I am delighted to announce that an organ work of mine, 'Masters in This Hall', one of six winning entries in a composition competition, will be included in a new collection from Tim Knight Music, 'Organ Music for the Christmas Season'. I am honored to be among the chosen six!

Two choral pieces of mine have just been accepted for publication by Augsburg Fortress, the publishing arm of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of America (ELCA). One is an arrangement of the spiritual, I've Just Come from the Fountain, the other is an original work I wrote with Adam Tice, entitled God Bestows on Every Sense. This is the first piece to be published that Adam and I have collaborated on. Looking forward to many more! A release date is scheduled for Fall, 2018. By the way, these publications will now make a total of three of mine in the Augsburg catalogue. The first was Take Up Your Cross, which continues to generate good sales.

'Tis the title of my latest choral work, which takes the folk songs, The Erie Canal; Sailing, Sailing; Shenandoah; and The Banana Boat Song, and turns them into a fun medley for TBB voices. It's a concept I conjured up a few years ago, but never got around to actually bringing to fruition until now. I think it turned out quite well. High school boys, in particular, should go for this. I'll probably send it off to Greg Gilpin at Shawnee Press and see what he thinks.

Well, I've just completed the second commissioned piece for Kelli Falls. This one, for her middle school choir, is a "rootin', tootin'" arrangement of Ragtime Cowboy Joe. Set for SATB voices and piano, this old novelty song from 1912(!) is a hoot. Come to think of it, it was published the year that the Titantic sank...For my arrangement, I altered the text a little (for instance, instead of "high-falutin', shootin', scootin'", I amended it to "high-falutin', rootin', tootin'"...a bit more PC, thank you very much); and I composed a counter-melody with my own text that sounds really cool when sung with the original tune. I think the choir will love it!

Yes, that's First Commission...NOT First Communion. Catholics get it. Anyway, I have indeed accepted my first commission! The Livingston County Chorale, Brighton, Michigan, under the direction of Kelli Falls, has commissioned me to compose/arrange three choral works. The first completed piece is My Lord, What a Morning, for SATB choir, divisi, Soprano and Baritone soloists, and piano. Kelli's accompanist is excellent, so I wrote a rather advanced piano part for her. Kelli wanted a "thick texture", so in much of the piece, the choir will be singing in 7-8 parts. I use Sibelius as my notation software, but during playback, it can only approximate the real thing, so I cannot wait to hear what Kelli, the choir and the accompanist will do with this piece! Luckily, there will be plenty of time to rehearse it before the spring concert...

Choir directors, pianists, organists, instrumentalists...consider commissioning me to compose a work for you or your ensemble!. I have written music for school and church choirs, brass quintets, woodwind quintets, handbell choirs, pianists, organists, and string/woodwind/brass players. From classical to jazz; from rock to country; from Contemporary Christian to Broadway - my creativity encompasses many differnt styles. If you're seeking an original work or an arrangement of an existing work for a musician or ensemble from beginner to advanced, contact me! On my website, anthonygiamanco.com, click on "MORE...", then click on "CONTACT". Let me know what you're looking for (style, theme, length, difficulty, instrumentation, text, etc.), and I'll get back to you regarding fees and other details, and I'll answer any questions you may have. Thanks for considering me for your next musical project!

Adam Tice is a gifted writer of hymn texts, which are published exclusively through GIA. I am fortunate to have collaborated with him on 5 or 6 choral pieces...so far. Our latest is Jesus, You Show Us the Way, an upbeat, rhythmic anthem for choir, assembly, piano and percussion. As a courtesy, before submitting any pieces on which I have collaborated with Adam, I always first send him the score. Knock on wood, he has never not approved of any piece I've submitted to him. We definitely have a good thing going! I love his texts, which are theologically rich, yet elegant and simple...but definitely not simplistic! His words inspire me to write my best music. You can't ask for a better collaboration than that. Adam's hymn text collections can be purchased through giamusic.com, including A Greener Place to Grow and Woven Into Harmony​.

2017 has been quite a year... so far. My creative output has increased. I've begun studying orchestration. I've composed three string pieces, one for solo violin, one for violin and piano, and one for solo cello. I'm currently at work on a piece for string quartet. Not that writing for choir, piano, handbells, and organ have taken a back seat. Not at all. Although recently I have been focusing more on composing for choir than anything else. In fact, I just completed setting an original tune to a beautiful poem by Walter De La Mare, entitled Winter. It's for 3-part mixed choir and piano. A really nice piece for upper middle school and high school choral ensembles, especially those with boys' changing voices. The boy's/men's part encompasses only a 6th (F-D). Community choirs will also enjoy it. I'll let you know when it's published! I continue to collaborate with the gifted hymn writer Adam Tice. Our latest piece is Christ Calls to Me, currently being reviewed by the editorial team at GIA. My handbell music is being published more frequently now, primarily through Lorenz. Handbell choir directors can find my pieces in issues of Ring and Rejoice. Remember to check out easychoirmusic.com for more of my choral music. The latest, in time for Christmas, is called Mary Had a Baby, an arrangement of a Christmas spiritual for unison/2-part voices and piano. Great for a children's/youth choir, but also would appeal to a women's choir. Easy to learn and sounds great!

This week, I received my first contract with World Library Publications (WLP), one of the "big three" Catholic music publishers in the country. They accepted a choral work of mine entitled, Praise to the Holiest in the Height, a pairing of my original tune with a text by Cardinal John Henry Newman. The other "first" is also a contract for a choral work, this one to be published in the church choir magazine, The Volunteer Choir,  a warm, flowing arrangement in 12/8 time of the hymn Break Thou the Bread of Life. This is my first piece to be published in that magazine (a Lorenz publication). More pieces are to follow.

​I also recently completed my organ collection of hymn tune arrangements for the seasons of Easter, Ascension and Pentecost which I just sent off to Carson Cooman, organ editor at Lorenz. And yes, this is also a first: a collection of organ music by Anthony Giamanco!

​Of course, I continue to compose piano and organ solos, most of which are published by Lorenz via their subscription music magazines/journals: ​The Church Pianist, The Organist, The Organ Portfolio and The Sacred Organ Journal.

Yesterday I submitted a handful of manuscripts to ILP: a liturgical song, some responsorial psalm settings, and two choral pieces, one of which was co-written with Fr. Ralph Wright, OSB, who provided the text. Entitled, The Word Became in Jesus, this piece is scored for 4-part mixed voices and piano. I think it will be a nice addition to the sacred choral repertoire.

Some projects on the back burner include;
+ Setting another Fr. Wright text to music, Creating Spirit, Mighty Lord.
+ Continuing to compose more organ pieces for a new collection that Carson Cooman asked me to write. No title yet, but the hymn tunes will be appropriate for Easter, Ascension and Pentecost.
+ At some point, writing another handbell piece,
+ Composing an original choral work with lyricist, John Parker, to enter into a children's choir anthem competiton.
+ Completing a new Mass setting
+ Various recording projects