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Stacy Garrop

Artist in Residence 2026-2027

Stacy Garrop standing in front of a rock, seen from the shoulders up.
Dr. Stacy Garrop’s music is centered on dramatic and lyrical storytelling. The sharing of stories is a defining element of our humanity; we strive to share with others the experiences and concepts that we find compelling. She shares stories by taking audiences on sonic journeys – some simple and beautiful, while others are complicated and dark – depending on the needs and dramatic shape of the story.

Dr. Garrop is an award-winning freelance composer and lecturer living in the Chicago area. Her catalog covers a wide range, with works for orchestra, opera, oratorio, wind ensemble, choir, art song, various sized chamber ensembles, and works for solo instruments. She has received numerous awards and grants including an Arts and Letters Award in Music from the American Academy of Arts and Letters, Fromm Music Foundation Grant, Barlow Prize, and three Barlow Endowment commissions. Notable commissions include large ensemble works INVICTUS (piano concerto) for pianist Marta Aznavoorian and the Chicago Philharmonic, THERE’S A VILLAGE IN MY SNEAKERS for the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, SPECTACLE OF LIGHT for the Music of the Baroque Orchestra, FORGING STEEL for the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra, and GODDESS TRIPTYCH for the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra; chamber works RITES FOR THE AFTERLIFE for Akropolis and Calefax Reed Quintets and GLORIOUS MAHALIA for Kronos Quartet; and vocal works GIVE ME HUNGER for Chanticleer and IN A HOUSE BESIEGED for The Crossing on texts by Lydia Davis. Theodore Presser Company publishes her works. Dr. Garrop is a Cedille Records artist with pieces currently on seventeen projects; her works are also commercially available on fifteen additional labels. Dr. Garrop earned degrees in music composition at the University of Michigan-Ann Arbor (B.M.), University of Chicago (M.A.), and Indiana University-Bloomington (D.M.). She taught composition and orchestration full-time at Roosevelt University from 2000 to 2016 before leaving to launch her freelance career. For more information: www.garrop.com