David Bohn

A native of Wisconsin, David Bohn received degrees in composition from the University of Wisconsin, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, and the University of Illinois. His primary composition teachers were Joel Naumann, Yehuda Yannay, and William Brooks. He has taught theory at the University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee, University of Wisconsin - Parkside and the University of Illinois. In his career as an organist, he has given world or American premieres of over 150 organ works. He currently resides in West Allis, Wisconsin, and is the music director at Peace United Methodist Church in Brookfield. He is President of the Wisconsin Alliance for Composers, and Vice President and Newsletter editor for the Wisconsin Chapter of the Organ Historical Society. He was Program Chair for the 1990 National Convention of the Organ Historical Society and Handbook Editor for this convention.

Concert Dates

  • January 28, 2026 - Madison, WI

15 one-minute selections for David Bohn

  • VINICE NA VEČER (VINEYARD AT EVENING)

    ERIK BRANCH

    As I was writing this piece, the language of the music reminded me in some ways of that of Leoš Janáček, one of my favorite composers. The mood suggested the atmosphere of a lazy, crepuscular, rural scene, perhaps that of a vineyard at dusk, hence the title, Vinice na večer.

    ERIK BRANCH is a native of New York City, and received a BA and MA in Music (Composition) from Hunter College. He lives near Orlando, Florida, where he is active as a pianist, musical director, composer/arranger, operatic tenor, and actor on stage and screen.

  • Hymn patriotyczny

    Scott Brickman

    Hymn patriotyczny is very tangentially based on the Polish hymn, Serdeczna Matko. Serdeczna Matko is used both in religious and secular settings. The chorale-like paraphrase is preceded by original material which is not scale/step based.

    Scott Brickman’s (b. 1963) passions are sports and his Baltic and Slavic ancestry and culture. A cancer survivor and patient, he studied Latvian Language and Culture at the University of Latvia in Riga. His orchestral music has been performed and recorded by ensembles in Croatia, Czechia, Moldova, Poland and Ukraine.

  • Encomium for J.C.

    Ross James Carey

    ‘Encomium for J.C.’ for organ solo was written for Fifteen-Minutes-of-Fame with David Bohn and as a short homage to John Cage marking the 33rd anniversary of his death (August 2025). The piece utilizes as generative material quotation-signatures of both Cage and his teacher, Arnold Schoenberg; the atmosphere is meditative.

    Ross James Carey is a composer and professor at Sias University, China. From Aotearoa/New Zealand, his work combines quotation and cross-genre elements whilst looking at questions of place and identity. Recent works include Pendopo Dreaming for wind quintet, and a song cycle Chang’an Dreaming (poems by Margaret T. South).

  • Galliard

    Michael Coleman

    “Galliard” is dedicated to David Bohn as part of his Fifteen-Minutes-of-Fame project (organ concert at the Ozaukee Congregational Church). “Galliard” is partly based on a harmonic progression by the composer around twelve years ago and this call for scores inspired him to use it for this submission.

    Michael Coleman has participated as composer/pianist in numerous new music programs and festivals in the U.S and Russia and has also had works performed in North & Central America, Europe, and Eurasia. He currently teaches at Pensacola State College and the University of West Florida.

  • Unda Maris

    Rey Edward Concepcion

    Unda Maris—Latin for "Wave of the Sea"—is an organ stop and now used as a metaphor for the shifting tides of emotion. The piece is made to flow like water: serene and glassy one moment, restless and churning the next.

    Rey Edward Concepcion, a composer with a background in Economics and Law (JD), now turns his focus toward music, studied under Dr. Maria Christine Muyco at the University of the Philippines. His music seeks to balance intellect and intuition, structure and spontaneity—an exploration of sound as both reflection and movement.

  • Whorl

    Monroe Golden

    Whorl is a processional interrupted by halts and stumbles, and is analogous to a single circuit of a spiral, implying an ongoing process. The sequence of notes is drawn from overtones of a conceptual fundamental, gliding from C-8.176 to Db-8.662 over 60 seconds, as they intersect with 12-EDO pitches.

    Monroe Golden's overtone-informed music has been called “delightfully disorienting” and “irresistible..., full of wit and beauty.” He has served in leadership roles for many community-based arts organizations, including Artburst, City Stages, and the Birmingham Art Music Alliance. See links to recordings and more information at monroegolden.com.

  • Melancholy Prelude

    Stanley M. Hoffman

    "Melancholy Prelude" is dedicated to David Bohn. It begins with a brief introductory phrase, followed by the main theme during which the left and right hands often double each other, a sequential transitional passage, and a recapitulation of the main theme. The musical language mixes modality and tonality.

