Void, was my attempt to capture a glimpse of life, on one particular day in the summer of 2019.

Written originally as a piece for fixed media, compiled from my library of sound files from previous projects, Void attempts to capture the sterile but noisy emptiness of isolation, and the seemingly cyclical progression of hopeful forward looking thoughts that are drug down by the weight of depression.

Transcribed for an ensemble of acoustic instruments as part of my fellowship for Collage New Music, Void is a delicate, fragile, and at times broken snapshot of life at one singular moment. 

Thank you to Collage New Music for bringing this to life, and manifesting this truth into the world in such a stark and faithful representation.

Void - Collage New Music, February 27th 2022

A sneak peak of something new I'm working on...Reworking some of the themes of my previous works into standalone tracks, intended to be performed by a live pianist with electronics. This is a step into a new genre and approach to my music, and an exploration of hardware synth tools mixed with my contemporary aesthetic. This vignette is still using MIDI piano, which will eventually be replaced by a live recording once the entire project is completed.

This, Track 1

Second installment of my new project. As with the last one, I still need to record the piano (and glockenspiel), but again this is a great representation of what I'm working on and I want to share.

This, Track 2

Live in the Moment; Live in the Breath, was written for Sam Wells, and premiered at the 2015 SPLICE festival in Kalamazoo, MI. When I was asked to write this piece (my first for solo wind instrument), I immediately was drawn to the power that the breath has for this type of performer. Their breath empowers them to do amazing things with the instrument, just as our breath empowers all of us to do amazing things with our lives if we learn how to harness it. This piece focuses on the con- nection between our breath and the greater natural world around us, and begs the listener to always live life to the fulllest and make the most out of the time they have here on this earth.

Thank you to Sam Wells for your collaboration on, and performance of this piece!

Live In The Moment; Live In The Breath

Stairway Fragments was born out of my need to compartmentalize and cope with the death of my Grandfather in January of the year. However this piece should not be thought of a memorial, but instead as a collection of vignettes that encapsulate the emotions and experiences of a group as they come to terms with the illness and eventual loss of an integral part of their family. Moments of grief and desolation are interspersed with shimmering activity representing the recolation of shared memories. Midway through the piece, the texture transforms as the instruments begin to mimic the electronics, representing the transformative aspect that death can bring to all who are touched by it. The pitch material, and referential gestures are sourced from the opening section of “Stairway to Heaven” by Jimmy Page and Robert Plant. For me this song is a clear representation of my childhood, and listen- ing to my father pick out these notes is one of my first musical memories.

Stairway Fragments

...and veiled between, Stereo Mix (Remastered)

beneath the universal strife, the hidden harmony in all things, (Remastered)

SYNC, is a study in the use of timbre, texture, and gesture to create synchronous and contrasting motion and changes over time. Beginning with a strong unified and clear statement, the four instruments quickly decouple and struggle to remain connected with one another. What follows is a journey in which the members of the quartet at times seem to be on existing on different planes, struggling as they attempt to regain cohesion, while time moves stubbornly forward.

Thank you to the Lydian String Quartet (with guest Robyn Bollinger) for a wonderful performance!

SYNC, for amplified string quartet

This is the best piece. No other piece has ever been as great as this piece. This piece has all the best notes, written by the best people, everyone knows that there has never been a piece like this in the history of the world, ever. Believe me, this piece is the smartest piece, and knows all the best people. Anyone who says this piece isn’t the best piece, is being fake. SAD! -- Thank you to Transient Canvas for a great collaboration and performance, and to Gleb Kanasevich for the recording!

TREMENDOUS!! (Transient Canvas, Live @BEAMSfest 3.15.18)

This is a recording that the amazing Keith Kirchoff and I did his last December of Dreams Unwind. It's amazing how much this piece has grown after a year of touring performances, and I'm so happy to be able to have been able to work on this with Keith!

Dreams Unwind (Studio Recording)2018 ASCAP/SEAMUS Award Winner

Performance of Undark - An Oratorio from May 2019

Based on a book of the same name by Author Sandy Pool, and performed by Cellist Stephen Marotto

Undark May 2019

Composer Brian Sears’s music is based on his attraction to timbre, space, and texture, and is heavily influenced by the concept of augmenting reality through the use of electronics. His compositions use these forces as a foundation for creating immersive sonic environments that communicate intimate and emotional connections. Brian holds a Master’s degree from Bowling Green State University, and a Bachelor’s degree from San Jose State University, and is currently pursuing his PhD in Composition & Theory at Brandeis University where he studies with Eric Chasalow and David Rakowski. Brian is continually inspired and influenced by his interactions and collaborations with performers and sound artists, as well as past teachers and mentors like Elainie Lillios, Mikel Kuehn, Pablo Furman, and Brian Belet. These interactions have had a huge impact on his work, leading Brian to be a vocal proponent for the importance of community and collaboration in the new music world. His music has been performed nationally at festivals and conferences like ICMC, SEAMUS, NYCEMF, Electronic Music Midwest, N_SEME, Electroacoustic Barndance, and CEMICircles, as well as by members of the International Contemporary Ensemble, SPLICE ensemble, the Toledo Symphony Orchestra and the San José Chamber Orchestra. He has also been a participant artist at various residencies including the Atlantic Center of the Arts, the SPLICE Summer Institute, and the Summer Institute for Contemporary Performance Practice at New England Conservatory.

Brian Sears Composer

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