Written especially for Transient Canvas, Dirge & Aerodance is a rather short piece in two parts.  A Dirge is a somewhat somber song, usually expressing mourning or grief.  While it does have some relation to the Matins - part of the Canonical Hours in the Anglican Church - the Dirge written in this piece relates the former definition.  This portion of the piece takes advantage of the rich and dark, yet somewhat hollow qualities of the lower registers of the bass clarinet and marimba.  The second portion of the piece provides great contrast to the first.  Fast and lively, the Aerodance exploits the agility of the ensemble providing an upbeat counterpart to the Dirge. 

Jeremy Spindler's music spans a broad range of mediums including chamber orchestra, string quartet, numerous chamber ensembles, and electronic media. His music achieves an artful balance between intellect and inspiration, owing much of the inspirational aspects to visual artists such as Kandisnky and Dali; as a result of this interplay between shape, color, and sound, his works exhibit a strong element of originality & complexity, yet remain accessible to general audiences, as well as musicians and composers. His works are becoming known for their vivid orchestration, and distinct musical clarity. 

In 2012 the Albany Symphony selected Animated Watercolor as one of three works to be read during the symphony's "Composer to Center Stage" program as part of the annual American Music Festival. Awards include the 2004 Leroy Robertson Prize in Music, the region I winner of the 2010 SCI/ASCAP Student Commission Competition, and finalist in the 2002 Kubik International Prize in Composition. He has also been a resident at the I-Park Artist Enclave in E. Haddam, CT, and the Dorland Mountain Artist's Colony, in Temecula, CA. In July of 2011, Jeremy was a fellow at the Wellesley Composers Conference directed by Mario Davidovsky, with guest composers Harold Meltzer and Yu-Hui Chang. Jeremy has had the privilege of working with ensembles such as the Lydian String Quartet, Canyonlands New Music Ensemble, Bala Brass, Polaris Brass, and NotaRioutous, as well as the Albany Syphony under the direction of David Alan Miller. 

Teachers include Martin Boykan, David Rakowski, Yu-Hui Chang, Eric Chasalow, Ladislav Kubik, and Morris Rosenzweig. He holds a Ph.D and an M.F.A. in music composition & theory from Brandeis University, an M.M. from The University of Utah, and a B.M. from Ball State University. In 2010 he was awarded an Andrew W. Mellon Dissertation Year Fellowship providing time to complete his dissertation entitled "Ligeti's Wedge: Expansion, Contraction, Transformation" & an original composition entitled "Concerto for Seven." From 2005 to 2010 he served as the Irving Fine Music Fellow at Brandeis University, and has held graduate fellowships at both the University of Utah and Ball State. His musical interests focus on 20th-century music with a strong emphasis on György Ligeti. Other scholarly interests include the perception, origin, and sociology of music. 

In addition to composing Jeremy also thoroughly enjoys teaching. . Over the last eight years Jeremy has had the privilege of teaching a range of courses at Brandeis, The University of Utah, Ball State, and MIT. His teaching experience includes theory, counterpoint, piano-lab, ear-training, and academic writing.

Jeremy Spindler is currently the owner and candymaker at Spindler Confections in Cambridge, MA. His handcrafted artisanal candies are a fabulous treat! Go down to his shop and tell him we say hi!