Scrapbooks are vessels of memory, bringing the past back to life before our eyes.  September is full of memories of new beginnings; of the fiery beauty of the changing leaves; and of the delicate balance between the temperate autumn weather and the impending cold of winter. The scrapbook opens with a sense of curiosity, revealing a collage of fall memories. After leafing through a few pages, the images come to life before the mind’s eye, almost as an out-of-body experience. But as the last pages are turned, reality fades back into perspective. With September’s dusty memories stirred, we are left lingering in a moment of nostalgia.

Premiered on June 23, 2013 at the fresh inc festival by Jennifer Woodrum (clarinet), Danielle Simandl (violin), Jacobsen Woollen ('cello), and Ryan Greene (piano).

Copyright ©2013 by Justin Giarrusso. All Rights Reserved.

September Scrapbook

Read on April 7th, 2015 by the University of Louisville Symphony Orchestra, Michael Hill (viola), & Kimcherie Lloyd (conductor).

Les Catacombes and Notre Dame de Paris: two places that hold my most vivid memories of Paris, but these two places are also inextricably related. Notre Dame de Paris was built from limestone extracted from mines beneath Paris–mines that eventually became the ossuaries known today as the Catacombes. In depleting stone from the ground, cavernous and cathedral-like spaces were created beneath Paris while a cathedral rose toward the heavens on the Île de la Cité. In a way, two cathedrals were built: one a negative image of the other above. "Dess(o)us Paris" captures the duality of these opposite cathedrals, with the first movement relating to the Catacombes, and the second to Notre Dame de Paris.

Dess(o)us Paris: II. La Cathédrale Au-Dessus [Reading Excerpt]

Dess(o)us Paris: I. 130 Pas Au-Dessous [Reading Excerpt]



"The Deep" is the musical equivalent to a movie trailer. When I was young, I had an idea for a movie trailer about extraterrestrials invading from the ocean, rather than the skies: a movie to be titled, "The Deep." However, my parents burst my bubble by telling me that the concept was very similar to that of "Pacific Rim." The imagery however stuck with me, and inspired this short orchestral trailer for an imaginary Sci-Fi film.

Premiered on March 29, 2015 at the University of Louisville by the University of Louisville Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Quinn Dizon, directed by Kimcherie Lloyd

Copyright ©2014 by Justin Giarrusso. All Rights Reserved.


The Deep (Premiere)

"Canto" was originally written for 4-channel electronics with Ableton Live, and has been flattened to 2-channels for Internet publication.

Canto (Stereo)

Drawing inspiration from themes in Edward Hopper's paintings, "Evening: New York" presents two simultaneous yet contrasting reactions to Manhattan. On one hand, there is an awestruck appreciation of the splendor of the city at dusk. However despite the beauty of evening, there is also a sense of isolation and loneliness arising from the anonymity and detachment of urban life.

Evening: New York (Sara Teasdale)

Blue dust of evening over my city,
Over the ocean of roofs and the tall towers
Where the window-lights, myriads and myriads,
Bloom from the walls like climbing flowers.


Premiered by Emily Howes Heilmann (mezzo-soprano), Chelsea White (flute), Sara Eastwood (clarinet), Nick Hatt (violin), Jordan Galvarino ('cello), Bizhou Jin (piano), & Jabez Co (conductor).

Copyright ©2015 by Justin Giarrusso. All Rights Reserved.

Evening: New York

'If It’s Not Baroque…' makes reference to the old joke, “if it’s not Baroque, don’t fix it.” While this piece is not explicitly Baroque, it does pay homage to some of my favorite composers of the Baroque era. The first movement draws from the concerti of Vivaldi. The “Air” finds its inspiration in the highly ornamented keyboard works of Couperin, as well as referencing the French Baroque practice of uneven notes (notes inégales), and J.S. Bach’s beautiful counterpoint was the primary inspiration for the last movement.

Premiered by the FSU New Music Ensemble: Elaine Bastos & Pedro Maia, (violins), Shelby Thompson (viola), Jack Flores ('cello), Holden Bitner (contrabass), & Tyler Tucker (harpsichord)

Copyright ©2017 by Justin Giarrusso. All Rights Reserved.

Justin Giarrusso's Album

If It's Not Baroque... [Excerpts]

"The Long Rain" is based upon the short story of the same name from Ray Bradbury’s "Illustrated Man." The story portrays a group of astronauts who crash and are stranded on Venus, a planet plagued by perpetual rain. As the group travels across the planet in search of shelter, their numbers dwindle and the astronauts begin losing their minds from the constant and unrelenting onslaught rain. The oppressive meditation gradually transforms into a sound world of harmonics; though the harmonics and the shelter found by the sole remaining astronaut are alluring, none of it is real.

"The Long Rain" was written for and premiered by Carrie Miller.

Copyright ©2016 by Justin Giarrusso. All Rights Reserved.

The Long Rain

"Thus Spring Bursts Forth" represents my first experimentation with Neoclassicism. During the spring semester of my junior year, I studied and performed several works of the eighteenth through twentieth centuries constructed with Classical formal principals. As a result of that exposure, I set out to compose a woodwind quintet that derived from the four-movement construction of a Classical symphony. Although the quintet was not conceived as a programmatic work, its playful and light mood throughout gave rise to the title.

Recorded at the fresh inc festival by Emlyn Johnson (flute), Crystal Hall (oboe), Jason Paige (clarinet), Kelly Hofman (horn), and Kelly Kasle (bassoon).

Copyright ©2012 by Justin Giarrusso. All Rights Reserved.

Thus Spring Bursts Forth: I. Allegro giocoso [Excerpt]

Justin Giarrusso is a composer of contemporary art music that appeals to diverse audiences, having written in chamber, choral, and orchestral genres. Giarrusso’s works frequently involve collaboration across artistic fields and incorporate interdisciplinary thought. 

Recently, NANOWorks Opera produced "A World Apart" and part of "Divertissement Concertante" was selected for the Lexington Philharmonic’s New Music Experiment. Giarrusso holds degrees from Florida State University, the University of Louisville, and Ohio Wesleyan University. He has studied with Clifton Callender, Steve Rouse, Jennifer Jolley, Clint Needham, and Jason Bahr. For more information, visit www.JustinGiarrusso.com.

Justin Giarrusso

Popular tracks