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Beth Denisch’s music has been performed throughout the US and in Canada, Mexico, Ecuador, Greece, Finland, Ukraine, Russia, China, and Thailand and recorded by Juxtab, Albany, and Interval record labels. Grants and awards include ASCAP, Meet The Composer, The PatsyLu Fund, American Composers Forum and the American Music Center.

Commissioning organizations include the Handel and Haydn Society, St. Louis Historical Society, Equinox Chamber Players, Philadelphia Classical Symphony, and Chamber Orchestra Kremlin.

Denisch is Professor of Composition at Berklee College of Music and active in the Feminist Theory and Music organization. (B.M. North Texas State University; M.M and D.M.A. Boston University).

“…fierce rhythmic patterns,” Bernard Holland, New York Times

“… brimmed with personality and drive …” Anthony Tommasini, The Boston Globe

“.. absolutely first-rate stuff… wonderfully evocative … simply splendid,” David Cleary, New Music Connoisseur

“.. colorful .. pictorial .. ends joyfully and ebulliently.” Ellen Pfeifer, Boston Herald

“..a delightfully jazzy romp .. highly entertaining and imaginative work.” Peter Burwasser, New Music Connoisseur

“.. sparing and imaginative .. bucolic and serene .. syncopated and delightfully stylized ..” Richard Johnson, Bay Windows

“.. a resolute music that is also powerfully accessible.” Women in the Arts 2011 St. Louis, MO

“For anyone seeking an enlightening, entertaining, eclectic mixture, this is a CD not to be missed.” Ronald Horner, Journal of the International Alliance of Women in Music (reviewing “Jordan and the Dog Woman”)

New Release, get Yanvalou for orchestra, now!
Available on multiple streaming services and from Albany records:

Yanvalou, for orchestra, was originally “Open the Door,” a movement from Denisch’s woodwind quintet Women: the Power and the Journey which was inspired by four women of note from St. Louis, MO, USA.

–Katherine Dunham (1909-2006), the Matriarch of Black Dance, inspired “Open the Door,” and Yanvalou has been newly arranged for orchestra. Ms. Dunham was a pioneering dance anthropologist, community and political activist, and a leader in bringing African culture to the attention of the American dance and general publics.

The yanvalou was Ms. Dunham’s favorite Haitian Rada dance and featured significantly in her cross disciplinary groundbreaking fieldwork in anthropology.

“Beth Denisch’s expertise and love of composition shine through in this clearly written, elegant guide to counterpoint. This book is an excellent resource that will fill in a lot of blanks for intermediate composers and offer a trove of new, easy-to-follow ideas for beginners.”

—Susan Rogers, Multi-platinum-selling engineer and producer (Prince, Barenaked
Ladies, David Byrne) and auditory researcher

“Contemporary Counterpoint: Theory and Application by Beth Denisch is a comprehensive look at the creativity of counterpoint. I think musicians and songwriters use many of these techniques all the time but Beth has given context to why the theory works. Well done.”

—Prince Charles Alexander, Multi-GRAMMY Winning Professor of Music Production
and Engineering, Berklee College of Music (Destiny’s Child, Sting, Luther Vandross)

“Eloquent, precise, and approachable, Dr. Denisch’s book is counterpoint unveiled. Her
ability to translate this intimidating subject is masterful. Her book is a gift to all musicians who want to deepen their understanding of counterpoint and gain new techniques to employ for their compositions.”

—Melissa Ferrick, Associate Professor of Songwriting, Berklee College of Music