Second of two parts

Award-winning composers who have written music for everything from hit video games to cartoons to television shows to films and documentaries, as well as for orchestras and bands, will highlight the diversity of composition today, when Allentown Symphony Orchestra presents its first-ever “Online Composer Workshop,” July 28 - Aug. 13.

Video game composer Tommy Tallarico helped revolutionize the gaming world, creating audio landscapes for hundreds of titles. His score for “Advent Rising” has been called one of the greatest musical scores of all time.

Film composer Roger Neill has composed music for the Emmy-winning Amazon series, “Mozart in the Jungle,” and received a BMI TV Music Award for the Fox animated sitcom “King of The Hill.”

Garth Neustadter received an Emmy Award for his score for the PBS American Masters documentary, “John Muir in the New World.” His music has been featured in international ad campaigns, including for Duracell and AT&T.

Amanda Harberg has composed for PBS documentaries, including “Scottsboro: An American Tragedy” and “Beyond Borders.” She has performed classical music concerts at renowned venues, including Lincoln Center and Carnegie Hall.

Viet Cuong is known as an eclectic composer who writes music for bands and orchestras worldwide as well as for wind ensemble, chamber groups and even a glass orchestra.

The online workshop is part of Allentown Symphony Orchestra’s inaugural Composer-in-Residence program, which ASO Music Director and Conductor Diane Wittry hopes will inspire area students and others who aspire to compose music.

The composer-in-residence is Chris Rogerson, who will coordinate the workshop, as well as work with Lehigh Valley colleges and high schools, curate a new chamber music series and write several original pieces for the ASO over the next two years.

Wittry says the workshop was set up with the help of Rogerson and a Composer Consortium of eight local composers.

The workshop was planned as an in-person event with composers, but the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic shutdown required a reconfiguration.

“We realized we had to move it online,” Wittry says. “We had a Zoom meeting and there was a lot of synergy.”

Organizers wanted to explore music analysis, orchestration, notation as well as alternative types of composition such as writing music for video games.

“Once we realized we were moving everything online, we wanted to make the most of it,” Rogerson says.

Wittry says one of the unexpected advantages of doing the workshop online is that nationally-renowned composers who had not been available to travel to the Lehigh Valley could be invited.

“We can do things and reach people that we wouldn’t have been able to,” Wittry says. “It’s just amazing.”

Wittry says Tallarico, for example, would have been unavailable for an in-person workshop. He will present an online session, “Writing Video Game Music,” July 28.

“The silver lining is we got a really good mix from all different backgrounds that can bring exciting and unique perspectives to the workshop,” Rogerson says.

Wittry also considers getting Neill, who will take part in a panel and forum, “Writing Music for Film & TV,” Aug. 4, a coup. “This guy is phenomenal,” she says.

Taking part in the panel and forum with Neill are Neustadter and Harberg.

“Amanda is a classical composer and her husband is a documentary filmmaker,” Wittry says. “She will talk about using midi sounds since many of the compositions for documentaries are low-budget. And Garth Neustadter just won an Emmy.”

She says Cuong will join her and Rogerson for a panel on “Orchestration,” Aug. 11. Cuong and Rogerson participate in a panel, “Music Analysis,” Aug. 13.

“Viet does a lot of band music for high schools and colleges and will talk about how they are eager for new musicians,” she says. “This has really opened my eyes to the creativity of different ways of composing.”

Other highlights of the Composers Workshop include “Music Licensing & Publishing,” Aug 11, featuring Cia Toscanini of ASCAP and Deirdre Chadwick of BMI Music. ASCAP and BMI regulate performing rights fees.

“Music Notation,” July 28, will be given by Bill Holab, who has consulted for MakeMusic (Finale), Avid (Sibelius) and Steinberg (Dorico) on how to translate notation principles to computer-based note-setting.

“Career Guidance,” Aug. 13, features David Cutler, author of “The Savvy Musician,” a guide to building a career in music; Astrid Baumgardner, who coachesr arts professionals, and Mary Javian, chair of career studies at Curtis Institute of Music.

There will be opportunities for participants to break into smaller groups to discuss career options.

Rogerson will offer a limited number of private lessons to participants.

Rogerson looks forward to working with composers of all ages.

Tallarico is considered instrumental in changing video game soundtracks from bleeps to music now appreciated worldwide by fans.

Tallarico has been writing music for video games for more than 30 years, having received 50 awards and worked on more than 320 game titles, more than anyone else.

His top titles include “Earthworm Jim,” “Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater,” “Disney’s Aladdin,” “Spider-Man,” “Metroid Prime,” “Sonic the Hedgehog,” “Pac-Man,” “Guitar Hero,” “Madden Football,” “Mortal Kombat,” “Time Crisis,” “James Bond,” “Test Drive,” “Scooby Doo,” “WWE” and “Twisted Metal.”

He is the creator of the concert series, “Video Games Live,” a multi-award-winning symphony orchestra that has played video game music across the world since 2002. His orchestral score for “Advent Rising” was performed by the Mormon Tabernacle Choir.

Neill is an American composer, arranger, orchestrator, conductor and guitarist best-known for his scores for the films “20th Century Women,” “Don’t Think Twice” and “Beginners” and the TV series, “Mozart In The Jungle,” “King of the Hill” and “Chicago Hope.”

Neill has created orchestral arrangements for many recording artists.

Neustadter became one of the youngest composers to receive a Primetime Emmy Award in 2011 for his score for the PBS “American Masters” documentary, “John Muir in the New World.”

Neustadter composed feature-length scores for Warner Bros., PBS and Turner Classic Movies. His works have been heard in diverse venues ranging from Lincoln Center to Los Angeles’ Nokia Theater.

Harberg is a composer and pianist whose music has been widely commissioned and performed in the United States and abroad. Harberg’s music has been performed frequently in Lincoln Center, Carnegie’s Weill Hall, and in many universities, recital halls, conferences and art museums throughout the country.

She also has scored documentaries for PBS, including “Beyond Borders,” “The Abominable Crime,” “Japan’s About-Face” and “American Experience.”

Her concert, “Ars Vitalis: The Music of Amanda Harberg,” was performed in a music conservatory production at the Enlow Recital Hall, Kean University, New Jersey, earlier this year.

Cuong’s music has been performed on six continents by musicians and ensembles such as So Percussion, Eighth Blackbird, Alarm Will Sound, Albany Symphony, Orchestra of St. Luke’s and Minnesota Orchestra, among many others.

His works for wind ensemble have amassed hundreds of performances worldwide. His upcoming projects include a concerto for Eighth Blackbird with the United States Navy Band and a Sousa-inspired work for the Los Angeles Philharmonic.

The Composer Consortium is made up of Andrew Ardizzoia, Muhlenberg College; Larry Flynn, Allentown School District; Dr. Larry Lipkis, Moravian College; Tom Mahler, Lehigh Valley Charter Arts High School; John Metcalf, Kutztown University; Kirk O’Riordan, Lafayette College; Paul Salerni, Lehigh University, and Scott Watson, Parkland High School.

To register for the Online Composer Workshop:

www.millersymphonyhall.org/education-community/community/composers-summer-workshop