Michael Remson is a composer, librettist, author, educator and Executive and Artistic Director of the American Festival for the Arts (AFA). His strong commitment to music education is a thread that runs through his career in the arts.

The AFA Summer Music Conservatory serves more than 300 young students annually from throughout Southeast Texas. As part of his composition teaching, Dr. Remson’s students have pursued college careers at Juilliard, Eastman, Oberlin and USC among others. Prior to his service to AFA, Dr. Remson served as Assistant Director of the Carnegie Mellon University Pre-College Program in Pittsburgh and as CFO/Senior Consultant with the Downey Associates International consulting firm in New York.

In addition to his service to AFA, Dr. Remson maintains an active schedule as a composer and librettist. He has received numerous grants, commissions and fellowships and his works have been performed throughout the United States and in Europe. He is developing a children’s musical based on Rapunzel for a Houston-based theatre company and excerpts from his newest opera, Radio Opera, will premiere at the Lone Star Lyric Theatre Festival in summer 2010. He has also worked with Texas Tech University Opera, the Abilene Collegiate Opera, Houston Grand Opera/Opera To Go and the New York City Opera "Showcasing American Composers" (now "VOX") series.

In addition to his stage works, Dr. Remson's choral and chamber works have received numerous performances. Recent engagements include a new work for The Nucleus Ensemble (Los Angeles) for their 2008-2009 season, a performance of his Variations for Flute and Piano by the Bulgarian Composers Collaborative, and creating the music for the ballet, Collapsible Rhythms, with Houston Ballet artistic director Stanton Welch that premiered in 2005 and was performed again in 2007. His choral work Celebration, commissioned by the Rhode Island College Choruses and with poetry by Laurence Sasso, premiered in 2004 and toured Scotland and Wales.

Dr. Remson has received awards and grant support from the American Music Center and the Houston Arts Alliance. He served as Composer-in-Residence with the Ulster Orchestra in Belfast, Northern Ireland, as recipient of a prestigious award from the Americans for the Arts Foundation (ARTS-USA), the Northern Ireland Arts Council and the Irish Arts Council. He has received numerous fellowships and residencies including The Virginia Center for the Creative Arts, The Ragdale Foundation, The Kimmel Harding Nelson Center for the Arts, The Hambidge Center for the Arts and Sciences, Ucross and the Tyrone Guthrie Centre.

In addition to his creative work, Dr. Remson is a faculty member at the Houston Ballet Academy, and has served as an Affiliate Artist at the University of Houston Moores School of Music and a Collaborative Artist for the Mitchell Center for the Performing Arts. He is active in Houston's arts community through his service with Dragon's Gate, Houston Youth Symphony, Houston Boychoir and The Lone Star Lyric Theatre Festival.

A dual Irish-American citizen, Dr. Remson grew up in New York City and completed doctoral studies in composition and libretto writing with Grammy Award winner Carlisle Floyd, Robert Nelson and Pulitzer Prize winner Edward Albee. He is an alumnus of New York University, the University of Houston and Carnegie Mellon University. His teachers (in addition to Floyd, Nelson and Albee) include Nancy Galbraith, Leonardo Balada and Judy Klein. Excerpts of his works may be heard at www.MichaelRemson.com and more information on AFA may be found at www.AFAtexas.org.

What People Have Said About Michael Remson

"…Strong vocal lines… gave the text punch… too seductive…"
– Charles Ward, The Houston Chronicle.

"…Intelligent and gifted… an uncommon cultural literacy… (He will) continue to grow in the years ahead."
– Carlisle Floyd, composer of Susannah and Of Mice and Men.

"…Unique and valuable… overjoyed with (his works)… impeccable preparation and impressive talent."
– J. Todd Frazier, Executive Director, American Festival for the Arts.

"…Aptly suited to theatrical music… a fertile imagination and unique abilities…"
– Dr. Robert Nelson, composer of A Room with a View.

"…Different… unusual instrumentation… consistently enjoyable…"
– Charles Ward, The Houston Chronicle.

"…Great gifts as a composer for the voice…"
– Steven A. Honley, The State.

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