Jerome Begin

Jerome Begin has composed many scores for dance, theater, concert works, installation, and film. Equally at home in the classical, experimental, theatrical, and pop worlds, he has always been drawn to collaboration. Begin takes from classical music concepts of form, process and compositional rigor. From experimental electronic and acoustic music, he draws on ideas of sonic expansion and innovation in ways for musicians to connect in time and texture. In popular music, he is strongly attracted to the power of rhythm and sound over the body and the ability of the “hook” to resonate within the consciousness of individuals and masses. His vast experience composing in the dance and theater realms has lent to his music a deep understanding of the dynamics of live performance. He writes with a keen consciousness of the inherent theater present in the making of music.

Begin’s recent works have incorporated extensive use of electronics to process and augment the sound of acoustic instruments, employing customizable touch screen interfaces that allow him to “play” the effects live. Through this technology, the electronics function in a dynamic, musical way as part of the ensemble, imbuing the effects with a necessity to the work. 

Begin’s works have been performed throughout the U.S., Europe, and Asia, including a nationally televised performance of his score for Bill T. Jones/Arnie Zane Dance Company for President Obama at the 2010 Kennedy Center Honors. Other commissions include works for Abraham in Motion, Hubbard Street Dance Chicago, Juilliard, Brian Brooks Moving Company, Keigwin + Company, Gallim Dance, Sean Curran Company, Richmond Ballet, Alabama Ballet, and many others. He co-wrote the score for the documentary Flex Is Kings, about Brooklyn street dancers. In 2011, his music was featured on the PBS American Masters episode  A Good Man, about the making of a Bill T. Jones work. 

Recent projects include Dearest Home and INDY (with Kyle Abraham/Abraham in Motion), Prelude and Wilderness (with Brian Brooks), BUBBLE, ROOT, NEVEREND, and THIRST (with Da-On Dance), and Kwaidan (multimedia opera based on traditional Japanese ghost stories, with choreographer Luke Murphy). Begin’s 2022 album Post-, on New Amsterdam Records, received critical acclaim, including being named contemporary classical album of the month by The Guardian. His latest record, WILDERNESS, featuring Sandbox Percussion, was released in 2023 on Better Company Records.