Whitacre, Eric

Eric Whitacre (January 2, 1970 is an American composer of choral, wind band and electronic music. He has also served as a guest conductor for ensembles throughout Europe, Asia, Australia and the Americas.Whitacre is probably best known for his choral works, however both his choral and instrumental styles are immediately recognizable, namely by his signature 'Whitacre chords.' These are often seventh or ninth chords, with or without suspended seconds and fourths. Perhaps his most famous chord is a root-position major triad with an added major second and/or perfect fourth. Whitacre makes frequent use of quartal, quintal and secondary harmonies, and is also known for his use of unconventional chord progressions. Rhythm is also an important aspect of many pieces he writes, especially his pieces for wind band, which involve mixed, complex, and/or compound meters. His pieces are also known to include frequent meter changes and unusual rhythmic patterns.