David Morgan

From Wind Repertory Project
David Morgan


N.B. This profile is of David Scott Morgan (b. 1942), not to be confused with David Robert Morgan (1933-1988) or David Sydney Morgan (b. 1932).


Biography

David Scott Morgan (b. 1942) is an American educator, bassist and composer.

Dr. Morgan received his Bachelor of Music degree in composition from the University of Texas, Austin, Texas in 1990, where he studied composition with Professor Dan Welcher. His Master of Music degree in music theory was awarded by the University of Texas in 1993, during which time he stufied counterpoint with Douglass Green, Schenkerian analysis with Roger Graybill, and contemporary music theory with Stefan Kostka. His thesis was Harmony and Tonality in the Recent Compositions of Kenny Wheeler supervised by Professor Patrick McCreless. Dr. Morgan's DMA came from the University of Texas in music composition (jazz emphasis), in 1996. His treatise was Two Compositions for Jazz Orchestra supervised by Professor Richard Lawn.

Dr. Morgan has served as Associate Professor of Jazz Studies, Youngstown State University, from 2001 to the present. He has also taught at Oberlin Conservatory of Music, 1996-98, and Cuyahoga Community College, 1995-96.

Dr. Morgan has performed with a wide variety of jazz, pop and classical artists. Morgan was a recipient of a “New Works: Creation and Presentation" grant from Chamber Music America, which resulted in his recording, The Way of the Sly Man, featuring Jack Schantz, Howie Smith, Jamey Haddad, and Dan Wall. Morgan also composed the music for CD The Surprise of Being—Live at Birdland by the Cleveland Jazz Orchestra featuring Joe Lovano. His most recent recording is Beyond Boundaries with vocalist Amanda Powell.

A Tri-C Jazz Fest concert of Morgan’s transcriptions and arrangements of the music of Frank Zappa by the Jazz Unit featuring Ernie Watts and Mark Wood earned an Award of Achievement from Northern Ohio Live. He performed this music as guest artist with the Chicago Jazz Orchestra in December 2012. He performs with and arranges for the Apollo’s Fire project “Mediterranean Roots”, and performs a few times each season with The Cleveland Orchestra as a jazz bassist and bass guitarist.

The American Wind Symphony Orchestra commissioned several pieces, including Colors of Your Dreams, Reflections and Mediations, and The Art of Seven. Several of Morgan’s orchestral pieces are recorded on Centaur Records. His most recent large-scale composition, When Penguins Fly for French horn and Wind Ensemble, will be premiered at the OMEA Convention in February 2018 by the Dana SWE featuring soloist Stacie Mickens.


Works for Winds


Resources