"Humanhood" came from the desire to write something that ultimately celebrates the human experience and life itself, especially that of the powerful potential humans have when banded together in unity toward a purposeful, fulfilling outcome. 

This work was written for, commissioned, and premiered by Constellation Men's Ensemble as part of their annual NOVA Music Concert Series, May 13th & 14th of 2022 @ Guarneri Hall in Chicago, Illinois.

Humanhood by Ephraim Champion (World Premiere Performance –– Constellation Men’s Ensemble)

Here is the premiere of my piece, All Things Sublime and Colossal, written for and commissioned by the spectacular women's ensemble, La Caccina! This work was commissioned as part of the Hearing in Color/La Caccina's second annual Young Composer's Residency and premiered on November 13th, 2022 at La Caccina's concert entitled "Extraordinary Machine". This concert was part of La Caccina's 11th season, Body & Spirit, and explored what it means to be physical beings in a digital world.

I had the honor of workshopping the piece across several rehearsals with these fabulous musicians during the residency, which also included mentorship from composer Steve Wallace and a video interview with Hearing in Color's artistic director LaRob K. Rafael about the piece. Special thanks to my dear friend LaRob and La Caccina's artistic director Carling FitzSimmons, and also to projection artist Camilla Tassi who brought the whole program to life with stunning visuals!  

excerpt from the program notes I wrote for the piece:

"It's about how the world is much more colossal than us (as we tend to think of ourselves as the 'main character' in our own stories); how nature will always win despite how much we humans may try to conquer it; how we are but a mere spec in a vast universe; and how life feels when we take the time to appreciate the beauty of the unknown, the powerful, the sublime, the colossal."

Premiere dates: November 12th and 13th, 2022
Ensemble: La Caccina
Location: Merit School of Music in Chicago (Gottlieb Hall)
Artwork: @ethemos_art

All Things Sublime And Colossal by Ephraim Champion (WORLD PREMIERE PERFORMANCE RECORDING)

So happy to share this world premiere performance recording of my most recent commission, “A Stone of Hope (Martin’s Song)”. 

As part of a second commission as Hearing in Color's second annual Young Composer-in-Residence, I got the opportunity to write a piece of music for the Music Institute of Chicago (MIC) honoring the great Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. as part of MIC's annual MLK Celebration concert in January of this year.

I wrote this for cello, piano, and soprano voice. The text used in this piece are pulled from the various quotes engraved on the MLK memorial in Washington D.C. The title itself comes from the quote “Out of the mountain of despair, a stone of hope." 

It was truly an honor and a pleasure to commemorate the force that is Dr. King and his legacy. His profound words took the music on an emotional journey, and I did my best to capture the core of his message. My favorite quote of his used in this piece is when he said “We must come to see that the end we seek is a society at peace with itself, a society that can live with its conscience." 

Special thanks, as always, to my dear friend LaRob K. Rafael for the support and connecting me with MIC. And many thanks to the incredible MIC faculty musicians I had the pleasure of working with who delivered such a captivating premiere:

Angela De Venuto, Soprano
Mara McClain, Cello
Marta Aznavoorian, Piano

#music #artist #art #musicartist #musician #musiccomposer #composer #worldpremiere #careergoals #composerlife #newmusic #classicalmusic #concertmusic #concert #BlackHistoryMonth #MLK

A Stone of Hope (Martin’s Song) by Ephraim Champion

This piano impromptu explores the stages of being a hero (as I see it). In my eyes, at first, a true hero is a reluctant one. They don't necessarily want to be a hero, but feel obligated––pressured even––to answer the summoning of some voice, some calling that beckons at them through the wind. The Hero knows deep down that they are truly the only ones who can do something about the adversity that threatens the balance of life. They answer the call not because they want to. They feel that they HAVE to. If not them, who else? 

This piece explores the inner conflict a hero struggles with, to include the arrival of the villain and the expectations people now have for the hero every time danger arises. It looks at the striped-down stages of being a hero from that darker point of view that not many people may think about –– without all of the glory. At the very end of this journey and this work, the hero has fully accepted where they are. They do indeed find comfort in helping others, but they aren't exactly "happy". They are content...and content is enough. It has to be. There will always be more work, more pressure. Their life is completely changed. 

