معرفی
Omar Thomas is an Associate Professor of Composition and Jazz Studies at the University of Texas at Austin, holding the Foxworth Centennial Fellowship. Previously, he served as an Assistant Professor at Berklee College of Music and a Visiting Professor at Johns Hopkins University’s Peabody Institute. His teaching focuses on Jazz Harmony, Post-Genre Music, and Large Ensemble Arranging. He earned a Master of Music in Jazz Composition from the New England Conservatory and a Bachelor of Music from James Madison University.
Thomas’s research explores intersections of jazz, wind band composition, and cultural identity. His works, such as Come Sunday (winner of the 2019 Revelli Award) and the Grammy-nominated We Will Know, blend African American spiritual traditions, Caribbean rhythms, and social justice themes. His large ensemble, the Omar Thomas Large Ensemble, has released albums including I Am (#1 on iTunes Jazz Charts) and the upcoming Griot Songs, a personal exploration of West African griot storytelling.
His awards include three Harvard Teaching Excellence Certificates, the Boston Music Award, and the Lavender Rhino Award for LGBTQ+ advocacy. He is a member of the Blue Dot Collective, composing works for diverse ensembles like the Colorado Symphony Orchestra and the Eastman New Jazz Ensemble.
Thomas’s music frequently addresses cultural heritage, identity, and sociopolitical issues. Upcoming projects include Griot Songs (2025), featuring arrangements of Radiohead and Pat Metheny Group works alongside original compositions rooted in Caribbean and Guyanese influences.
