Francine Trester

Professor

Affiliated Departments

Composition

ftrester@berklee.edu

617-747-2906

Francine Trester's website

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Courses Taught (4)

Tonal Harmony and Composition 2

CM-212

Scoring for Strings

CM-341

Directed Study in Composition 1

CM-398

The Art of Counterpoint

CP-210

Career Highlights

Former faculty at Tufts, Longy, Yale University, and Austin College
Assistant to the directors of Live Wires and Live Culture at the English National Opera; composer in residence, Queenswood School
Commissions from the Mirror Visions Ensemble, Richard Lalli, Boston Landmarks Orchestra, Nahant Music Festival, the Scottish Clarinet Quartet, and the Rivers School Conservatory
Premieres at Weill Recital Hall at Carnegie Hall, Edinburgh Fringe Festival, Jordan Hall, Florence Gould Hall, Kosciusko Foundation, Joseph Papp Public Theater, and SubCulture
International performances in Scotland, Russia, China, France, and England
Performances by vocal soloists Elizabeth Anker, Robert Honeysucker, Richard Lalli, Sarah Pelletier, Jayne West, and Donald Wilkinson
Recipient of a Tanglewood Fellowship
Works recorded on Albany and Crystal Records; published by Clear Note Publications
Recipient of grants from the Massachusetts Cultural Council and Fromm Foundation

Awards

Fulbright Scholarship in composition, Cambridge University (England)
American Society of Composers, Authors, and Publishers Foundation Morton Gould Young Composer Award

Education

School Name

Yale University

State or Province

Connecticut

Degree

Doctor of Musical Arts (D.M.A.)

Field of Study

Composition

Date Degree Received

1998
School Name

Yale University

State or Province

Connecticut

Degree

Master of Arts (M.A.)

Field of Study

Composition

Date Degree Received

1994
School Name

Yale University

State or Province

Connecticut

Degree

Master of Music (M.M.)

Field of Study

Composition

Date Degree Received

1993
School Name

Yale University

State or Province

Connecticut

Degree

Bachelor of Arts (B.A.)

Field of Study

Music

Date Degree Received

1991
School Name

The Juilliard School

State or Province

New York

Degree

High School Diploma (HS)

Date Degree Received

1987

In Their Own Words

"When I teach, I connect concepts to real, live musical moments. I draw listening examples from a range of styles and encourage students to find their own examples and bring them into class. I incorporate my professional experience into the class through my own composition and performance on the violin and piano. By discovering your personal connection to a concept, you turn theory into practice—you make an abstraction come alive through your own musical experience."

"I'd like my students to come away from my classes with an understanding of how the diverse aspects and styles that comprise music are ultimately united by a common practice and craft—like the different branches of a single tree. An understanding of craft and continuum can truly guide a musician's professional choices."

"Berklee's a great place to study composition. The Composition Department has more than 30 faculty members—a diverse group of active composers and performers. There are many opportunities to have your compositions performed and to connect with other aspiring musicians. Additionally, the harmony and counterpoint courses emphasize creativity through composition, and final projects from those courses culminate in two showcase faculty performances."