Rate My Professor Timothy Sullivan

Timothy Sullivan is a Professor of Music at the Crane School of Music, State University of New York College at Potsdam. He holds faculty positions in music composition, music history, and music theory within the Theory, History, and Composition Department, and serves as the composition area coordinator. Sullivan earned his PhD in Composition and Music Theory from the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, as well as Master of Music and Bachelor of Music degrees from the University of Northern Colorado. His academic interests encompass music composition, theory, and history, with theoretical work centered on the music of Alfred Schnittke and Gérard Grisey, particularly aspects of listener perception. He has published essays on Schnittke and Ligeti and presented at national meetings of the Society for Music Theory.

Sullivan's compositions have been performed throughout the United States and Europe at venues and festivals such as the Borealis Festival, American Opera Projects, the 2008 NASA Conference, Etcetera Festival of New Music, and World Saxophone Congress XIII. A notable orchestral work, Polychrome, appears on the Navona Records album Continuum (NV5836, released 2010). He has received awards and honors from the American Composers Orchestra/EarShot, ASCAP, DownBeat magazine, and ALEA III. As a percussionist and jazz drummer, Sullivan has recorded with the Boulder Creative Music Ensemble and performed with Ron Miles at jazz festivals nationwide. At SUNY Potsdam, he participates in faculty recitals, including performances honoring women's contributions to music alongside colleagues like Julianne Kirk Doyle and Michael Sitton. He also contributes to significant events such as the Domenic J. Pellicciotti Opera Composition Prize, serving as co-facilitator of the 2024 selection committee. Sullivan's multifaceted career bridges composition, performance, and scholarship, enriching the Crane School of Music community.