Jerome Sorcsek: A Lifetime of Composition, Innovation, and Dedication
- WOMCO
- Apr 11
- 3 min read
Jerome Sorcsek was the Diamond Prize Winner in the Original Composition Category, at the 2025 Season 1 Berlioz International Music Competition.
Biography
Jerome Sorcsek holds degrees in composition from universities in the eastern United States. He was a National Endowment for the Arts composer-in-residence in public schools in Pennsylvania. He moved to California to teach theory and conducting in city and state universities in Stanislaus and Los Angeles Counties. In 1981 and 1985 his music was premiered at Festliche Musiktage in Zurich. He recorded with the Moravian Philharmonic Orchestra in the Czech Republic. Among his prize winnings were the National Band Association Composition Award and the New Music for Young Ensembles Composition Prize part of which was a performance of the winning piece in New York’s Weill Hall. His catalogue includes 10 symphonies, 14 chamber symphonies, 19 string quartets, and concertos for viola, bassoon, and trumpet.
Can you introduce yourself and share how you got into music?
My father owned a music store. I was introduced to the trumpet and private music lessons at the age of eight. I found practicing less than appealing because the parochial school system I attended had no band program. I however, persevered and when I was in ninth grade the system finally had a full-time music program. My band director introduced me to the names of composers I had no idea even existed: Bartok, Hindemith, Copland, Barber, Schoenberg, and others. As I heard and studied their music, I realized that I had to know how they did what they did. This is where my first efforts at composing began. I was in a US Army post band for three years after high school, continuing my fledgling attempts. Then, I went to university to pursue degrees in composition. Learning is life-long, and I’m still at it!
Could you tell us more about your award-winning work? For instance, how did you prepare it, bring it to life, or any interesting stories behind the scenes?
“Encomia” is a set of orchestral pieces intended to be tributes to personal ideas and experiences. An idee fixee appears in the first four movements, usually in the first horn part. It foreshadows the last of the tributes and becomes the theme of the final movement. The entire work is cyclic in that there are both forward and backward references to material throughout. For example, near the end of the second movement, for the timpani there is a repeating figure that is prominent in the fourth movement, especially in those tintinnabular passages for the harp, piano, percussion; and in a quiet moment later in the fourth movement, there is a reference to the woodwind figures in the second movement.
What do you believe defines a great composer, and how do you incorporate your unique style into your music?
I can tell you what defines an accomplished composer – a lifetime of work and diligence. Think of it as climbing a mountain whose summit you’ll never reach, and a return to the base is no option. Regardless of the prospects, you will keep at it. Remember that a finished work only comes about by means of a process, and a process takes time. You must enjoy the process every step of the way, resisting the lure of the desire for the work to be already finished. Composing is about expressing a narrative. It’s not about image, identity, or fame, yet recognition of your work as valid is a different matter, and too often hard to get.
Can you recall a memorable moment from your career that had a significant impact on you?
In my mid-20’s, in a moment of uncertainty about myself as a composer, I resolved to compose that piece “I always wanted to write”, with all the energy and thought I could muster – no holding back, and no provision for sparing any intricacy or difficulty. It was a breakthrough moment from which came (for me) a breakthrough piece of music. It set the manner by which I approached every effort since then.
Would you like to share your experience participating in our competition and anyone you'd like to thank (such as mentors, supporters or other team members)?
I really appreciated the ease of entering the competition. I hope that as people review the results, they will explore the music I entered and discover a good overall example therein. I want to acknowledge Craig Dabelstein of Maxime’s Music for his exemplary work in making my music accessible on an international platform and greatly facilitating my involvement in these competitions.