American composer-conductor Justin Freer has established himself as one of the West Coast’s most exciting musical voices and a highly sought-after conductor and producer of film music concerts around the world.
Freer began his formal studies on trumpet, playing in wind ensembles, marching bands and community orchestras. He quickly turned to piano and composition and composed his first work for wind ensemble at age 11. Continuing trumpet performance while studying piano and composition, Freer saw multiple wind ensemble, choral and big band performances of his music while still a teenager and gave his professional conducting debut at age 16.
Continually composing for various different mediums, he has written music for world-renowned trumpeters Doc Severinsen and Jens Lindemann and continues to be in demand as a composer and conductor for everything from orchestral literature to chamber music at some of the most well-known concert halls, festivals, music clinics and conventions in the world. As a conductor, Freer has appeared with the world’s leading orchestras, including the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Cleveland Orchestra, London Philharmonic, Los Angeles Philharmonic, New York Philharmonic, Philadelphia Orchestra and Philharmonia Orchestra.
In recent seasons, his works have been performed by the Musashino Academia Musicae Wind Ensemble, Texas All-State Symphonic Band, the Grand Symphonic Winds and the wind bands of the University of North Texas, Purdue University, Kansas State University, University of North Dakota, University of Illinois, Indiana University, UCLA, St. Cloud State University and Cal State University, Los Angeles, among many others. His music has also appeared as a subject of discussion at the Oxford Round Table of Scholars and has been performed throughout the world from New York City’s Carnegie Hall to Tokyo Opera City Concert Hall.
Freer has been recognized with numerous grants and awards from organizations including ASCAP, BMI, the Society of Composers and Lyricists and the Henry Mancini Estate. He is the founder and president of CineConcerts, a company dedicated to the preservation and concert presentation of film, TV and media music with which he has produced, curated and conducted hundreds of full-length music scores live with film. He also spent several years as one of the principal conductors for “The Lord of the Rings Trilogy” in Concert and conducted the European concert run of “Titanic.”
Freer earned his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in music composition from UCLA, where his principal composition teachers included Paul Chihara and Ian Krouse. In addition, he was mentored by legendary composer-conductor Jerry Goldsmith.
Please note: Biographies are based on information provided to the CSOA by the artists or their representatives. More current information may be available on websites of the artists or their management.
