Only Breath was inspired by a series of poems by the 13th poet, Rumi.

Only Breath
My place is placeless, a trace
of the traceless. Neither body or soul.

I belong to the beloved, have seen the two
worlds as one and that one call to and know,

first, last, outer, inner, only that
breath breathing human being.

The Breeze at Dawn
The breeze at dawn has secrets to tell you.
Don' t go back to sleep.

You must ask for what you really want.
Don' t go back to sleep.

People are going back and forth across the doorsill
where the two worlds touch.

The door is round and open.
Don’t go back to sleep.

All Rivers At Once
What is the body? Endurance.
What is love? Gratitude.
What is hidden in our chests? Laughter.
What else? Compassion.

Described as “evocative” (Jazz Weekly), “lyrical,” and “mesmerizing” (textura), the music of Las Vegas-based composer Jennifer Bellor has been presented by Washington National Opera at the Kennedy Center, American Composers Orchestra, Seattle Women’s Jazz Orchestra, Wuhan Philharmonic Chamber Series, Las Vegas Philharmonic, Lviv Philharmonic, Transient Canvas, UNLV Wind Orchestra, DCINY Series at Carnegie Hall, Clocks in Motion, ShoutHouse, Florida State University Festival of New Music, Hildegard Festival, Aspen Festival, June in Buffalo, Missouri State University Composition Festival, Missouri State University Composition Festival, Indiana State University Contemporary Music Festival, Eastman New Jazz Ensemble, Eastman Saxophone Project, Royal Birmingham Conservatoire Saxophone Ensemble, A/Tonal, Ritsos Project, Sonic Cluster Duo, Elevate Ensemble, and many others in the US and abroad.

Bellor’s recent album “Reflections at Dusk” was released by Innova Recordings November 2019, and showcases instrumental music inspired by the Nevada sunsets. The album has been described as “crepuscular,” “mystical,” and “magical.” Textura stated, “She’s also that rare composer whose music manages to be instantly listenable and emotionally resonant without any compromise to its sophistication.” “Reflections at Dusk” nabbed the #20 spot in the classical/opera category in textura’s 2020 year-end roundup. Her next album will feature all percussion quartet compositions that she wrote for Clocks in Motion as their resident “Clock Shop” composer, and it will be released in 2022 by Aerocade Music.

Her music draws on a variety of influences, evidenced in her debut album Stay (2016), which is a melting pot of different music styles largely based on poetry. Stay was featured on NewMusicBox’s 2016 Staff picks, and was praised as having the ability to “maintain a highly individual identity without needing to take refuge in pre-post-genre musical silos.” Chase the Stars for soprano, rapper, and mixed ensemble was featured on the album and awarded the 2016 American Prize in the orchestral category.

Born and raised in Northern NY, Bellor earned a PhD in music composition at Eastman School of Music, a Master of Music degree in composition at Syracuse University, and a Bachelor of Arts degree in music at Cornell University. Her primary composition teachers included David Liptak, Bob Morris, Andrew Waggoner, Sally Lamb-McCune, and Steven Stucky. She is on the music composition faculty at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, and artistic director of the new music series Nextet. For more information, please visit www.jenniferbellor.com.