Composers
Edward W. Hardy
1992 -About
Edward W. Hardy is a critically acclaimed Black and Puerto Rican composer, music director, virtuoso violinist and violist and is one of the foremost exponents of solo violin repertoire for theatrical productions. At the age of 25, "Hardy [was] one of the youngest composers to ever be accepted into the Exploring the Metropolis Con Edison Composer Residency and one of the most prominent composer/ violinists in New York City" (BroadwayWorld). “Edward W. Hardy, who composed the omnipresent music, plays the violin superbly” (The New York Times). Hardy is also the founder of the Omnipresent Music Festival and co-founder/ past senior director of operations of the Northern Colorado Center for Arts Entrepreneurship.
Mr. Hardy is currently a doctoral candidate and graduate instructor in violin performance at the University of Northern Colorado, under the mentorship of Dr. Jubal Fulks, while simultaneously a juror for the 2023 Colorado American String Teachers Association Large Group Orchestra Festival. Hardy holds a Master of Music degree in violin performance from the Aaron Copland School of Music and, for the past two decades, has performed as a soloist, chamber, and orchestral musician throughout the United States. In 2023, he completed a United States tour with the Griot String Quartet in Damien Sneed's Our Song, Our Story, which is an evening of operatic arias, art songs and spirituals featuring Met Opera singers Justin Austin, Jacqueline Echols, Raehann Bryce-Davis, Janinah Burnett, Amanda Lynn Bottoms and Raven McMillon, accompanied by Sneed on piano.
Additionally in 2023, Hardy recorded on Sneed’s second full project for Apple Music in London. Currently, Hardy's discography contains 8 singles, 1 album, and his list of original compositions include works for solo violin, voice, harp, piano, string quartet, string trio, string duo, Latin ensemble, and soundtracks for film and stage. He has research in nontraditional string techniques and has premiered contemporary works that reflect the African American experience.