MARK BULLER

UNITED STATES

COMPOSER

About

Mark Buller, a composer based in Houston, writes music which blends rich lyricism with bold gestures and striking rhythms. A specialist in vocal and choral music, he has also written a large body of instrumental works, from tiny miniatures for solo instruments to works for large orchestra. He has written three operas for HGO—The Pastry Prince, The Puffed Up Prima Donna, and The Impresario of Oz—all with libretti by Charles Anthony Silvestri; a series of art songs; and the choral work Veterans Songbook, with composer Leah Lax. He has written for ensembles and organizations including the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra, Houston Chamber Choir, ROCO (River Oaks Chamber Orchestra), and Apollo Chamber Players. He composed several dozen very short pieces for various forces, entitled Quarantine Miniatures, which celebrate the community of musicians who displayed resilience in the face of COVID-19. Recent and upcoming are The Parallactic Transits for the Atlanta Symphony and Robert Spano; String Quartet No. 5 with the Houston New Arts Movement; a large-scale Mass in Exile with Lax; and a new chamber version of Tombstone Songs at the Moscow Conservatory and in Houston. Originally from Maryland, Buller studied as a pianist before earning his Doctor of Musical Arts degree from the University of Houston, where he studied with Marcus Maroney and Rob Smith. He teaches at Lone Star College and is Director of Education and Chair of Composition Studies at American of Arts.