Sean Harold | Music and Theater | SIU

Sean Harold is a composer and performer currently based in Illinois. As a composer, his pieces seek to create a distinct new language through a constantly evolving dialogue with the past. His materials, often drawn from the Western canon, are filtered through the voice of an unreliable narrator so that his compositions unfold like half-forgotten memories. As a performer, Sean focuses on the ways in which the electric guitar's timbral palette can be expanded within the context of concert music. Many of his recent pieces have also revolved around interdisciplinary collaboration, including works with choreographer Thierry Niang, artist Emma Sulkowicz, and illustrator Yoko Furusho.

Sean holds doctoral and master's degrees in composition from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and SUNY Purchase respectively, as well as a bachelor's degree in jazz performance from Western Connecticut State University.