Declan is a composer and pianist interested in exploring the interface between sound and felt space. At Colorado College (after he renounced his Political Science major) he studied piano with Susan Grace and composition with Iddo Aharony and Jane Rigler. He is strongly committed to bringing the practices of contemporary music to new audiences and communities. In 2016, he founded the Tenebrae Ensemble at Colorado College, which served as a local platform for new music. In its first two years, Tenebrae has commissioned and premiered half a dozen new works, performed four standalone and several smaller concerts, and provided a community for people to create and discuss music freely. His music has been performed across the country and internationally.
Declan’s music is rooted in the interaction between people and their environment. His music poses questions about our understanding of space via sound through tender acts of amplification and through invoking the inner beauty of sounds both forgotten and scorned. His recent music has incorporated field recordings in synthesis with acoustic performers, often through the use of live electronics.
