances include those at the Space City New Music Festival, Dartington International Music Festival, European University Cyprus International Composition Workshop, Boise New Music Series, highSCORE Festival, ICEBERG Institute, New Music on the Bayou, Nief-Norf Summer Festival, and soundSCAPE Festival.
Composition came to Connor later, followed by years of vocal study and performance. Connor sang with the Wagner College Choir and subset classical and jazz chamber ensembles (2013–2017) as a tenor section leader. His experiences brought him to Carnegie Hall on three occasions and to Florida and Spain on tour, and provided experience conducting a few student performances. Upon graduating, Connor taught choral and vocal music in Springfield, Massachusetts for three years and served as the music director for school productions of Annie (2018), Shrek the Musical (2019), and Urinetown (cancelled by COVID-19). While in Massachusetts, Connor performed in several community theatre productions, with highlight roles including the Beast (Beauty and the Beast), Eddie (Sister Act), and Billy Lawlor (42nd Street).
Connor is an advocate for new music and frequently partners with musicians and organizations in his local communities to present concerts in intimate venues. These programs are collaborative and built with the intent of introducing newer and/or less familiar music to those audiences. Separately, Connor regularly is conducting research into the extreme limits of musical instruments, which has led to the development and commission of new instruments, including the Piccolo Glockenspiel and Expanded Toy Piano. Connor can occasionally be found playing auxiliary percussion for community ensembles, and when not engaged in music can be found exploring small towns and the remaining natural world.
Curriculum Vitae
Please consult the file below regarding Connor's experience, his list of compositions, and a list of all composition performances. Inquiries about new musical compositions or about Connor's experiences may be made via the Contact page.