Theodore Wiprud
Upcoming Performances
Hichiriki Quartet, Apparitions Premieres Nov. 7, 2026 in NYC
Theodore Wiprud’s brand-new work Hichiriki Quartet, Apparitions will be premiered by virtuoso Thomas Piercy at the Tenri Gallery in the West Village.
Don’t Let the Sun Premieres Nov. 17, 2026 in Ann Arbor, MI
Theodore Wiprud’s full-length oratorio Don’t Let the Sun, about sundown towns and overcoming division, premieres at Hill Auditorium at the University of Michigan.
The Latest News & Blogs from Theodore Wiprud
Two big premieres in ten days
A composer’s journey to climate action
“On the Brink” – of Disaster or Salvation
Featured Compositions
Don’t Let the Sun (2026)
Mixed chorus, SATB soloists, and small orchestra / 90 min.
Oratorio surveying the history of Sundown Towns and efforts to overcome division, with a libretto by Richard Wesley.
Violin Concerto No. 2, on the brink (2023)
Solo violin and full orchestra / 38 min.
A five-movement concerto composed for Elissa Cassini, exploring climate grief and pathways to hope.
Piri Concerto (2023)
Soloist with chamber orchestra / 20 min.
A three-movement concerto for piri, saenghwang, and taepyongso, composed for gamin.Featured Recordings
Fire In Heaven And Earth: Music of Theodore Wiprud
Albany Records / April 6, 2011
The first album devoted to the composer’s work.
Gamin: NONG
Innova Records / September 25, 2020
Featuring Mudang, performed by the eminent p’iri player gamin and the string quartet ETHEL.
Jeanne Golan: It Takes One to Tango
Steinway & Sons / January 1, 2021
Pianist Jeanne Golan performs Pacita's Lunch and other tango-inspired music by contemporary and "recovered voices" composers (composers who were persecuted and censored by the Nazi regime).Featured Concert Productions
Young People’s Concerts at the New York Philharmonic
New York City / 2014–2018
Hosted more than 100 of the legendary New York Philharmonic Young People’s Concerts for both families and schools.
I, Too, Sing America
New York City / 2001 & 2002
Two concerts featuring works based on the poetry of great African-American poets set to music by American composers of many races, including the New York premieres of A Georgia Song and American Journal.
Beyond Words
New York City / March 30, 2001
A multimedia concert of sacred Instrumental music of many faiths, which featured the premiere of String Quartet No. 2: Intimations and Incarnations performed by FLUX Quartet.About
Theodore Wiprud
Press & Reviews
“What composer Theodore Wiprud does best is capture the soul of 21st-century America.”
—Jean-Yves Duperron, Classical Music Sentinel
“The programmatic element is present in Wiprud’s concerto from the opening: the violin first appears playing very angular chords and a lyrical yet syncopated melody, with the rhythmic intensity of those opening chords continuing through the movement in tandem with an orchestral landscape in which jazz elements are beautifully presented while also containing a continuously escalating sense of foreboding… As Mr. Corigliano’s Symphony [No. 1, “Of Rage and Remembrance”] has remained a staple in concert halls throughout the United States, Wiprud’s Violin Concerto No. 1, Katrina is worthy of a permanent place on the concert stage as it is truly an American work both in content and inspiration.”
—Samuel Thompson, Blogspot
“A Georgia Song is destined to set a high standard for American vocal music. Its blending of classical and popular ideals is the long-awaited manifestation of American Nationalism.”
—Darryl Taylor, founder, African-American Art Song Alliance