Commissioned Composer ~ Grace Shepard

---

Sketches from Afield: Denali, Vol. 1
 
I. Image Not Shown to Scale
II. Ptarmigan with Young
III. Juvenile
IV. Cambium with a View
V. Lynx on Patrol 
VI. Tek Camp (Tach’edhaneek'a)
VII. Antecedent
VIII. Moose Nursery
IX. Sheep Sighting
X. Lone Caribou

Grace Shepard is a pianist, composer, teacher, and historian. She is an active performer in a wide variety of settings, with a deep love of chamber music, new music, and performances that combine connection to place with music. Dr. Shepard’s research centers around historical points of inspiration, exploring the past to lend deeper understanding of the present and the future. She has presented at the regional and the national level and has adapted her work for public-facing recitals and workshops. 
 
As a composer, her work focuses on concepts of place, nature, and interdisciplinary connections. Her recent compositional work has sought to find links between the natural and musical worlds. A teacher with experience from early childhood development to higher education, Shepard is interested in working to help the modern musician find proactive roles in their communities, meeting needs and creating opportunities for all. In all areas, she hopes to explore the role of music as an apprenticed craft with the potential to be an essential reflection of the world around it.