Donald Crockett joined the faculty of the University of Southern California in 1981 where he is Professor of Composition and Music Director of the Contemporary Music Ensemble. Commissions have come from the Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra (Composer-in-Residence 1991-97), Kronos Quartet, Los Angeles Philharmonic, Stanford String Quartet, Pittsburgh New Music Ensemble, the concert bands of the Big Ten Universities, the Core Ensemble, the Debussy Trio, Music from Angel Fire and the California EAR Unit, among others. His music has also been performed by ensembles including the Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra, Cleveland Orchestra, the Aspen Chamber Symphony and the Arditti Quartet, and by artists including violinist Ida Kavafian, mezzo soprano Janice Felty, oboist Allan Vogel, pianist Vicki Ray, and conductors Jorge Mester, JoAnn Falletta, Hugh Wolff and Christof Perick. He has received grants and prizes from the American Academy of Arts and Letters, American Music Center, Barlow Endowment, BMI, California Arts Council, Composers Inc., Copland Fund, Kennedy Center Friedheim Awards, Meet the Composer and the National Endowment for the Arts among others. His music is published by MMB Music, St. Louis, and recorded on the CRI, Laurel, Pro Arte/Fanfare and Orion labels. Also active as a conductor of new music, Donald Crockett has presented many world, national and regional premieres with the Los Angeles-based new music ensemble Xtet, the USC Contemporary Music Ensemble, and as a guest conductor with the Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra, Pittsburgh New Music Ensemble, Cleveland Chamber Orchestra, the California EAR Unit and the USC Symphony. Donald Crockett Website