Stephen Mager is a Stephen Mager, Composer
Stephen Mager has been composer-in-residence for the Bach Society of Saint Louis since 2004. He has written extensively for chorus and orchestra, and his works have been performed by such distinguished ensembles as the Cleveland Orchestra and Chorus; VocalEssence, Minneapolis; and the Dallas Symphony Chorus.
His choral symphony, Sinfonia Pastorale, received its Saint Louis premiere in 1997 with the Bach Society, to critical praise: “…the music does indeed have a painterly quality to it. The orchestration is complex and colorful, and the music is inclined to linger over beautiful images… [Mager] writes gratefully for the voice…” (Saint Louis Post-Dispatch). The Bach Society has commissioned several of his major choral works: an Easter choral cycle, The Lamb’s High Feast (2005); I saw eternity (2006); and in 2008, Missa lucis (“Mass of Light”), aptly described as “lushly lyrical” (Saint Louis Post-Dispatch).
His carol settings have also received critical attention and are featured on the compact disc, Joy for Every Age (1998). “These excellent carol settings . . . exhibit a slightly different kind of charm and sophistication that owes much to their more expansive . . . fully integrated orchestrations” (David Vernier, Classicstoday.com). His carols are featured on a dozen or more commercial recordings by choral ensembles in the United States.
His opera, Dream of the Pacific, was commissioned by Opera Theatre of Saint Louis for the bicentennial of the Lewis and Clark expedition (2004), and subsequently produced by Opera Omaha (2005), Kansas City Lyric Opera (2005), and Washington National Opera (2006), the latter by the young artists program sponsored by Plácido Domingo. “Mager excels at conveying a wide variety of feelings…all in a musical language that is both lyrical and comprehensible” (Washington Post).
Stephen Mager was honored as the Composer of the Year for 2001, by the American Guild of Organists, Saint Louis Chapter. The award acknowledges his service to the cause of sacred music. His publishers include Oxford University Press and MorningStar Music.
Recent Compositions and Reviews
Recordings of Original Compositions and Arrangements
Current Commissions
- June, 2011 – Saint Louis Christmas Carols Association has commissioned an original carol for the centennial observance of SLCCA, Christmas 2011. It will be premiered in November.
- July, 2011 – Bartlett United Methodist has requested a commemorative hymn concertato, in honor of fifteen years of service by the church’s organist. The work will feature mixed chorus, children’s choir, handbells, and organ. It will be premiered this fall.
- July, 2011 – The Bach Society of Saint Louis, Dr. A. Dennis Sparger, conductor, will commission an extended setting of the Te Deum for mixed chorus and organ. To premiered, April 2012.
Recent Commissions and Premieres
- August 29, 2010 – Premiere performance of My Heart was Glad, sacred anthem for chorus and organ, composed in thanksgiving for the pastoral ministry of the Reverend Ronald Neustadt, Saint Mark’s Lutheran Church, Belleville, Illinois. The text of the anthem is taken from Psalm 122. The work was peformed by the choirs of Saint Mark’s, and Saint George’s Episcopal Church, under the direction of Dr. Nancy Ypma. The organist was Elaine Lorenz.
- December 12, 2009 – Premiere performance of Resonet in Laudibus, an extended setting for unaccompanied SSATB chorus, commissioned by the Canton High School Madrigal Singers, of Canton, Illinois. The work was premiered at the CHS Madrigal Dinners, under the direction of Mr. Anthony Militello.
Explore Dr. Mager's Compositions
Joy for Every Age
Other Christmas Compositions
