Nancy Bloomer Deussen 

Nancy Bloomer Deussen (whose maiden name was Nancy Van Norman) was a prominent San Francisco Bay Area composer and co-founder of the Bay Area chapter of The National Association of Composers, USA. She was a dedicated champion of more accessible contemporary music, a viewpoint amply demonstrated in all of her works. A composer who is well-loved by audiences, Bloomer Deussen received numerous commissions from such performing ensembles and soloists as The Oakland Chamber Orchestra,The Walnut Street Chamber Ensemble (PA), The Baton Rouge and Augustana Concert Bands, The Santa Clara Chorale, De Anza College Chorale and Women's Chorus, The Women's Caucus in the Arts, Opus 90 Chamber Ensemble, The Gabrieli Brass, The Mission Chamber Orchestra, Sempervirens Environmental Club, Mu Phi Epsilon Ann and Lee E Mueller Chamber Music Commission, Jim and Pat Watt, the San Jose Choral Project, guitarist Thomas Amoriello, the Foundation for Universal Sacred Music, the United States TRADOC Army Band, Ron Levy, pianist, Quartetto Paradiso and others.

 

Her works encompass a wide spectrum of performers and include works for band, chorus, orchestra (full, string and chamber), many chamber music combinations, recorder consort, flute, clarinet and violin solo, piano solo, brass ensemble, sax quartet and solo voice and piano. Her works have been performed throughout the USA, Europe, Canada, Australia, China, Indonesia and Iran by such orchestras as The Marin Symphony Orchestra, The New England Philharmonic, The James Madison University Symphony, the Redlands Symphony, The Diablo Symphony, the Lowell Philharmonic (MA), The Iowa State University Orchestra, Kenyon College Orchestra (Ohio), The Mission Chamber Orchestra of San Jose, The Vermont Youth Symphony, The Sandusky Music Festival(Ohio), Kona Symphony Orchestra (Hawaii), the Providence College Orchestra (RI), The Baytown Symphony (Texas). The Los Angeles Doctor's Orchestra, the Florida West Coast Symphony, The Dayton Philharmonic, New Millenium Chamber Orchestra, the Twilight Orchestra of Indonesia and many others. She has also had numerous performances by chamber ensembles, bands, choruses and soloists.

 

Ms Bloomer Deussen was the recipient of a number of awards which include: First Prize Winner of the Mu Phi Epsilon Original Composition Contest (for chamber works) in 1987 for "Woodwind Quintet", The Bay Area Composer's Symposium Performance Award for her orchestral work "Reflections on the Hudson" in 1994, The Britten on-the -Bay First Prize for "Trio for Violin, Clarinet and Piano" in 1996 ,the Mu Phi Epsilon Original Composition Contest (for large works) for "Concerto for Clarinet and Small Orchestra" in 1999. the Second Marmor Chamber Music Composition Competition sponsored by Stanford University in 2002 for "Woodwind Quintet # 2" and selection in a competition by The Foundation for Universal Sacred Music in 2004 to compose an original choral work which was premiered in New York City in October, 2004. More recently were First and 2nd Prize in Orchestral Category and First Prize in Choral Music in the 2006 Composition Competition of the National League of American Pen Women (2007) and the winner of the Holyoke Symphony Orchestral Composition Prize for "Trinity Alps"(2009). Her latest awards were winner of The Memorial Composition Competition of the National League of American Pen Women, 2010, 2nd Place Winner of The American Prize in Chamber Music Composition (2013) for 'Woodwind Quintet" and First Prize Winner(2014) and (2018) of the biennial award in Music Composition of the National League of American Pen Women for "The Transit of Venus"for orchestra and "One of Nature's Majesties" for clarinet, bassoon and piano .

She was named Honored Artist for 2014 by The American Prize.

 

Ms. Bloomer Deussen died suddenly and unexpectedly on November 16, 2019, leaving behind her rich legacy of work to her daughter, Jennifer Bloomer, to oversee and distribute.