“Action is underscored and forwarded by haunting live music composed by Andrea Reinkemeyer . . . ”
Andrea Reinkemeyer (b. 1976, she/her) is an internationally performed American composer and mentorship-focused pedagogue. Widely commissioned by orchestras, universities, and chamber ensembles across the United States, critics hail Dr. Reinkemeyer’s unique synesthetic soundscapes that blur the boundary between sound and vision, to “magical” (Fanfare) and even “enchanting” effect (International Choral Bulletin). As her catalog has matured, these soundscapes have been used to interrogate human nature and urgent sociopolitical issues—public and private grief, natural disasters in the Pacific Northwest, and #MeToo are among the myriad subject matter Reinkemeyer deftly navigates. As Oregon ArtsWatch describes, her music “find[s] discordant grace where other composers would flinch. She is a composer who looks to the horizon, but also gazes within, translating private pains and passions into exquisite works.”
Reinkemeyer's music is celebrated for its distinctive combination of topicality and aural entrancement, making her a sought-after composer by artists across a wide range of musical mediums. Her recent commissions demonstrate this breadth, including work for prestigious organizations such as the Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra and Albany Symphony Orchestra, collaborations with renowned conductors like H. Robert Reynolds and contemporary ensembles, as well as solo performers, visual artists, universities, and even a thirteen-school wind band consortium led by Brant Stai and the Sherwood High School Wind Ensemble.
Presently the Associate Professor and Director of Composition at George Mason University, Dr. Reinkemeyer has spent her educational career building an infrastructure of mentorship for composers. Her award-winning professional development programs include Composers Studio and the Lacroute Composer Readings, two flagship programs she led as faculty at Linfield University from 2014-2023. These programs were notable in particular for their broad access, serving not only composers enrolled at the university, but also those without compositional mentorship and learning resources, such as high school and community college students. All composers enrolled in the program worked directly with professional chamber ensembles—allowing them to not only rehearse with professional musicians but also premiere their work to an audience. In 2019, Linfield University honored Dr. Reinkemeyer with the Julie Olds and Thomas Hellie Creative Achievement Award for Linfield Faculty; three years later, they named her the 2022-23 Edith Green Distinguished Professor, as well as Chair of the Department of Music.
Reinkemeyer cultivated this passion for mentorship prior to Mason through opportunities earlier in her career. From serving as Composer-in-Residence with the Michigan Philharmonic, the American-Romanian Festival’s Fusion Project, and Burns Park Elementary School, to her involvement in outreach programs with the Detroit Chamber Winds & Strings and the Michigan Mentorship Program, she has dedicated herself to mentoring young musicians and composers. Her commitment to this work has been recognized with the support of a Meet the Composer/MetLife Creative Connections Grant.
Distributed by Murphy Press and ADJ•ective New Music, Reinkemeyer’s music can be heard on the discographies of several soloists and chamber musicians: Idit Shner (Origin Arts), Primary Colors Trio (Society of Composers Inc. and Navona Records), In Mulieribus, and both Post-Haste Reed Duo and A/B Duo on the Aerocade Music label. Her current work is performed by ensembles and organizations including Eugene Symphony, New Music Gathering, American Composers Orchestra, and Thailand International Composition Festival. Additionally, her music has been featured at the International Alliance of Women in Music, Iowa Music Teachers Association, Society of Composers, Inc., and Society of Electro-Acoustic Music in the United States.
Dr. Reinkemeyer holds degrees in music composition from the University of Michigan (M.M.; D.M.A.) and University of Oregon (B.M.). Her previous part-time and adjunct positions include at University of Oregon School of Music and Dance, Mahidol University International College in Salaya, Thailand, and at Bowling Green State University. Her Smoulder for Wind Ensemble received two major accolades: the 2021 Alex Shapiro Prize by the International Alliance of Women in Music, and being named a 2020 finalist for the National Band Association William D. Revelli Composition Contest.
Born and raised in Oregon, Andrea has also lived in Virginia, Michigan and Bangkok, Thailand.
> Click to access Andrea Reinkemeyer's Headshots and Bio Suite
Music and Teaching
Dr. Reinkemeyer enjoys exploring music with students of all ages. In 2023, she joined the faculty of George Mason University in Fairfax, Virginia where she serves at the Director of Composition and Associate Professor.
At Linfield University (2014-23), she served as Chair of the Department of Music, Associate Professor of Music Composition and Theory, and Director of Composition Studies. There, she established the Lacroute Composer Readings and Chamber Music Mentorship Program, which invites professional chamber ensembles to campus to work with student composers and performers. The program also serves regional high school and community college students who lack access to a teacher and high-quality performances of their music. At Linfield University, Reinkemeyer received two Linfield Faculty Awards: the Julie Olds and Thomas Hellie Creative Achievement Award (2019) and the Edith Green Distinguished Professor Award (2022-23).
Training
Dr. Reinkemeyer holds degrees in music composition from the University of Michigan (MM and DMA) and University of Oregon (BM). Born and raised in Oregon, Andrea has also lived in Virginia, Michigan, and Bangkok, Thailand.
