"Buss’ music is a mix of intellect and fun. There is a complexity here that is most appealing." - Fanfare Magazine, May/June 2021
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Please note: A new page titled "Inspirations" was added to this site in July 2026. This page is designed to aid those searching for music that has a particular theme. It groups the categories of the inspiration(s) behind specific compositions.
Howard J. Buss (b. 1951) is an internationally recognized American composer whose expansive catalog of more than 300 published works serves as a vibrant, inclusive mirror of the contemporary world. From instrumental solos and chamber music to symphonic, vocal, and band works, his compositions have reached audiences in over 50 countries. They are regularly featured at national and international music conventions and festivals, and praised for a sophisticated musical language that remains profoundly accessible and appealing to general audiences.
A Voice for the Modern Era
Rejecting the concept of academic isolation, Buss crafts a unique creative voice that actively dismantles the traditional boundaries of classical music. His works confront the friction of 21st-century life, beautifully balancing rapid technological acceleration with our core human needs for spiritual and emotional grounding.
Buss’s signature style is defined by an engaging, inclusive pluralism. For example, in his celebrated Jazzical series, he seamlessly merges classical architectures with the kinetic energy of jazz, bossa nova, and Latin rhythms. Fascinated by science and progress, he frequently turns his creative gaze toward the cosmos—channeling astrophysics and space exploration in works like The Big Bang, Five Cosmic Vignettes, Luminous Horizons, and Worlds on the Edge. Furthermore, he sometimes combines acoustic woodwinds and brass with cutting-edge electronics (such as Alien Loop de Loops and Five Cosmic Vignettes.) Yet, the ultimate core of his output remains fiercely grounded in social honesty and human dignity, frequently elevating the stories of everyday people and commemorating the grit of physical labor.
Notable Performances and Accolades
Buss's music is performed globally by university faculty, student ensembles, and premier concert artists. His compositions have been championed by current and former members of world-class organizations, such as the Atlanta Symphony, Boston Symphony Orchestra, Chicago Symphony, Minnesota Orchestra, and the elite bands of the U.S. Air Force, Army, Coast Guard, and Marines. Notably, his patriotic composition for band, "Fanfares," is a permanent part of the Presidential Collection of Ronald Reagan. His music is recorded on prominent labels including Albany Records, Crystal, IBS Classical (Spain), DUX (Poland), Capstone, Ravello, Equilibrium, and Bottega Discantica (Italy), alongside numerous digital streaming albums. His compositions are published by Smith Publications, Seesaw Music (Subito,) and Brixton Publications, a division of Cimarron Music Press.
The Composer as Poet
Another aspect of Howard Buss’s unique artistic voice is his command over both the sonic and literary elements of his storytelling. Rather than relying solely on historical texts, he frequently pens the original poetry and free verse for his vocal and narrative music. In multi-movement works like Modern Times (for narrator, flute, and percussion) and the industrial tribute Where Now Rusts the Iron?, his texts target the nuanced realities of our era—spanning from fiscal anxieties and the information glut to the profound dignity of physical labor. By tailoring the cadence of his poetry directly to his instrumental soundscapes, Buss achieves an exceptionally unified, provocative, and honest cultural commentary. “The tenor of Buss's social commentary is somewhere between the witty jeering of Mark Twain and the pithy insights of Sinclair Lewis. In his free verse one finds provocation without violence and intense anger without profanity.”— The Tampa Tribune
Background and Education
Dr. Buss's diverse musical roots trace back to his early career as a professional trombonist, performing in jazz bands in Pennsylvania, and touring nationally with the RCA recording group, the Tijuana Brats, appearing on television programs such as The Tonight Show, The Mike Douglas Show, and the Jerry Lewis MDA Labor Day Telethon. Later he performed with various chamber groups and orchestras in Michigan, Illinois, and Florida.
He holds a Bachelor of Arts in Applied Music from West Chester University (from where he later received the Distinguished Music Alumnus Award), a Master of Music in Performance and a Master of Music in Composition from Michigan State University, and a Doctor of Musical Arts (D.M.A.) in Composition from the University of Illinois. His primary composition teachers were Larry Nelson, H. Owen Reed, Thomas Fredrickson, and Salvatore Martirano. In addition to performing, composing, and publishing, Dr. Buss taught at the University of Illinois and Florida Southern College. As the founder and former editor of Brixton Publications (ASCAP) and Buss Publications (BMI), he has dedicated decades to enriching the contemporary American concert repertoire.
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Commissioning a new work by Howard J. Buss is a transparent, highly collaborative partnership designed to translate your specific artistic vision, milestone, or thematic interest into a permanent cultural artifact. Moving away from the distant academic model, Dr. Buss works directly with soloists, university faculty networks, and ensembles of all sizes to craft custom-made concert music that resonates with contemporary life.
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E-mail: buss.howard@yahoo.com
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