Donald Reid Womack

Donald Reid Womack (born 1966) is a composer of contemporary classical music. He was born in Virginia, raised in East Tennessee and studied at Furman University and Northwestern University, receiving degrees in philosophy, music theory, and music composition.

He has composed more than 80 works for orchestra, chamber ensembles, solo instruments, and voice. Major works include a concerto for shakuhachi, 21-string koto and orchestra (After), a violin concerto (In questi tempi di Conflitto), a symphony (Southern Portraits), an oratorio for chorus and chamber orchestra (Voices of Kalaupapa), and a triple concerto for shakuhachi, biwa and koto with ensemble of Japanese instruments (Three Trees 三木).

Womack's influences meld a broad range of sources, including the new tonality, post-minimalism, rock, jazz, bluegrass, and especially East Asian instruments. He spent a year in Tokyo, Japan studying Japanese instruments, and time in Seoul, South Korea learning Korean music, and has composed more than 30 works for Japanese, Korean and Chinese instruments in various combinations. Among them are "Walk Across the Surface of the Sun" (ensemble of Japanese instruments), "strung out" (violin and koto), "Bend" (shakuhachi, shamisen and 21-string koto), "Koto Coloring Book" (21-string koto), "소리 Sori" (haegeum, cello and janggu), "Highwire Act" (gayageum), and "五行 Elements" (pipa).

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