Tim Thompson
Tim Thompson is a composer and music educator. His compositions include music for soloists, chamber ensembles, wind ensemble, orchestra, performers with interactive electronics, and fixed media. Dr. Thompson is on the music faculty at Virginia State University where he coordinates the music theory area and teaches courses in music theory and orchestration. He joined VSU after 23 years on the music faculty at Palm Beach Atlantic University, where he was coordinator for music theory, composition, and technology, and taught courses in theory and analysis, counterpoint. orchestration, and computer music, among others. At PBA, he founded and directed the Frontwave New Music Festival, an annual (later biennial) festival with a mission to bring the best of contemporary chamber to the West Palm Beach area. Over the years, the festival hosted a long list of well-known composers and performers, and also featured the work of many South Florida composers.
Dr. Thompson’s research interests include the pedagogy of music theory, composition, and technology. He is a longstanding member of the College Music Society (CMS), Association for Technology in Music Instruction (ATMI), and Society for Music Theory (SMC), and has also held memberships in the International Computer Music Association (ICMA), Society for Electro-acoustic Music in the United States (SEAMUS), International Society for Contemporary Music (ISCM), and American Music Center (AMC, now New Music USA). Recent professional activity includes the program committee for the ATMI national conference (2020–22, twice as chair) and as an adjudicator for the Search for New Music competition of the International Alliance for Women in Music (IAWM, 2023).
During four decades as a church musician, Dr. Thompson produced hundreds of compositions, arrangements, and orchestrations for churches. As a performer, he has served as a church organist, a pianist for jazz groups, and a saxophonist for various ensembles.