Episode 68

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Published on:

20th May 2025

2.18 - Felix Jarrar

Felix Jarrar is a multidisciplinary artist, distinguished as a composer, coach and 

conductor. His music has been praised for its "dreamlike" quality (Boston Globe) and 

"delightfully cruel" edge (Operawire). Jarrar's compositions have been noted to "flow 

from him in the most natural and lively way" (Tom Cipullo). 

Jarrar has had the privilege of collaborating with numerous esteemed organizations, 

including Santa Fe Opera, St. Petersburg Opera, OPERA San Antonio, The New 

School, Opera Naples, Opera North, Opera Ithaca, Penn Square Opera, Hogfish, 

University of Memphis and the iconic Apollo Theater. For the 2024/2025 season, he 

serves as Assistant Conductor with Florida Grand Opera, working on productions of Die 

Zauberflöte, L’elisir d’amore, and Carmen. 

Jarrar's impressive compositional catalog comprises 275 works, including 235 art 

songs, 14 operas, 2 string quartets, and a symphony. He has received notable 

commissions from and been underwritten by the New England Repertory Orchestra, 

University of Missouri Kansas City, Prismatic Arts Ensemble, Off the Chamber, Spark 

Duo, Idaho Commission on the Arts, and the National Endowment for the Arts. His 

operas have been produced by Landlocked Opera, Chicago Fringe Opera, /kor/ 

productions, Killer Queen Opera, Opera Elect, and New Wave Opera, amongst others. 

His song "Sun of the Sleepless" was featured on the 2024 GRAMMY-nominated album 

40@40 by Laura Strickling and Daniel Schlosberg. 


Felix Jarrar holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from Marlboro College, where he graduated 

with highest honors in music composition and piano performance. He earned his Master 

of Music degree from Brooklyn College, receiving the Graduate Dean's Award in Music 

Composition. Jarrar's musical training was influenced by his studies with Jason Eckardt, 

Stanley Charkey, Tania León, and Robert Merfeld, as well as mentorship from piano 

pedagogue Burton Hatheway. 

https://www.felixjarrarmusic.com

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About the Podcast

Composer Chats
Composer Chat is a podcast where we talk a little bit about music, a little bit about life, and a whole lot about whatever we feel like at the moment! Each episode I am joined by a special guest composer and we will chat about their pathway towards success in their musical career!

About your host

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Jason Nitsch

Jason Nitsch’s music is equally at home on the concert stage, in outdoor venues, and streaming online, reaching the broadest audience of musicians, performers, and music enthusiasts possible. As a composer dedicated to the exploration of new ideas, his music has evolved over a 25-year career to incorporate more and more non-traditional elements, such as effect tracks, sound drops, and enveloping electroacoustic works combining live and pre-recorded elements. Much of his work is rooted in a large ensemble context; his wind ensemble works have received thousands of performances throughout the US including at Midwest, State Music Conferences including Texas, Colorado, and Kentucky Music Educators Associations, Colleges and Universities like Baylor University, the University of North Texas, and Syracuse University, and at other regional music festivals (ITEA).

In recent years Jason has focused on more intimate chamber musical settings, including collaborations with solo musicians such as trumpeter Kate Amrine , Cellist Carolyn Regula (The Cello Doll) and vocalist Michaela Catapano, as well as chamber groups across the US (Chicago Brass Choir), while continuing expand his sizable catalog of works for larger instrumental forces.

Jason is well known for his work as an educator, dedicated to providing young promising musicians with the foundational experiences on which a lifetime of music-making can be built, and is pursuing research into the ways that music students process their experiences as learners and performers.

Combining his long career in music with a deep love of science fiction and a natural talent for storytelling, Jason recently launched his first podcast, “Beyond the Belt: Adventures from the Outer Rim.” “Beyond the Belt” is a collection of 8 original dramatic science fiction episodes for which he served as writer, producer, and composer. It tells the story of a scientific research experiment gone horribly wrong. With Zombies (of course!).

Jason has released three digital albums in recent years, including the Season One Soundtrack from the Beyond the Belt podcast, “1000 Steps to Nowhere", a collection of chamber music compositions, and most recently “The Dead Teach the Living,” featuring nine vocal collaborations ranging from solo works to Orchestral compositions.

Jason is a lover of dogs, video games, and all things Star Wars (yes, even the prequels). He is also a husband, father of two budding musicians, and a patron of art forms that stretch traditional boundaries.

He currently lives in Waxhachie, TX with his family. He can occasionally be sighted lurking at select music conferences.