Donald Reid Womack

Who is Donald Reid Womack?

Donald Reid Womack is a composer of contemporary classical music. He was born in Virginia, raised in East Tennessee and studied at Furman University and Northwestern University, receiving degrees in philosophy, music theory, and music composition.

He has composed more than 80 works for orchestra, chamber ensembles, solo instruments, and voice. Major works include a concerto for shakuhachi, 21-string koto and orchestra, a violin concerto, a symphony, an oratorio for chorus and chamber orchestra, and a triple concerto for shakuhachi, biwa and koto with ensemble of Japanese instruments.

Womack's influences meld a broad range of sources, including the new tonality, post-minimalism, rock, jazz, bluegrass, and especially East Asian instruments. He spent a year in Tokyo, Japan studying Japanese instruments, and time in Seoul, South Korea learning Korean music, and has composed more than 30 works for Japanese, Korean and Chinese instruments in various combinations. Among them are "Walk Across the Surface of the Sun", "strung out", "Bend", "Koto Coloring Book", "소리 Sori", "Highwire Act", and "五行 Elements".