Justin Weiss

Justin Weiss is a Chicago-based composer whose music engages with fragility, liminality, and their intersections with lyricism. Justin’s music has been performed by Vertixe Sonora, the Cleveland Chamber Symphony, the CHROMA Ensemble, Oberlin Contemporary Music Ensemble, Encore Wind Ensemble, Colin Currie, Huw Watkins, and Michael Foyle. Additionally, Justin’s upcoming projects include solo pieces for saxophonist Alison Balcetis and pianist Clare Longendyke. Justin has received awards and recognitions from YoungArts, ASCAP, Encore Wind Ensemble, and Tribeca New Music.

As a conductor, Justin has performed with the Oberlin Sinfonietta and Contemporary Music Ensemble, soundSCAPE Sinfonietta, and has premiered dozens of new works internationally. Justin studied conducting with Tim Weiss (Oberlin) and Sian Edwards (Royal Academy).

Additionally, Justin enjoys spreading his love of music through teaching composition and music theory. Justin taught at John Tyler Community College (Virginia), was a founding teacher of the Northern Ohio Youth Orchestra’s Young Composer Program, and was a mentor for the Royal Opera House’s Young Composer Mentor Project (London, UK).

Justin completed his undergraduate studies at Oberlin Conservatory of Music with a degree in Music Composition and a minor in Music Theory, where he received the 2017 Aschaffenburg Prize in Composition and studied composition with Jesse Jones, Aaron Helgeson, and Lewis Nielson. Justin received a Master’s in composition at the Royal Academy of Music in London where he was the recipient of the Dr. Mosco Carner Scholarship and studied with Philip Cashian and Edmund Finnis. Justin is currently a PhD Fellow in Composition at the University of Chicago where he studies with Augusta Read Thomas.