Craig Peaslee
Bio
"Craig Peaslee is a composer, arranger, and guitarist whose work fuses American jazz, Western classical, and non-Western traditions to form a distinct sonic identity. His music explores the liminal spaces between genres and cultures, leaving a lasting impression through harmonic, rhythmic, and technical innovation. As a disabled veteran, Craig often reflects on veterans’ experiences, addressing socio-political issues and fostering critical reflection on community and society through his compositions.
Craig’s achievements include commissions, such as Her Dress Waves for the San Francisco Contemporary Music Players, and winning the 2022 American Prize for Instrumental Chamber Music for Fragile, a suite for brass quintet with multimedia. His orchestral work, Second City Strut, won the 2021 Indianapolis Chamber Orchestra Composition Contest. Craig’s works have been performed by the San Francisco Contemporary Music Players, Indianapolis Chamber Orchestra, Henry Mancini Institute Orchestra, Julius Quartet, Bowery Trio, and numerous jazz and big bands across the U.S. His research interests and practices include public music theory, cymatic sound visualization, and spatialization, co-researching Seeing Sound: Practical Application of Cymatics. Craig earned a Doctor of Musical Arts from the University of Miami and a Master of Music degree from Northern Illinois University. Having spent his adolescence in a rural community, Craig is dedicated to bringing new music to underserved communities in a format that is accessible, entertaining, and engaging."
Craig’s achievements include commissions, such as Her Dress Waves for the San Francisco Contemporary Music Players, and winning the 2022 American Prize for Instrumental Chamber Music for Fragile, a suite for brass quintet with multimedia. His orchestral work, Second City Strut, won the 2021 Indianapolis Chamber Orchestra Composition Contest. Craig’s works have been performed by the San Francisco Contemporary Music Players, Indianapolis Chamber Orchestra, Henry Mancini Institute Orchestra, Julius Quartet, Bowery Trio, and numerous jazz and big bands across the U.S. His research interests and practices include public music theory, cymatic sound visualization, and spatialization, co-researching Seeing Sound: Practical Application of Cymatics. Craig earned a Doctor of Musical Arts from the University of Miami and a Master of Music degree from Northern Illinois University. Having spent his adolescence in a rural community, Craig is dedicated to bringing new music to underserved communities in a format that is accessible, entertaining, and engaging."