Jasper Sussman is a composer, vocalist, conductor and scholar whose work centers the liberatory and unifying power of the voice. Her music is known for its emotional depth and textural imagination, praised by critics for its ability to “range in dynamic between the sun and the moon and still feel like a perfect whole” (San Francisco Classical Voice). Her compositions have been performed by ensembles including HEX Vocal Ensemble, C3LA, Sacra/Profana, the Madison Choral Project, and the Madison Chamber Choir. She has served as Composer‑in‑Residence with the Madison Choral Project and Gateway Opera, and works from these collaborations have received honors from C4 and Hartford Opera Theater competitions. Current projects include a work for Lyyra and the development of her liberation-focused summer choral festival.
As a vocalist, Jasper’s performances have been described as “exciting” and “soaring” (San Diego Story). She is a frequent soloist with Sacra/Profana, and has also sung with ensembles including The Crossing (as a Vocal Fellow), the St. Louis Symphony Chorus, the Madison Choral Project, and numerous contemporary music collectives. Her recorded work includes choral performances on Sacra/Profana’s A Longing for Christmas (produced by Grammy‑nominee Peter Rutenberg) and on NAXOS’s Milhaud: Orestie d’Eschyle with the University of Michigan Choirs and Symphony Orchestra (Grammy‑nominated).
A committed choral educator, Jasper has led several ensembles, including the Cuyamaca College Choir, the UC San Diego Chamber Singers and Concert Choir, and the Voices of Our City Choir. She has guest‑conducted ensembles at the University of San Diego and San Diego State University, and has led justice‑centered programs at A Reason to Survive and Common Ground Voices/La Frontera.
Jasper holds a PhD in Music from UC San Diego, an MM in Composition from the University of Michigan (supported by a Departmental Merit Scholarship), and a BM in Theory/Composition from Lawrence University, where she received multiple composition scholarships. Her music appears in the Justice Choir Songbook and is published by Bachovich Music Publications and See‑A‑Dot Music Publishing.
