Soli Deo Gloria

Meet Daniel Kellogg

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A composer in disguise

If this is not the image that comes to mind when you think of a world-class composer, keep reading.

The real Daniel Kellogg is both a composer and chef, a father and skier—although fathering duties allow much less time for skiing these days. But how could someone live in Colorado and not enjoy outdoor sports – hiking, downhill skiing, snowshoeing. You name it, Dan would like to be out there . . . when he’s not cooking or composing, that is.

These days, Dan’s favorite hobby is cooking. He loves to whip up goodies from scratch and tackle complicated culinary projects. If you were lucky enough to be invited to dinner, you might enjoy homemade pastas or pizzas, sushi or soup, or some delicacy he concocted after watching one of his favorite shows, “Top Chef.”

And you couldn’t visit Dan’s home without meeting his talented wife, Hsing-Ay Hsu, a concert pianist from Beijing who teaches and runs a concert series at the University of Colorado, and their amazing daughter, Kaela. At the age of four, she’s already playing the piano and learning Chinese!

Dad and daughter hiking

But, back to the music. This family man and chef is also one serious composer!

Dr. Kellogg, Assistant Professor of Composition at the University of Colorado, has had premieres with the Philadelphia Orchestra, the National Symphony Orchestra, the San Diego Symphony, the Colorado Symphony Orchestra, Ensemble Orchestral de Paris, the Takács Quartet with the University of Colorado Wind Symphony, and the Aspen Chamber Orchestra, along with upcoming premieres with the South Dakota Symphony, the United States Air Force Academy Band, the choirs of Yale University, the Kansas City Symphony, plus a residency with the Lexington Philharmonic. The National Symphony Orchestra took his piece, Western Skies, on a tour of Asia, and the Washington Post counted his recent CD Beginnings, recorded by the Grammy Award winning ensemble eighthblackbird, among the top five classical discs of 2004.

The accolades for this young American composer keep coming. The Washington Post has described him as “one of the most exciting composers around – technically assured, fascinated by unusual sonic textures, unfailingly easy to listen to, yet far from simplistic.” The Chicago Tribune calls him as “a gifted and appealing craftsman.” The New Yorker reports that “Kellogg's music gives off a palpable energy, and it is superbly crafted and controlled.”

Daniel Kellogg’s largest project to date (approximately 60 minutes) was an opera he wrote this summer, The Autumn Orchard, which premiered in August 2010 as part of CU NOW, a new summer opera program at the University of Colorado. And his most recent premiere was O Greening Branch, an SDG-commissioned work that opened a gala 150th anniversary concert at Wheaton College (Wheaton, IL), November 20, 2010.

O Greening Branch is a song of celebration and praise. The text is inspired by the beautiful poetry of Hildegard of Bingen and a few verses from the Psalms. Hildegard of Bingen was a medieval Christian mystic who lived a monastic life. Her profound faith led to an outpouring of creativity in poetry, letters, liturgical songs, and the earliest surviving morality play. Her songs and poems are a timeless expression of her faith and continue to speak with fresh beauty centuries later.—from the Program Notes

Click here to read more on O Greening Branch.

So where, you might ask, does a composer like this get his inspiration for composing? In a recent interview, we asked Dan what he did to nurture himself spiritually, musically, emotionally, physically. You might smile in recognition at his response: “I could give you ideal, and I could give you the reality.”

Check out this interview clip to hear what he has to say.

Composer Kellogg at work in his studio

If the music we listen to reveals something of what’s important to us, take note of some of the music that Dan listens to. He’s a big fan of Pandora, an online radio service that can create individual channels that fit unique listener interests. He starts out his day with a Palestrina channel and some sixteenth-century counterpoint, and occasionally throws in some Arvo Pärt. He also likes British/Celtic folk music, as well as kids’ folk music (which his daughter loves, as well!).

Dan is a man who is going places . . . figuratively and literally. He travels often for composition-related premieres, and next year when he is on sabbatical, he hopes to go to Beijing and Italy.

But if there is one thing you should know about Daniel Kellogg it is this: “For me, the act of writing is, at its core, an act of worship. I view all the music I write as sacred because, for me, the vocational calling of composition is an act of worship.”

If this man and his music intrigue you, you can find out more on his website and blog.