About the composer David C. Janssen

Composer David C. Janssen has been described as “an American Sibelius” in the way he uses the music of the past into a contemporary idiom, being inspired by the classic western composers of the last 400 years. His list of works include Symphony No. 1, String Quartet No. 1 & 2, Suite for Unaccompanied Cello, Piano Sonata No . 1 & 2, 12 Psalms in Verse and Meter, among others. 

In the Spring of 2022 Wilderness Overture was commissioned and premiered by the Bob Jones University Symphony Orchestra and was subsequently a finalist in The American Prize 2023.  David’s orchestral work The Return of the Son of Man was released by Ablaze records Orchestral Masters CD volume 5, with the Brno Symphony Orchestra conducted by Nikel Toms. Other prizes and acknowledgments include 2nd Prize in MA-ASTA Composition Competition for Courantefor solo Cello, and a composer fellowship for the Wyoming New Music Festival, commission by Canterbury Choral Society, and more.  Recently activities include the world premiere of String Quartet No. 2 and the composing of String Quartet No. 3.

David has served on the faculty at Boston University, New Hampshire Institute of Art, Middlesex Community College , Boston Baptist College and University of Massachusetts – Dartmouth. He has also served as a jurist at the regional and national level for the National Federation of Music Clubs Junior Composer Contest.

David C. Janssen received his D.M.A. from Boston University, M. M. from Manhattan School of Music and a B. M. from Oklahoma City University. 

He currently resides in Greenville, South Carolina with his wife cellist Daria Janssen and children Kristina, Vivian and Marc.

(photo by Hannah Guell)