Nick Raspa

NJR Music
 
 
Nick Raspa

Nick Raspa (b 1955) resides in Fort Lauderdale, Fl.  He holds a Bachelor of Music degree from The Catholic University of America and studied music composition privately, in New York City, with Fulbright scholar and Pulitzer Prize nominee, Frank Retzel, Ph.D.

Raspa is an active composer of contemporary music and has had many works selected, through competition, for performance both in the United States and Europe.   In 1988, Raspa’s work, “Three Poems for Soprano Voice and Piano”, a setting of three poems by Emily Dickinson, was selected for performance at the University of Wisconsin New Music Festival.  The same work was selected for performance at the regional meeting of the Society of Composers, Inc.  Three Poems for Soprano Voice and Piano” has also been selected for inclusion in the Archives and Manuscript Division of the New York City Public Library .

In 1992, The Audubon Symphony Orchestra premiered Raspa’s orchestral work, “Renewal”.  In 1994, Raspa’s solo piano piece, “Dawning” was selected for a world premiere on Belgrade Television.  “Dawning” has also been selected for inclusion in the Archives and Manuscript Division of the New York City Public Library.

In 1999, Raspa’s solo piano work, “Spooky Waltz” was selected for performance at the ppIANISSIMO New Music Festival, Sofia, Bulgaria.  Also in 1999, Raspa was commissioned to write a piece for string quartet based on the original hymn, Silent Night.  The new piece, “Essay on Silent Night”, received a 1998 premiere during mid-night mass at Grace Lutheran Church in Lancaster, Pa.

In 2005, two of Raspa’s pieces for string orchestra were selected for performance at the Living Composer’s Concert held in Glendale, Wisconsin.  Those two pieces were “Bagatelle No. 1” and “On The Lake”.  In 2012, Raspa’s trio work, “Dimension 20, Regeneration” was selected for performance in the program, Access Contemporary Music, and performed in Chicago by members of the contemporary music ensemble Anaphora.  That program was broadcast over the Internet.

Raspa’s educational music for the piano has received excellent reviews in the music trade journal, Clavier. His educational music for the string orchestra has received excellent reviews in The American String Teacher Journal.

In addition to Raspa’s compositional activities, he was also the founding conductor of the Audubon Symphony Orchestra, located near Philadelphia, PA. Raspa was the music director and conductor until moving from Pennsylvania in 1993.  Raspa also taught music privately for more than 25 years in Pennsylvania and Minnesota. Raspa also served on the Board of Directors of the Minnesota River Valley Music Teachers Association.  The last three years, prior to moving back to the east coast, he served as President of that organization.  Raspa was also a member of the Minneapolis Music Teachers Forum and served as state/national liaison for that group.

Raspa is a freelance composer/arranger and has a number of works listed with the digital music publisher Sheet Music Plus in the United States and MusicaNEO in Switzerland.  Raspa is also a freelance pianist performing locally in the South Florida area.  He is a member of ASCAP, the Society of Composers, Inc. and the Minnesota River Valley Music Teachers Association.

Works selected for performance through national and international competition

Three Poems for Soprano Voice & Piano - Univ. of Wisconsin New Music Festival 1988 (this piece is now included in the Archives and Manuscript Division of the NYC Public Library) - WorldCAT Link

Dawning (piano) Television Belgrade, Yugoslavia 1994 (this piece is now included in the Archives and Manuscript Division of the NYC Public Library) - WorldCAT Link

Spooky Waltz (piano) ppIANISSIMO  New Music Festival, Sofia, Bulgaria 1999

Bagatelle No.1 (string orch) Living Composer Concert, Wisconsin 2005

On The Lake (str. orch) Living Composer Concert, Wisconsin 2005

Other performances

Renewal (full orch) Audubon Symphony Orchestra Audubon, PA 1992

Essay on Silent Night (str. quartet) Lancaster, PA 1999

Dimension 20 (piano, clarinet & horn) Chicago 2012

 

Music Reviews

American String Teacher Journal

August 1999 - Bagatelle No. 1  (string orchestra)

November 1999 - Essay on Silent Night  (string quartet)

August 2000 - The Kerry Dance  (string orchestra)

February 2001 - Menuetto from Piano Sonata No.1 Op. 49 No.2  (string orchestra)

November 2001 - On The Lake  (string orchestra)

 Clavier

May/June 2005 - Six Etudes for Hand over Hand Arpeggio

September 2005 - My Very First Waltz

September 2005 - I Think I Hear an Echo

October 2005 - O Christmas Tree

October 2005 - Essay on Silent Night II

November 2006 - Christmas Swings

September/October 2016 - O Holy Night

September/October 2016 - Greensleeves