About

Jacob’s music is steeped in paradox and mystery, the terror and the ecstasy of human experiences of God. Described as “unpleasant but masterful” (Victor Zheng), Jacob’s eclectic musical language emphasizes stark contrasts between genres and gestures, placing his musical materials in ironic relationships that attempt to articulate fundamental truths through absurdity. In keeping with his many literary and filmic inspirations, his unconventional sense of musical structure is dramatic in nature, with particular affinity with the genres of horror and comedy, the most visceral expressions of the human condition before the face of the numinous.

Jacob has been privileged to work with many wonderful collaborators over the course of his career. He has received commissions from organizations such as OK City Opera and University of Oklahoma Theatre and from performer colleagues such as Aaron Burr, Ben Cooper, and Kirby Leitz. He has also collaborated with eminent performing groups like Ensemble Dal Niente and Talea Ensemble. His music has been performed both in the United States and internationally at festivals including the Bled Contemporary Music Week, ICMC, New Music Gathering, and NYCEMF.

Jacob is a PhD Candidate at the University of Minnesota, where he studies with Sivan Cohen Elias. He earned his Master’s in Music Composition from the University of Oklahoma, where he studied with Marvin Lamb and Konstantinos Karathanasis, and his Bachelor of Arts in Music from Drury University, where he studied with Carlyle Sharpe. Jacob currently resides in Minneapolis, Minnesota, where in addition to composing he works as a guitarist, singer, and educator.