    Stanley M. Hoffman (b. 1959, Cleveland, Ohio) holds degrees in Music Composition from Brandeis University (PhD), New England Conservatory of Music (MM) and Boston Conservatory (BM). His music is published by ECS Publishing, Oxford University Press, and Fatrock Ink. Senior Editor at ECS Publishing Group 1998–2021. Freelance editor, composer.

  • A Minute for Moses Whitcher Mann

    Ralph Lewis

    The specific organ featured in this call being built in 1880 brought to mind family stories about my great-great grandfather Moses Whitcher Mann, who would manually work the bellows for his church around this time. It is a small tribute to the people who worked organ bellows before electric blowers.

    Dr. Ralph Lewis is a composer whose works seek meeting points between sonorous music and arresting noise, alternative tunings and timbre, and the roles of performer and audience. Find out more about him at www.ralphlewismusic.com.

  • eukariotic, hypnotic

    alex/alchemist

    "eukariotic, hypnotic" is a brief sonic exploration evoking the curious world of life at the microbic scale; specifically aquatic algae and cyanobacteria. The piece uses timbral, rhythmic, and tonal variation to explore the reproduction and life cycle of a nondescript algae culture, growing and developing in complexity.

    alex mist (alchemist) is a composer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist based in Colorado. They have passion for many disparate musical styles, and have been writing/playing for eight years now. Having completed their undergrad in composition with a handful of songs and pieces written, they’re currently focusing on their next career steps.

  • El tiempo

    Sebastian Ernesto PAFUNDO

    El tiempo que es realmente , como afecta nuestra percepción...

    Argentino, Compositor, docente, bajista, improvisador y experimentador sonoro. He presentado obras para distintas formaciones y estilos utilizando con medios medios acústicos, electro acústicos y mixtos, tanto en la Argentina como en el exterior para distintos ciclos, programas de radio, work shops, festivales, colaboraciones, etc.

  • Manual Mystique

    Akmal Parwez

    The word 'Manual' in the title has two meanings: The piece is written for a single-manual organ (with no pedals); and it refers to the hands (mani) playing and creating an aura of mysicism.

    While studying electronics in Tokyo, composer-vocalist Akmal Parwez studied composition with Yasushi Akutagawa and Klaus Pringsheim. After completing his university studies (BE, ME), he felt compelled to devote his life to music. In the U.S. he studied composition with Florence Jolley, Leo Kraft and Samuel Adler(MA, Queens College; PhD, Eastman).

  • Bulette

    Darth Presley

    A Bulette, like an organ, is a huge beast. Like an organ it has 9d10+45 hit points. Like an organ its bite causes 2d8+8 in damage. Like an organ it “lives only to eat” and “it is universally shunned, even by other monsters.” (“Dungeons & Dragons: Monster Manual,” p. 28)

    I have had some horribly disturbing waking dreams of being a monstrous apparition, part-man, but mostly machine; soulless and demonic, terrorizing man and beast alike with sounds unlike any other, sounds that alternately inspire and chill.

  • In The Wake Of II

    Edward Ruchalski

    “In The Wake Of II” is a variation of the composition “In The Wake Of” that I originally composed for David in 2012.

    Ruchalski has composed for the BOAC All-Stars, Helen Boatwright, Detroit Chamber Winds and Strings, Stephen Porter, David Bohn and the Society for New Music. His compositions have been performed at Kennedy Center, Lincoln Center, Mass MOCA, Miller Theatre, Yale University, the Festival of Miami, Harvard University, and Symphony Space.

  • Supernova Approaching

    Juan María Solare

    The time intervals between chords follow an inverted Fibonacci sequence, creating a sense of natural acceleration. Between these chords, melodic elements are crafted using the Renaissance isorhythmic technique, where a repeating rhythmic pattern overlays evolving melodic lines, adding a layer of rhythmic complexity and historical depth.

    Juan María Solare, born 1966 in Argentina, works in Germany as composer, pianist, and teaching at the University of Bremen. His music has been performed in five continents and received over 30 million streams in Spotify. Over 33 CDs of different performers include music by him. http://www.JuanMariaSolare.com

  • Numbers Game

    Willyn Whiting

    Numbers Game is a short work for organ. I thought of each note as a number, indicating a partial of the harmonic series. I picked numbers intuitively; if they were significant to me or sounded well together.

    Willyn Whiting is a composer of acoustic, electronic and mixed music. His works have been performed/presented in Canada, the US, the UK, Germany, Italy and Taiwan. He is a Graduate of the University of North Texas, University of Western Ontario and University of Toronto.