COMPOSITION & MUSIC THEORY
Visit the Composition & Music Theory home page for information about degrees offered, applications, scholarships, teaching assistantships, AURA Contemporary Ensemble, curriculum and placement exams.

MUSIC COMPOSITION FACULTY
Rob Smith, Composition Coordinator

Michael Horvit, composition and theory
Works range from solo instrumental and vocal pieces to large symphonic and choral compositions and operas; widely performed in the U.S., Europe, Japan and Israel; publishers include C.F.Peters, MorningStar, Recital Publications, Shawnee Press, E.C.Schirmer, Southern, and Transcontinental; CD's on Albany label; awards include Martha Baird Rockefeller and National Endowment for the Arts; co-author of four widely used theory texts published by Wadsworth; B.M. and M.M., Yale University, D.M.A. Boston University. Hear a composition by Michael Horvit: The Moores School Symphony Orchestra: Daughters of Jerusalem.

Marcus Karl Maroney, composition and theory
B.M., The University of Texas at Austin; M.M., M.M.A., D.M.A., Yale School of Music. Studies with Ned Rorem, Joseph Schwantner, Joan Tower and Dan Welcher.  Fellowships from the Tanglewood Music Center and Copland House.  Commissions from Norfolk Chamber Music Festival, Orchestra of St. Luke's, eighth blackbird and Timothy McAllister. Awards from the American Academy of Arts and Letters, ASCAP, Yale University, University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music and Chicago Symphony Orchestra. Faculty, Yale School of Music, 2002-2004.

Robert Nelson, composition and theory
D.M.A., University of Southern California, where he studied with Ingolf Dahl and Halsey Stevens and opera production with Walter Decloux; former music director and composer-in-residence, Houston Shakespeare Festival; numerous scores for film and television; co-author of a number of widely-adopted music theory textbooks; musical theatre works include A Room With a View, libretto by Buck Ross, The Man Who Corrupted Hadleyville, libretto by Kate Pogue; Tickets, Please and The Demon Lover, librettos by Sidney Berger. Hear a composition by Robert Nelson: MSSO and soloists: Symphonic Scenes from A Room With A View | The Moores School Chorus and Symphony Orchestra: Christmas Cantata

Reynaldo Ochoa, electronic music
B.M. and M.M., University of Houston; D.M.A. in composition from Rice University; has served in capacities as performer, conductor, producer and orchestrator for commercials, jingles, recordings, television projects and motion pictures; commissions include works for Houston Symphony and Paragon Brass Ensemble. Hear a composition by Reynaldo Ochoa: The Rainmaker's Helper for narrator and orchestra | Que 2 for saxophone and contrabass

Rob Smith, composition, theory, Director of AURA Contemporary Ensemble
D.M.A. in composition, University of Texas at Austin. Fulbright Grant recipient to Sydney, Australia, where he studied with Peter Sculthorpe. Taught at Australia's University of Wollongong. Awards: Aaron Copland Award & Residency, National Band Association, Luigi Russolo International Electronic Music Competition, Society of Composers Inc., National Association of Composers in the USA, ASCAP; Selected commissions: Texas Music Festival Orchestra, American Composers Forum (Continental Harmony), New York Youth Chamber Music Program; published by Boosey & Hawkes, Carl Fischer, Southern Music, C-Alan Publications, and Skitter Music Publications; works performed throughout the US and abroad. Smith is director of AURA, the Moores School of Music's contemporary music ensemble. Hear a composition by Rob Smith: The Moores School Wind Ensemble: Whirl.

