Biography and Composition List
Gregory Youtz served as Professor of Music at PLU from 1984 to 2023. He is a regular pre-concert lecturer for Symphony Tacoma and a frequent public speaker and MC, presenting on topics ranging from classical and world music to Chinese culture and the study of creativity. His compositions include works for orchestra, band, choir, voice and chamber ensembles, and four operas including the 1991 Songs from the Cedar House about Native American-White interaction in the Puget Sound region, 2016’s Fiery Jade-Cai Yan, (libretto by Zhang Er) based upon the life of a historical Han Dynasty Chinese woman and 2021’s Tacoma Method (libretto by Zhang Er) about the expulsion of the Chinese from Tacoma in 1885. His 60 minute oratorio Drum Taps: Nine Poems on Themes of War for orchestra, choir and SATB soloists, was nominated for the 2012 Pulitzer Prize in music. Yout'z music for wind ensemble has won the NBA and Ostwald awards and his 2015 piece For Those Who Wait, addressing the anxiety of military families waiting for the return of their loved ones, was commissioned by a national consortium of 62 schools and universities.
Youtz has done research on Chinese music, instruments, and the use of Chinese musical techniques applied to western instruments, and has a list of compositions based upon Chinese ideas, from poetry and painting to history and philosophy. He was Chair of Chinese Studies at PLU for five years and directed the study abroad program in Chengdu for 15 years. He also directed the university’s study abroad program in Trinidad and Tobago for many years. Youtz is on the Board of the Chinese Reconciliation Project Foundation, served for 10 years as Chair of the Tacoma-Fuzhou Sister City Committee and directed a grant from the Freeman Foundation for 8 years to build partnerships between Pierce County schools and schools in China. He is a Senior Fellow with the Tacoma Pierce County Chapter of the American Leadership Forum (ALF). When not teaching or composing, Youtz can be found gardening, hiking or traveling.
GREGORY YOUTZ COMPOSITION LIST
2022 Ephemera movement for ochestra
2022 Soaring for bass trombone and recorded tracks
2022 Tacoma Method full length opera
2021 From Stillness solo for unaccompanied alto saxophone
2020 Songs for the Spring of Waiting five songs for soprano, mezzo and piano
2020 Orchestral Excerpts from Tacoma Method 40 minute excerpt from original opera
for four solo vocalists, choir and orchestra
2020 Why Is The Moon? Short piece for handbell choir
2019 Shadow Play for bass trombone and recorded tracks
2019 Long Me for wind ensemble
2019 Heralding fanfare for brass and percussion
2019 Amazing Grace three movements for wind ensemble
2018 Frederick Street for wind ensemble
2017 The Lament of Cai Yan for voice, violin, cello, harp and percussion
2015 Nocturne for solo piano
2015 Two Flutes trio for two ethnic flutes and prepared piano
2015 December movement for orchestra
2015 Cai Yan Fiery Jade full-length opera
2014 For Those Who Wait for band
2014 Wolfgang at the Gates for chamber orchestra
2013 The Blooming Season 20 songs for full-length musical
2013 Poetry Above the Roar ten songs for mezzo soprano and recording
2013 Lutheran Processional for orchestra
2011 Two Japanese Folk Songs for brass quintet and percussion
2011 Havoc on High for wind ensemble
2011 Fashion a Hymn in the Mouth mixed choir, text from the Rig Veda
2010 You Who Might Be The Moon for tenor voice, flute and piano
2010 Mountain Songs three songs for soprano and piano
2010 Duo Concerto for Percussion and Orchestra four movement concerto
2009 String Quartet No. 1 four-movement quartet
2008 Calypso for solo alto sax for saxophone alone
2008 The Monkey King tone poem for wind ensemble
2008 Harmonices Mundi tone poem for orchestra
2008 A Roethke Cycle three pieces for mixed choir a cappella
2007 Concerto for Percussion and Winds percussionist and wind ensemble
2007 Bone performance art piece for four players
2007 30 Studies for Bass Clarinet solo studies
2006 Drum Taps: Nine Poems on Themes of War oratorio for orchestra,
choir and SATB soloists
2006 Drum Strings short piece for middle school string orchestra
2004 Ring Out Ye Crystal Spheres anthem for choir and chamber orchestra
2004 Lone Wolf suite for solo bass clarinet
2004 Haboo symphonic poem for wind ensemble
2003 To Bethlehem cycle of original Christmas carols for treble choir
2003 Elegy and Celebration two pieces for strings (and version for band)
2003 Fragments three songs for soprano voice and piano
2002 Sound Tracks suite for wind quintet
2001 America the Beautiful arrangement for young string orchestra
2001 Bringing In The Tides seven songs for soprano voice and piano
2000 The Singer of Wind and Rain five songs for SATB choir
2000 Trains of Thought fantasy for orchestra
2000 Prelude and Entr’acte two preludes for orchestra
1999 Oh, Trinidad cantata for treble choir, piano and percussion
1999 Calypso Variations for multiple hand drums
1998 River Moon tone poem for orchestra
1998 Three Dragons symphonic suite for wind ensemble
1997 Cedar House Songs three pieces for treble choir (SSA)
1997 Beautiful World three pieces for treble choir (SSA)
1997 Bugs and Birds for voice and piano or solo piano
1997 Elephants! short orchestral fantasy for children
1996 A Far Tower for flute, clarinet, violin, cello and percussion
1995 In The Vernacular suite for band
1995 The Construction of the House overture for orchestra and tape
1994 The Courtesan: six songs for soprano and percussion
1994 Sonata for Horn and Piano
1993 Big Dancer for 7 wood drums (2 players) and soprano
1993 Three Sacred Songs for mixed choir a cappella
1992 Pas de Deux for percussion duo
1992 Brushworks four pieces for orchestra
1991 Village Dances suite for band
1990 Songs from the Cedar House full-length opera in four acts
1988 Lips- a short history of the brass for brass quintet
1988 Fireworks for wind ensemble
1988 The Godmaking of the Skies and the Earth for a cappella mixed choir
1987 Three Songs on poems by David Seal mezzo soprano and piano
1987 Amazing Grace three pieces for organ
1986 If We Sell You Our Land for mixed choir, flute and percussion
1986 The Window Between symphony for mezzo-soprano and orchestra
1985 Officium Pastorum cantata for mixed choir and brass quintet
1984 Sonata for Flute, Oboe, Bassoon and Harpsichord
1983 Seven Strange Little Pieces for alto sax and piano
1982 Minor Heresies for orchestra
1981 Scherzo for a Bitter Moon for wind ensemble
1980 Anathea a one-act chamber opera
1980 Blackbirds 13 brief duets for bassoon and flute
1979 Fantasy 3 movements for bassoon and piano