ACADEMY Mentor
Heather Niemi Savage
Heather has been a musician all her life, reading music and playing the piano since the age of three. Her broad experience includes classical, jazz, musical theater, world, and sacred music, and she draws on all of these to compose new music.
Heather’s inspiration comes from literature, nature, and her faith. She composes music that explores universal questions of essence and finding beauty and joy in the midst of suffering, resulting in evocative pieces that take listeners on a journey which nourishes the soul, stimulates healing, and builds empathy.
FIELDS & EXPERTISE
Composition, Harmony & Counterpoint; Piano; Teaching; Project Management
Special interest in quartal harmony, microtonality, and non-traditional notation
WORK & ONLINE PRESENCE
Heather’s work has been performed by various soloists and chamber ensembles throughout the United States. Her scores and recordings can be found on YouTube, Soundcloud, and her website, www.heatherniemisavage.com.
She is also active on Facebook and Instagram.
Academy Mentor
Biography
I began composing at age thirty-seven and studied under Dr. Larry Bell and Howard Frazien in Boston, MA.
In composition, as in life, I explore the interaction between the old and the new, tradition and innovation, examining every nuance and implication of my experiences and musical ideas. Composer Walter Saul has described my work as “stunningly resourceful with scant material.”
My works have been performed by the North-South Consonance in Manhattan, the Great Woods Symphony, and by saxophonist Lawrence Gwodz, as well as being included in the national conference of the Christian Fellowship of Art Music Composers; the 2016 Rhode Island All-State Festival; the 2017 New Music Festival in Fitchburg, MA; and commemorative events at local churches. Additionally, my work has been featured on the radio program, “Music of Our Mothers.” My piece for string orchestra, Daughter of the Stars, came in second place in the 2020 American Prize composition competition in the pops/light-music division and was released on Ablaze Records’ Orchestral Masters Volume 7, in January 2021.
I have been a musician all my life, starting with piano at the age of three and adding clarinet and saxophone later in my school years. I began accompanying at the age of eight, when I played with the children’s choir as well as a young violinist at church. My musical training includes both classical and jazz, and I have experience working with vocal and instrumental soloists, choral groups, chamber ensembles, and musical theater pits.
In addition to my work as a composer and collaborative pianist, I am the music director of Carolina Free Baptist Church and maintain a private teaching studio.