William Susman

"…a vivid impression of the turbulent, watery imagery. a swirling, rich-textured microtonal work." - The New York Times
"A flawless gem. superlative film scores of rare beauty and consummate aesthetic discretion." - Folk & Acoustic Music Exchange
"…an atmosphere that amplifies the wonder, beauty and melancholy of the film's story and imagery. richly varied in orchestration and mood" - All Media Guide
William Susman belongs to the generation of American composers that came of age in the late twentieth century, received traditional academic training while remaining thoroughly engaged with popular music (in his case, jazz), and who went on to establish careers for themselves outside the academic establishment.
Susman's music is notable for his integration of a variety of influences, including the Western classical tradition, Afro-Cuban music, free jazz, and a variety of non-Western folk traditions. Rhythm plays a strong role in his music through musical devices such as the Afro-Cuban Montuño, Medieval Hocket and Isorhythm. Susman has written orchestral and chamber music for concert performance, as well as jazz and film scores. The Chicago native was trained in both classical and jazz piano.
His orchestral and chamber music has been widely performed, and his music has been played by soloists such as Joan Jeanrenaud, formerly of the Kronos Quartet, and Joseph Gramley of the Silk Road Ensemble. He has been especially active in the area of film scoring, focusing particularly on documentary films. -- Stephen Eddins / All Music Guide



Native New Yorker won best documentary short at the 2006 Tribeca Film Festival in addition to the Moondance International Film Festival and best film score at Park City Film Music Festival. He also scored the controversial documentary Oil on Ice winner of the International Documentary Association's Pare Lorentz Award in addition to best film score at the Moondance International Film Festival. His complete filmography is available at THE INTERNET MOVIE DATABASE.



Mr. Susman's international recognition began in his early 20s winning a series of America's most distinguished awards in music composition from ASCAP, BMI, and The Fromm Foundation at Harvard in addition to ALEA III's KUCYNA, The Percussive Arts Society and an invitation from IRCAM. Major music festivals include Gaudeamus International Musicweek in Amsterdam and the Aspen Music Festival.
He continues to garner worldwide acclaim with his scores for both symphonic and film music through awards, commissions and performances. Most recently, Fate of the Lhapa won best film score at the 2008 Park City Film Music Festival and the 2007 Moondance International Film Festival. More information on his work can be found at Susman Music