Randal Despommier

Randal Despommier, doctoral candidate in composition, is a student of Malcolm Peyton. Despommier, a native of New Orleans Louisiana, received his undergraduate degree in saxophone performance with honors from Loyola University of New Orleans. Upon graduating, he received Brady-Danzing scholarship to study piano and composition at the conservatory of Perugia in Italy.

In addition to composing, Mr. Despommier actively performs both as a jazz and classical saxophonist as well as a pianist. He has also served as director of the Boston University Catholic Church chorus, the children’s choir at St. Mary’s Elementary in Brookline and the African Methodist Church of Zion in Cambridge. Current projects include writing a short book on chromatic counterpoint, recording piano works by Federico Mompou, and composing a song cycle for his dissertation. He is the recipient of the Eva Bitsberger Scholarship.

Tonight features a program of Song cycles, Improvisations, Italian Renaissance, Gregorian Chant, jazz arrangements, arrangements of Mompou songs.

Performers include: Randal Despommier, alto saxophone and piano, Yelena Beriyeva, piano, Christopher Smith, tenor, Artem Belogurov, piano, Brian Friedland piano, Brad Barret, bass and
Mike Connors, drums.