Composer Spotlight: Chris Prather

CHRIS PRATHER: Composer and percussionist Chris Prather graduated with his Bachelor of Music degree from the University of Central Oklahoma in 2018. In 2020, he received a Master’s degree in Music Composition from Oklahoma City University. The year 2017 was an auspicious season with the premiere of multiple works. Solitude (2016-7), written for the UCO Symphony Orchestra and conductor Jose Batty, premiered during their 2017 season. Two Bicycles (2016-7) for string quartet was selected to be premiered at the National Conference on Undergraduate Research (NCUR) and was later arranged and premiered by Dr. Hong Zhu and the UCO Chamber Orchestra. Prather has been commissioned to compose several pieces including one for solo cello titled Memories of Home (2017) written for Dr. Tess Remy-Schumacher’s CD, Music for Peace II. In 2018 and 2019, he had two one-act operas, both written with librettist Olivia Wells, titled Nicer When You Smile (2018), inspired by the “#metoo movement”, and No Justice, No Peace (2019), an address of police brutality, premiered by the Oklahoma chapter of Opera on Tap for their 10 minute Opera Festival. Prather was also the Composer-in-Residence for the Oklahoma Youth Orchestras’ 2019 season and had his orchestral work Unsung Hero (2019) premiered on their final concert.