Jacob Leibowitz is a composer and bassist who takes pride in his ability to shape his audience’s experience through time, using both the mediums of sound/silence and through visuals that are present in his music videos and some of his live pieces. He values curiosity and experimentation, and strives to keep those ideals alive within himself and his community.
After participating in New York Youth Symphony’s composition program, he continued his studies at the Manhattan School of Music under the guidance of Dr. J. Mark Stambaugh and Dr. Reiko Fueting.
In 2021, Jacob won a commission from The Guild of Carillonneurs in North America, to write his composition, Fractured Chronology, for Claire Janezic, based on the idea of clock time (as opposed to duration). After the initial premiere at the University of Rochester’s Hopeman Carillon, this composition was featured on the Sunday Afternoon Carillon Recital Series at the Riverside Church in NYC, by Dr. Charles Semowich.
Additionally, Jacob has been commissioned by Saxophonist – Alexander Howard, Clarinetist – Gabriel Henkin, Choir Master – John Verkuilen, and twice by the MSM Contemporary Opera Ensemble. He won the MSM Visual Arts Shadow Puppet Collaboration and was a finalist for the ASCAP Morton Gould Young Composers Award.
Recently, his larger works have been influenced by biblical texts. Week is a three-movement orchestral monodrama based on the first two chapters of Genesis with an original text heavily influenced by Rashi’s biblical commentary. Samchuni (Sustain Me) is a large choral setting of the second chapter of the Song of Songs written for Ensemble NYC.
As an educator at the collegiate level, Jacob has been a guest lecturer at Pennsylvania State University, and the Manhattan School of Music. He also works as a teaching artist with Bash the Trash, an organization dedicated to promoting environmentalism and creativity through music.
Currently, Jacob is making his way in the world as a composer, teaching artist, bassist, conductor, contractor, and sound engineer. He is the director of Babel Concerts and performs with his high energy music and video projection trio Psychedelic Super Socks.