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Randolph Coleman, beloved professor of Composition and Music Theory at the Oberlin Conservatory of music passed away in early 2025. For over four decades his mentorship and ideas have had a profound impact on the imagination of generations of award winning composers and performers. Randy was the founder of Oberlin’s innovative “Inter-Arts Program” in the 1970s (which later evolved into Technology in Music and Related Arts), and taught a highly influential course called “Trends in Contemporary Music” and developed and established Oberlin’s composition curriculum. He was a radical experimentalist, a philosopher and innovator with a wonderful sense of humor.
His voice, his music, and his critical mind are remembered through a group of former students who come together to celebrate his vibrant legacy, including:
Du Yun
Greg Saunier
Alex Waterman
Amy Cimini
Huang Ruo
Zach Layton
Michael Gallope
Mario Diaz de Leon
A livestream will be available free of charge at 8pm on the day of the performance and archived for future viewing.
Randy Coleman’s compositions were performed widely in the U.S. and Europe by ensembles including the Boston Symphony, Brooklyn Philharmonic, Cleveland Chamber Symphony, Xenakis Ensemble, Eighth Blackbird, and many more. Multiple dance companies choreographed and performed his works, including ODC San Francisco, Cleveland Repertory Theatre, Cincinnati Dance Company, and GroundWorks. Coleman received Guggenheim, Fulbright, and Rockefeller Fellowships. Several of his students have received major awards including the Pulitzer, MacArthur, Guggenheim and Grammy Awards.
Randy had a deep love for collaborative projects and worked on theatrical productions like The Oresteia and The Donner Party with director Herbert Blau and the experimental theatre company Kraken—whose members included Bill Irwin and Julie Taymor.
He was a founding chair of the Society of Composers, Inc. (formerly the American Society of University Composers), and held residencies at institutions across the globe—from the University of Michigan and Yale to the Doge Palace in Venice and the Rockefeller Center in Bellagio, Italy.
Originally from Charlottesville, Virginia, Coleman studied at the University of Virginia and later earned graduate degrees from Northwestern University.
