Derrick Spiva

Derrick Spiva (born Derrick Spiva Jr; 19 November 1982) is a composer, conductor, musician, and teacher based in the Los Angeles area who often integrates musical practices from cultures around the world in his work with classical music communities. The Los Angeles Times has described Spiva's music as "something to savor" and "enormous fun to listen to."

Spiva is the artistic director of the chamber ensemble and arts organization Bridge to Everywhere. He is also a teaching artist for the Los Angeles Philharmonic and a conductor for the Santa Clarita Valley Youth Orchestra and Santa Monica Youth Orchestra. He is the inaugural artist educator for the Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra (2018–2021). Educated at University of California, Los Angeles and California Institute of the Arts, Spiva studied classical music as a student of Ian Krouse, Paul Chihara, David Rosenboom and Alex Shapiro, while also studying Persian music theory with Pirayeh Pourafar, Balkan music theory with Tzvetanka Varimezova, tala in Hindustani classical music with Swapan Chaudhuri and West African music and dance with Kobla Ladzekpo. Spiva's compositional works often incorporate musical elements from different cultural traditions into contemporary classical music contexts.

His works have been performed and/or commissioned by the Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra, Los Angeles Electric 8, Albany Symphony Orchestra, Dayton Philharmonic Orchestra, Berkeley Symphony, Santa Clarita Valley Youth Orchestra, Lian Ensemble, UCLA Philharmonia, Chapman University Wind Symphony, Superdevoiche (Bulgarian Women's Choir), EXIGENCE, Los Angeles Master Chorale, Lyris Quartet, and Salastina Music Society, among other groups. Rhythm and the embodiment of rhythm through movement is an important theme in Spiva's works; he has collaborated with choreographers such as Mariel McEwan, Sheetal Gandhi, Cynthia Ling Lee, and synchronized swimming champion and international coach Sue Baross Nesbitt. He has been awarded a residency with the Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra (LACO) through New Music USA's "Music Alive" program for LACO's 2015–2016 season and has released two albums, Prisms, Cycles, Leaps (2015) and American Mirror (2018), with Orenda Records.

Spiva has given talks, workshops, and pre-concert lectures about his musical practices at the Homeland Cultural Center], Skirball Cultural Center, Royce Hall (UCLA), Alex Theater, Los Angeles County Museum of Art, and various other schools and institutions. He was asked to speak at the 2016 annual League of American Orchestras conference in Baltimore on the topic of how classical music orchestras can build stronger relationships with their diverse communities.

Spiva is the son of Artra Howard-Brant, and nephew of Mattina Howard, Sherri Howard and Denean Howard of the Howard Sisters who won gold and silver medals in track and field at the 1984 (Los Angeles) and 1988 (Seoul) Olympic games. His father, Derrick Spiva Sr, is a lecturer at San Francisco State University in Africana Studies. He is married to ethnomusicologist Kim Nguyen Tran.

Orchestra

• 2003 "Lithe Melodies"
• 2005 "Gaea" Saxophone Concerto
• 2007 "Vicissitude Variations"
• 2011 "Our Being Whole"
• 2014 "Prisms, Cycles, Leaps" (Part I of the Prisms, Cycles, Leaps Suite)

Wind ensemble

• 2000 "Apollo's Prayer"
• 2002 "Apollo's Prayer Reprise"
• 2004 "Seraph's Reflection"
• 2012 "In Our Hands a Canvas" for Wind Ensemble, Women's Choir, Organ, Electric Guitar.

Choral

• 2005 "Posledna Ljubov" (Last Love) for Bulgarian Women's Choir.
• 2007 "Malka Moma Tsvete Brala" for Bulgarian Women's Choir.
• 2008 "Prozorets" (The Window) for Bulgarian Women's Choir.
• 2010 "Tzvetina Dusha, Vahdat, Davam" for Tar, Daf, Persian Vocals, Bulgarian Women's Choir, Ney.
• 2012 "One not One" for women's choir.

