Bio

Biography

Composer Steve Owens grew up in upstate New York, graduating from Rochester Institute of Technology with a degree in Music History/Theory, and receiving a master’s in Music Education from Central Connecticut State University.  He went on to develop parallel careers as a concert flutist – performing throughout the New England area – and educator, with positions both as faculty and administration in Vermont public schools.  All along, he has maintained an active practice as a composer, and published band, choral, chamber and solo compositions with Hal Leonard  and Alry Publications.  Steve has since left academics to pursue composition full time. His most recent performances include a woodwind quintet played by the renowned ensemble City of Tomorrow, and an electro-acoustic quintet for flute, clarinet, violin, viola and cello, played by Colorado’s premiere new music group, the Playground Ensemble.  Recordings available on YouTube.

Artist Statement

As a composer – primarily self-taught but immersed in music theory, history and performance from a young age – I have drawn on the masters of the past and the present as models for understanding music’s construction. I find that music, much like woodworking (another obsession of mine), provides pleasure through the balance of its proportions, elegance of its counterpoint, variety of its timbre, and sensitivity to detail. But for me, all of this attention to craft serves the larger purpose of creating an expressive dialog: challenging yet enjoyable for the player, and serving as a vehicle for the audience to bear witness to my own musical journey.