Owen Hopper

Owen Hopper is composer, guitarist, educator, and improviser whose work encompasses chamber pieces, folk songs, experimental electronic music, and free jazz albums. As an educator he has worked over the past decade to develop a unique approach to teaching guitar, songwriting, improvisation, and musicianship. His pedagogical process develops understandings of music theory, songcraft, and aural training. Deep Listening® is an integral part of his life and work. Besides a daily practice, Owen completed the certification intensive I through Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in 2021. He works with his students on these concepts as well, helping them develop “whole musicianship” and achieve their unique goals. His compositions and projects have been funded through grants from the Ohio Arts Council, The Greater Columbus Arts Council, The University of Cincinnati, as well as Otterbein University. His work has been performed at ICMC, the SEAMUS National Conference, The Electroacoustic Barn Dance, the West Fork New Music Festival, The Navy Band International Saxophone Symposium, Studio 300, the Midwest Composers Symposium, and at various concerts in the Columbus and Cincinnati areas. He is currently an adjunct instructor of music technology at the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music. He holds a MM in composition from CCM and BA from Otterbein University. He is a passionate believer in taking music out of the concert hall and presenting it in unique public spaces and does this as an active member of the greater Columbus and Cincinnati music scenes, playing in bands and solo as he continues to explore a deep, personal relationship with the guitar and an integrated aesthetic with his laptop. He frequently also works scoring experimental films, doing foley work, and other sound-related media content. Owen Scored “sphragida” in early 2020, a political drama that has won awards at multiple film festivals, including an “Award of Excellence” from the BEA Festival of Media Arts.