In this Musical Moment, VocalEssence artistic director and founder Philip Brunelle shares insider information and beautiful music by the composer Jocelyn Hagen.
Jocelyn Hagen
b. 1980
Jocelyn Hagen is a distinguished and innovative composer based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Hagen’s musical talents were apparent from an early age, as she accompanied a choir in Valley City, North Dakota on piano as a second grade student. She studied music education and composition at St. Olaf College and composition at the University of Minnesota, and her influential teachers included Judith Lang Zaimont from the University of Minnesota, Peter Hamlin and Timothy Mahr from St. Olaf College, and Philip Lasser from the Juilliard School. Hagen has served as a composer-in-residence for numerous organizations and has been commissioned frequently by ensembles throughout the United States. In her work, Hagen masterfully combines different art forms, most notably in her recent multimedia symphony The Notebooks of Leonardo da Vinci. The majority of Hagen’s compositions are for voice, including solo voice, chamber ensembles, and choirs. Characteristic elements of Hagen’s compositions include the sensation of forward momentum, experimentation with rhythm and texture, and raw emotional impact.
Suggested choral pieces:
- Hands (JH Music JH-C034)
- One Step (JH Music JH-C004)
- Laus Trinitate (Boosey & Hawkes, Inc 48019173)