Biography
About Forrest
Forrest Pierce, composer, teaches on the faculty of the University of Kansas. Pierce
earned degrees from the University of Puget Sound, the University of Minnesota,
and Indiana University, where he was awarded the Dean's Prize in composition. A
student of Dominick Argento, Stephen Paulus, and Don Freund, Pierce is the composer
of works for all manner of performing forces, with a particular affinity for solo vocal and
choral music. His music has won first prizes in the Cambridge Chamber Singers
International Choral competition, and in the Boston Choral Ensemble commissioning
competition. Works of Forrest Pierce have been performed by the Indianapolis
Symphony Orchestra, Portland Chamber Orchestra, Northwest Repertory Singers,
Oregon Repertory Singers, Brave New Works, the chamber players of the League of
Composers/ISCM, the Seattle New Music Ensemble, and by distinguished soloists across
North America and abroad. Pierce was for six years composer-in-residence of the Seattle
New Music Ensemble, and founding artistic director of Portland's Friends of Rain
Contemporary Ensemble.