Shirley Mier
Shirley Mier is a composer, music director, music educator – and a total theory nerd. (Why aren’t there more types of 7th chords??) Shirley composes music of all kinds, in the theatre, concert and educational world. Whatever the style or genre, her music is rooted in tonality, with harmonic inventiveness, clarity and momentum. It also has plenty of drama and humor, thanks in part to her musical theatre background.
In 1988 Shirley moved to Minneapolis to do a theatre gig. 30+ years and 100+ theatre gigs later, Shirley finds herself in Hudson, WI (just across the river from the Twin Cities), with a Ph.D. in Music Composition from the U of M, a career as a music professor at Century College, numerous commissions, performances and publications of her works, and a country & bluegrass band – not to mention a black belt in Kuk Sool Won, many wonderful friends and colleagues, and her amazing and supportive family. Welcome, and thanks for visiting!
Instrumental Music
Theatre Music
Shirley has composed numerous musical theatre scores, primarily for children’s musicals at Stages Theatre in Hopkins, as well as Greek drama and music for Shakespeare plays. Click here for information about published works.
Electronic & Sound Design
Music Directing & Performing
Music – Featured Works
Of Lakes and Legends – Orchestral Suite
Originally written for the Century Chamber Orchestra (at Century College, White Bear Lake, MN), Shirley’s orchestral suite Of Lakes and Legends was recorded by the Croatian Chamber Orchestra in the fall of 2017 with PARMA Recordings and was released in October 2018 on their Navona label on the album Legends and Light, a compilation of contemporary orchestral works.
Legends and Light – Navona Records
The Century Chamber Orchestra premiered Of Lakes and Legends in May 2017 and performed the work again in May 2018 as part of Century College’s 50th Anniversary celebration.
In August 2021, the Zagreb Philharmonic Orchestra, conducted by Miran Vaupotic, performed Of Lakes and Legends as part of a streamed concert of contemporary orchestral works. Congratulations to the orchestra and conductor on this first-rate performance!