Garrett Byrnes

Garrett Byrnes (b. 30 December 1971, Bad Kreuznach, Germany) is an American contemporary composer and music educator; well-known for his contributions to modern harp repertoire. (Last two photographs are with harpists Ceren Necipoğlu and Lavinia Meijer). Born overseas during his father's stay at the U.S. Army military base, Garret grew up in New Jersey. Byrnes earned his Bachelor's degree in composition at Boston Conservatory, a Master's from Peabody Institute and a Ph.D. from Indiana University Jacobs School Of Music. Garrett's primary teachers and tutors include Sven-David Sandström, Chen Yi, Don Freund, Larry Bell (7) and David Dzubay. Garrett Byrnes worked with many distinguished ensembles and performers in the United States and abroad. A few notable premieres include the Concerto for Piano and Chamber Orchestra (2004) by Indiana University New Music Ensemble, Solace with a debut performance by Minnesota Orchestra under Osmo Vänskä's baton in December 2006, and La Chapelle d'Aiguilhe: Concerto for Cello & Orchestra (2008) by renowned French cellist Xavier Phillips and the Orchestre National Des Pays De La Loire with Sascha Goetzel conducting. Other orchestras and groups that performed compositions by Byrnes include Tarab Cello Ensemble, Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra, Peabody Symphony Orchestra, and Cleveland Chamber Collective. Byrnes had CD albums with harp works released by Channel Classics (Netherlands) and Kalan Müzik in Turkey and viola repertoire published under Arabesque Records in the USA.