David Ashley White, composition and theory
Director, Moores School of Music; one of the leading composers of sacred music in the United States; numerous publications include hymns which are found in major American and international denominational hymnals; his own collection of hymns, Sing, My Soul published in 1996; composer of many secular works, particularly chamber music and songs; B.M. and M.M., University of Houston; D.M.A., University of Texas at Austin; published by E. C. Schirmer, Selah, Southern, Shawnee, Paraclete, Augsburg, Concordia, St. James Music Press. Hear a composition by David Ashley White: Magnificat

MUSIC THEORY FACULTY
Timothy Koozin, Theory Coordinator

Tom Conroy, theory
Ccompleted his doctoral work in music composition at the Shepherd School of Music, Rice University. The Shepherd School Symphony Orchestra premiered his dissertation, an orchestral work titled Symphonic Metamorphosis, on December 8th, 2006. For this work, he has been named the first recipient of the Paul Cooper Memorial Award in Composition. Composer Paul Cooper was one of the founding members of the Shepherd School of Music. While at Rice, Conroy taught harmony, piano, composition, and was the production manager of MUSIQA a dynamic group of local composers who create and promote new musicfor the past four years. Conroy has sung with the Houston Chamber Choir and was commissioned to compose a new work, This Is Why I Sing, to celebrate their 10th anniversary season and premiered it on May 9th, 2006.

Prior to attending Rice, he completed his Masters Degree in composition at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music where he won prizes in orchestral and choral composition. The conservatory orchestra premiered his Essay For Orchestra on their final concert of the 2002-2003 season. While living in San Francisco, he sang tenor with the Grammy Award winning San Francisco Symphony Chorus. In the summers of 2002, 2004, and 2005, he attended the European American Musical Alliance composition program at the École Normale de Musique in Paris. Conroy received diplomas with highest honors and distinction and presented performances of his string, choral, and piano compositions. He is a member of ASCAP (The American Society of Composers, Authors, and Publishers).

Andrew Davis, theory, Director of Graduate Studies
Ph. D. in music theory, Indiana University; M.M., University of Massachusetts; B.A., Pennsylvania State University. Formerly on faculty of the University of Massachusetts; papers at regional and national conferences on late-19th and early-20th century opera, music of Bartók, and Schenkerian analysis; articles on Italian opera and Schenkerian analysis in professional journals and collections; service to the New England Conference of Music Theorists; formerly assistant editor, Indiana Theory Review.

Aaminah Durrani, theory
(B.M. (1990) and M.M (1996), University of Houston; Ph.D. in Music Theory, Louisiana State University. 2005) is a Clinical Associate Professor and teaches undergraduate courses in music theory, history, and music appreciation and graduate seminars in music theory pedagogy, instrumental works of Haydn, string quartet analysis and aesthetics, and chamber music of Bartók. She was the winner of LSU's Alumnae Association's Distinguished Dissertation Award (Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences) in 2005 for dissertation, "Chorale and Canon in Alfred Schnittke's Fourth String Quartet." She has read papers at regional, national and international conferences on Medieval music, gender studies, music of Alfred Schnittke. Research interests include early music, music and aesthetics of the Enlightenment, and post-tonal music. Dr. Durrani also holds Master’s degrees from Harvard University (Regional Studies – Middle East, 1970) and the American University in Cairo (Arabic Studies, 1978).

Timothy Koozin, theory
Ph.D. in Music Theory, University of Cincinnati. Editor of Music Theory Online, the electronic journal of the Society for Music Theory. Internationally known specialist in music instructional technology. Areas of research include Schenkerian studies, post-tonal analysis, rock music, and technology applications for musical study. Author and software designer for several widely-adopted CD-ROM applications for music study, including The Music for Ear Training CD-ROM and Workbook (Schirmer, 2001). Articles in Perspectives of New Music, Contemporary Music Review, Music Theory Online, College Music Symposium, Notes, and Computers in Music Research. Author of a chapter in Expression in Pop-Rock Music: A Collection of Critical and Analytical Essays edited by Walter Everett (Garland, 2000).

John L. Snyder, theory
Ph.D. in music theory, Indiana University; B.M. and M.M., Michigan State University; formerly on faculties of Nicholls State University, University of Wisconsin Milwaukee and Oklahoma State University; articles in leading professional journals; papers at many scholarly meetings and symposia in regional, national and international venues; a former president of Texas Society for Music Theory; a member of the Editorial Advisory Committee for Thesaurus Musicarum Latinarum; a former member of the Editorial Board for Music Theory Online. A Fellow of the Mannes Institute for Advanced Studies in Music Theory.