Biography

Justin Giarrusso composes contemporary art music that fuses elements of classical and musical theatre practice. His music is characterized by light textures and is driven by formal structure. Giarrusso’s works also frequently involve collaboration across artistic fields and incorporate interdisciplinary thought.

Recently, the Tower Duo premiered the flute & saxophone version of Marble & Blood at the Heidelberg New Music Festival and Symposium, and the University of South Florida Clarinet Ensemble premiered Greater than the Sum at ClarinetFest® in Dublin, Ireland.

Justin is a graduate of Florida State University, the University of Louisville and Ohio Wesleyan University, where he received a D.M. in Music Composition, an M.M. in Music Composition and a B.A. in Music Theory, respectively. Giarrusso has studied composition under the guidance of  Clifton Callender, Steve Rouse, Jennifer Jolley, Clint Needham, and Jason Bahr. Currently he serves on faculty at the University of South Florida.

Pronunciation

How do you say “Giarrusso”? At first it may look a little daunting, so here is a short guide to show two acceptable pronunciations:

Anglicized: [dʒʌ ˈru soʊ] / “juh-ROO-soh”

Italian: [dʒa ˈru so] / “ja-ROO-so”