Bruce Saylor

Bruce Saylor has emerged as one of the most sought-after composers of his generation. A native of Philadelphia, Dr. Saylor studied with Hugo Weisgall at Juilliard, with Goffredo Petrassi as a Fulbright scholar at the Accademia di Santa Cecilia in Rome, and with George Perle at The City University of New York Graduate School where he received his PhD. From 1992 to 1994, Dr. Saylor was the Brena and Lee A. Freeman composer-in-residence at Lyric Opera of Chicago, and in June of 1994, the world premiere of his opera "Orpheus Descending" was received with much critical acclaim.

He has been commissioned by major symphony orchestras, festivals and soloists. St. Patrick's Cathedral commissioned him to write a large scale work for the visit of Pope John Paul II. He was also the composer and arranger of the music for "Jessye Norman at Notre Dame", a CD, video, and laser disc that has been acclaimed worldwide. Dr. Saylor is a professor at the Aaron Copland School of Music at Queens College and at the City University of New York Graduate School.