Joshua Shank
Biography
Joshua Shank (b. 1980, Minnesota) is an American composer and educator.
Dr. Shank received his undergraduate degree in music education from Luther College where he studied conducting with Weston Noble. He has also earned master’s and doctoral degrees in musicology and composition, respectively, from the University of Texas at Austin where he studied with Charles Carson, Yevgeniy Sharlat, Donald Grantham, and the late opera composer Daniel Catán.
A fierce advocate for students’ access to music education, he was a public-school teacher in Minneapolis/St. Paul for many years before going on to teach at Gonzaga University, Valley City State University, and Eastern Washington University.
He has been commissioned by organizations such as the Lorelei Ensemble, the Cincinnati Conservatory of Music, the Choral Project, the American Choral Directors Association, and the Association for Music in International Schools.
In 2002, he became the youngest recipient ever of the Raymond W. Brock Composition Award from the American Choral Directors Association.
From 2004 to 2014, he served alongside fellow Composers-In-Residence Jocelyn Hagen and Abbie Betinis for the Minneapolis-based professional choir, The Singers, where he collaborated annually to expand and invigorate the repertoire for professional-caliber ensembles through innovative programming as well as new works written specifically for the ensemble.
Works for Winds
- Grey Snow March (2016)
- How About Here (2012/2015)
- Moonrise (2002)
Resources
- Joshua Shank website Accessed 18 November 2021