Music Department

Dr. John McKinnon, (Professor, 2000): Applied Music (Brass), Theory, Composition

B.M. from the University of Iowa.

M.M. from the University of Toronto.

Ph.D., Music Composition and Theory from the University of Iowa.

While completing his doctorate, Dr. McKinnon served as brass instructor and orchestra conductor at Atlantic College in North Carolina. He also taught at the University of Iowa as Visiting Lecturer on Afro-American and American Music. Since coming to Eastern Oregon University, McKinnon has received several important commissions and his compositions for chamber ensembles, wind ensemble and orchestra have been performed throughout the Pacific Northwest.

Darkness Under Pines
Music by John McKinnon
Poems by David Axelrod
Nancy Wood, soprano
Jeff Winslow, piano

His composition, " The Seven Sisters of Sleep " was performed at the 2004 Oregon Bach Festival by members of Third Angle and he has recently been selected as the Oregon Music Teachers Association's Composer of the Year 2005.  He will premiere a set of songs for voice and piano with texts by Oregon poets at this year's OMTA Conference.   He has written works for Sound Moves (see below), Matt Cooper, DeRosa Ensemble and is currently working on a multi-media collaboration dealing with contemporary interpretations of the Twelve Labors of Herakles.  

Seven Sisters of Sleep
Composed by John McKinnon
Performed at the Old Church in
Portland Oregon, May 7, 2010.
The recording includes
Ron Blessinger (Violin);
Brian Quincey (Viola) with the
Third Angle New Music Ensemble.
Audio Sample

McKinnon has written electronic music compositions for the theater, and is director of the Electronic Music Lab at EOU. His research interests include the musical traditions of Thailand, and the introduction of "world music" in traditional 1st and 2nd Year theory sequences.  

He has been a professor in the Waseda/Oregon Exchange Program, and spent a year at La Grange College in Georgia (2001-2002).   He is also an active performer on the horn.  McKinnon also directs the African Drumming Ensemble, a group that he founded in 2000.  

A partial listing of recent works: (available from the composer)

• Air for solo piano, commissioned by Matt Cooper (2004)
• The Seven Sisters of Sleep a duo for violin and viola (10 min.) commissioned for the 75 th birthday of George Crumb and the Oregon Bach Festival (2004)
• Elgin Stampede for wind ensemble (2004) written for the Eastern Oregon College-Community Wind Ensemble (8 min.)
• Fragments of Herakles for chamber orchestra (2004)
• Horn Sonatina for horn and piano (2004)
• Missa Brevis   for SATB choir, marimba ,drums and bass (2003) written for the Eastern Oregon University Chamber Choir (18 min.)
• Quasi-Indian-Pastiche for alto sax, trombone and piano (2003) commissioned by Sound Moves, Western Oregon University
• Ich ruf' zu dir for organ and string quartet (2002)
• kothbiro for flute (or oboe) and string sextet (2002), Wallowa Lake Chamber Music Series 2003 (6 min.)
• "He calls me by the thunder"(1999) a scherzo for chamber orchestra (first performance, April 99) commissioned by Eastern Oregon University for the Grande Ronde Symphony Orchestra
• Six views of Calcutta   (1999) for flute, violin, voice and piano (first performance, Ernst Bloch Festival, July 18th , 1999)
• Three Pieces for solo violin   (1998) commissioned by Eastern Oregon University for Lisa Robertson (multiple performances) 14 min.

EOU Music Department