Small ensemble

• 2002 "Miles of Sun" for violin, flute, bassoon, piano.
• 2003 "3 Queens"* electro-acoustic music sound design.
• 2003 "September" for flute, oboe, 2 bassoons, marimba, piano, mezzo-soprano, violin, viola, 3 cellos, contrabass.
• 2003 "Red Dress" for flute, oboe, 2 bassoons, marimba, piano, violin, viola, 3 cellos, contrabass.
• 2003 "Mother's Day" for flute, Bb clarinet, 2 violins, viola, 3 cellos, contrabass, piano, oboe, soprano saxophone, bassoon, marimba, mezzo-soprano.
• 2004 "Ciaccona Blue"* for 2 alto saxophones, piano, harp, marimba.
• 2004 "Ciaccona Red" for soprano saxophone, Bb trumpet, harp, piano.
• 2004 "Dunes"* for solo trombone and string orchestra.
• 2004 "Alacrity" for flute, Bb clarinet, 2 tabla, vibes, oboe, bass clarinet, F-horn.
• 2005 "Crystal Black" for 3 hands piano, trombone, tenor sax, vibes, percussion.
• 2005 "Curious Dances" for flute, Bb clarinet, harp, bassoon, piano, F-horn.
• 2005 "Liquescent" for flute, harp, violin, piano, bass, hand clap.
• 2005 "Vicissitude" for flute, Bb clarinet, harp, 2 violins, 3 violas, 2 solo Bulgarian female voices, harp, bass, 3 cellos, oboe.
• 2005 "ko-Ig'zist" for flute, harmonium, violin, acoustic guitar, double bass, tambourine, drum set, hand percussion Bb trumpet, rapper.
• 2005 "Twenty-Seven" for trumpet, piano, tabla, electronics.
• 2006 "She Cried" for cello, oboe, violin, horn, tampura drone.
• 2006 "Script 44" for trombone, alto sax, Bb clarinet, drum set, bass.
• 2006 "Assertion" for brass quintet.
• 2007 "Atsia Derivare" for Ewe drum orchestra.
• 2007 "In Silver" for flute, oboe, clarinet, bassoon, violoncello, double bass.
• 2007 "Red 4" for flute, oboe, Bb clarinet, bassoon.
• 2008 "The Leaf" for 6 or more flutes.
• 2012 "Neuron Speak" for Los Angeles Electric 8- electric mandolin, electric baritone guitar, tap guitar, electric bass guitar, and four electric guitars.
• 2013 "forming-idioms, mental objects" for woodwind quintet, violins, viola, guitar, contrabass, percussion and piano.
• 2016 "From Here a Path" (Part II of Prisms, Cycles, Leaps Suite) for small chamber ensemble.
• 2016 "Unveiled this Heart" for small chamber ensemble.
• 2017 "American Mirror"for string quartet.
• 2017 "From Here a Path (Revised)" (Part II of Prisms, Cycles, Leaps Suite) for small chamber ensemble.

Duets and trios

• 2005 "Catena" F-horn, piano.
• 2006 "We Spoke"* for violin, ney, and vibraphone.
• 2007 "Dragon" 3 Bb clarinets and tampura.
• 2008 "Young Orsiris Young Seth" for 2 alto saxophones.
• 2008 "Orsiris, Seth & Horus" for Bb clarinet, oboe, flute.
• 2009 "Dies Veneris" for harp trio.
• 2010 "Quote from a Dream" tar, daf, Persian vocals.
• 2013 "Granular Waves" for saxophone and piano.
• 2016 "Crossing" for harp trio.

Music for choreography

• 2005 "Ending After"
• 2005 "Rebecca's Piece"
• 2006 "Exertion" for Marshall Dance Company
• 2006 "Strength" for Eboni Dance Company
• 2007 "Sara's Parapluie"
• 2007 "Long for the Beginning" for tabla, cello, tampura.
• 2009 "Rupture"
• 2010 "Shapes of Recovery" for Kingsley Irons Trio
• 2010 "Speaking Voice"* for Ewe drum orchestra
• 2011 "Imaginary Friends" for DancesMadetoOrder.com
• 2011 "Sanctuary" for DancesMadetoOrder.com
• 2011 "Love" Kingsley Irons dance trio for Blankenship Ballet
• 2011 "Hello?" for DancesMadetoOrder.com
• 2012 "Morning Light" for DancesMadetoOrder.com
• 2012 "SuperFine" for DancesMadetoOrder.com
• 2012 "Grain" duduk, low D tin-whistle, piano. for DancesMadetoOrder.com
• 2012 "Convergence" for DancesMadetoOrder.com
• 2012 "I have something to tell you" for In/Ex Dance Project
• 2013 "Super Ruwaxi: Origins (Revised)" for Cynthia Ling Lee
• 2013 "Luck, Hope, and Semi-Madness" for In/Ex Dance Project
• 2015 "I Was Just..." and "In|Expiration" for Sheetal Gandhi and Ulka Mohanty
• 2017 "Stuck" for Sheetal Gandhi

Music for synchronized swimmers

• 2007 "Cottle's Liquescent Crystal" for FoCA (Friends of CalArts) Fundraising Event
• 2008 "Seven Sins" for Ohio State University Synchronized Swim
• 2008 "Nesbitt Solo" for Ohio State University Synchronized Swim Team
• 2010 "Ascension" for Ohio State University Synchronized Swim Team
• 2011 "Liquescent Crystal 2" for FoCA (Friends of CalArts) Fundraising Event
• 2013 "From the Dark" solo routine

Film

• 2007 "Wind Runner"
• 2007 "Elisabeth"
• 2007 "Women"
• 2007 "Unbridle"
• 2008 "How it all Began"
• 2008 "Vine"
• 2009 "The Layabouts"
• 2009 "Against the Dark Of Night"
• 2010 "Imaginary"
• 2016 "The President of Malawi"
• 2016 "Last Man Standing"
• 2016 "Parched"