Ann Rivers Witherspoon-Composer

Ann Witherspoon teaches composition, piano, theory, ear training and improvisation in her private studio in Houston, Texas. She actively promotes living composers and new music serving as the National Chair of the MTNA Composer commissioning Program since 2005. Her compositions span a wide range of genres and have been commissioned and performed by notable soloists, ensembles, Houston Symphony, Galveston Symphony and others. She has taught at The Shepherd School of Music (Rice University), Houston Baptist University, and summer music programs in the United States and Germany. She presents seminars on composition pedagogy, other living composers, new music, professional ethics and management of private studios. Her composition students have won many awards (including national levels) and collegiate scholarships. Dr. Witherspoon has received professional awards such as TMTA Outstanding Pre-Collegiate Teacher 2007, TMTA Commissioned Composer 2001 and Houston MTA Teacher Service Award 2002. Past positions include President of Houston MTA, TMTA Board of Directors, TMTA Commissioned Composer Chair and others. Her Masters and doctorate degrees in composition are from The Shepherd School.Rice, and undergraduate degree from University of Texas-Austin, plus post-doctoral opera study with American composer Carlisle Floyd and musical theater writing/composing with veteran Broadway producer Stuart Ostrow.

PCSPPE Sight-Reading and Transposition Composer