Compositionally, I sought out to write a piece that feels like watching a movie or reading a novel. I love using music to tell stories, and it is my hope that the piece takes the listener on a reflective, emtionally-charged journey. Perhaps they think about heroes they admire or can feel and see what the hero is going through in the music. Perhaps they feel inspired to face their own adversities head on.

Emotionally, this means a lot to me. At the time of writing this, my beautiful dog, Dolce, passed away. I couldn't help but think of her as I wrote this. She brought me so much joy. I often wonder if she knew exactly what was going on in those final moments. Why was everyone around more? Why was she being treated like the queen she is? Why was everyone being so weird and SO nice? She was always a spoiled beauty, but we really cherished our final moments with her. She was so happy, but all we could see and feel in our hearts was that looming, inevitable curtain of death that hung over her. Did she know what was coming? And would things have been better or worse if she knew? I try not to think about it. Either way, the emotions I experienced set the overall mood for the piece. 

I also couldn't help but think about someone else who passed and was an impactful figure in my life, José Oliver Riojas. He inspired so many of us at the UIC School of Theatre and Music. Learning under him deepened my love for music, and I'm forever grateful for the time we all spent there making beautiful music together. It's also where my love for composition grew. I always felt that though I knew him quite a bit, I didn't REALLY know him, and it always seemed like he was fighting something that he didn't want to let show on the outside. He was always trying to remain strong for us. Riojas was a huge fan of superheroes, namely the Marvel universe, and with a piece like this that's called "Hero", I couldn't help but think of him and superheroes like the ones he loved. Perhaps they go through or went through those same very inner conflicts and dialogues I detailed above. Although they inspire us and make us feel safe, maybe on the inside they are hurting or terrified. What's inspiring about them is that despite these feelings, they do it anyway. 

I dedicate this piece to Dolce and Riojas, and I hope it above all inspires you to cherish those precious moments with the ones you love, face adversity head-on, find your own strength that's hidden in plain sight, realize that usually people have something killing them inside that they are trying to grapple with, and grow and contribute to the world. You are all heroes, and there's nothing more powerful than actualizing that potential. 

This recording is performed by me!

Hero (Live Performance Recording)

My first official composition for a Piano Trio (Piano, Cello, Clarinet). Performed at Roosevelt University by professional musicians for the ACM (Access Contemporary Music) Composition Program. The piece's title only came to be midway in the composition. I felt that the music was changing and somehow telling a different story, and I began to think of each section in the piece as a different story to tell. The music started to feel to me like someone of ancient wisdom was storytelling to a younger generation, relaying myths, legends, and truths within history. I present to you "Each With A Different Story".

Each With A Different Story

Chicago-based composer and musician Ephraim Champion's music has been lauded as "strongly individual," "compelling," and "distinctive" (Chicago Classical Review). His work spans stage and screen, with highlights including "Scenes from South Shore, Chicago" (premiered by Gaudete Brass at the 2021 Ear Taxi Music Festival) and "Humanhood" (premiered by Constellation Men’s Ensemble, 2022). As the 2023 Hearing in Color/La Caccina Young Composer-in-Residence, he composed "All Things Sublime and Colossal" for the virtuosic women’s vocal ensemble, La Caccina, and "A Stone of Hope (Martin’s Song)" for the Music Institute of Chicago, featuring the talents of multi-Grammy nominated pianist, Marta Aznavoorian. Also in 2023, he became the resident film composer for Slightly American Productions, scoring two short films "Girls in the Back of the Club" and "Rejection is God’s Protection."
Champion's international presence is growing. His "Suite for the F Horn & Tenor Saxophone" premiered at the 2023 World Saxophone Congress (Spain), followed by "The Spectacle" (commissioned by The Yamaha Tuba Duo) in Fukuoka, Japan (2024). His piece, "Vicariously Through You" will appear on the 2025 "Project Encore, Vol. 2" album, commissioned by critically acclaimed and Grammy-winning classical saxophonist, Timothy McAllister. In April 2025, the Chicago Composers Orchestra premiered Ephraim’s first symphonic sketch, “Sonder & Ozurie”. Beyond music, Ephraim enjoys writing, film, and time with his wife, Kianti, and their two yorkies.