(b. 1971, Los Angeles, California).
American composer of mostly orchestral, chamber and vocal works that have been performed in the Americas and elsewhere.
Mr. Holmes studied composition, improvisation and performance with Dušan Bogdanović at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music, where he received his BMus in 1997, and studied composition privately with Ian Krouse from 1997–99. He studied composition with Donald Crockett at the University of Southern California in Los Angeles from 1999–2001 and earned his MA, then studied composition with Stephen Hartke and electroacoustic music with Frederick Lesemann there from 2001–04, where he earned his DMA with distinction.
Among his honours are the Hans J. Salter Prize from the University of Southern California (for Chamber Concerto) and First Prize in the competition for music for strings Milton Mohs. In addition, he was twice named Outstanding Graduate of the department of composition at the University of Southern California. His music has been performed in Canada, the Czech Republic, France, Germany, Italy, Mexico, and the USA.
He taught music theory at the University of Southern California from 2004–06 and has taught composition at Chapman University in Orange, California since 2006, where he is now associate professor.
His primary publisher is Composers Edition.
SELECT LIST OF WORKS
ORCHESTRAL:
Sino al Niente, 1998
Tjur, large orchestra, 2002
Wave of Darkness, small orchestra (15 players), 2007
Straumr, large orchestra, 2011
CHAMBER MUSIC:
Pastorale and Sonata, guitar, 1996
Four Preludes, guitar, 1997
String Quartet No. 1, 'Talus', 1997
Milagro, piano, ensemble (4 winds, 4 brass, 2 percussion), 1999
Pathos, violin, piano, 1999
Chamber Concerto, cello, 9 players, 2000
Horns of the Bull, oboe, 2001
Five Microtonal Studies, 2 guitars (tuned in sixths of tones), 2002
Epigram, 2 violins, 2 violas, double bass, 2002
Rays of Twilight, 2 harps (tuned in sixths of tones), 4 percussion, 2003
May the Bridges I Burn Light My Way... (double concerto), 2 guitars, ensemble (oboe, violin, celesta [+ piano], percussion), 2004
Stormbringer, percussion, 2004
Blue Sail, flute, clarinet, violin, cello, piano, percussion, 2005
Nocturnes, guitar, 2005
Crescent, cello, 2005
Oscularum Infame, violin, cello, piano, 2009
String Quartet No. 2, 'Kirurgi', 2009
Occasus, 4 percussion, 2010
Vallåt, flute, clarinet, violin, viola, cello, piano, 2011
Sjöorm, oboe, viola, cello, 2012
Danzleikr (sonata), 2 guitars (tuned in sixths of tones), 2012
Nereus (sonata), marimba, 2012
Baritus, cello, 2013
Hrið – Móðr – Ljómi (concerto), guitar, ensemble (flute, French horn, harp, violin, cello, percussion), 2013
Draumr, guitar, 2013
Trilogy, 2006–14 (its eight sections may be performed separately: Nastrond [I], violin, percussion, 2006; Niflheim [I], oboe, piano, 2006; Nidhogg, oboe, violin, double bass, piano, percussion, 2007–08; Nastrond [II], guitar, violin, 2008; Nastrond [III], flute, guitar, 2009; Nastrond [IV], violin, percussion, 2013; Nastrond [V], flute, percussion, 2013; Niflheim [II], violin, piano, 2014)
Ymir, 4 guitars, 4 percussion, 2014
Þræll – Thrall (concerto), piano, ensemble (flute, bass clarinet, violin, cello, double bass), 2014
Hagall (Hagalaz) – Hail, flute, oboe, clarinet, French horn, violin, viola, cello, double bass, percussion, 2015
Úr (Ūruz) – Rain, 4 percussion, 2016
Íss (Isaz) – Ice, flute, guitar, 2016
Járnluðr, violin, 2016
Herjan, guitar, 2017
Óss (Ansuz) – God, Mouth of River (String Quartet No. 3), 2017–18
Geirtýr, flute, 2018
CHORAL:
Requiem Æternam (text from the Requiem), soprano, male chorus, piano, ensemble (flute, oboe, French horn, 9 or more strings), 2001
VOCAL:
Three Songs (text by Dylan Thomas), soprano, piano, 1998
Requiem Songs (text from the Requiem), soprano, piano, 2001
Images (text by the composer), soprano, piano, 2008
Fragments (texts from anonymous sources, compiled by the composer), soprano, piano, 2010
Urðarmána – Moon of Fate (monodrama, text by the composer), bass-baritone, piano, 2012
Myrkriða, Ljósleiðá – Rider of Darkness, Path of Light (monodrama, text by the composer), soprano, flute, guitar, percussion, 2016
Erilaz (text from an anonymous 3rd-century runic inscription in Elder Futhark, interpreted and transcribed by the composer), baritone, baritone saxophone, percussion, 2018
Mara (text by the composer), soprano, piano, 2019
PIANO:
Oro Supplex, player piano, 2007
Cyan, 2007
Thund, 2017–18