Biography and education
Richard Hall is a musician, composer, animator and music educator based in central Texas. His main interest is performing live laptop “art” music in concert settings. Richard has performed at several national and international conferences and festivals including those sponsored by the College Music Society, the National Association of Composers USA, the Association for Technology in Music Instruction, the International Society of Improvising Musicians, the National Association of College Wind and Percussion Instructors, and the Texas Society of Music Theorists. His music has also been featured at conferences by the National Flute Association, the Society of Composers, Inc., the Vox Novus 60x60 Contemporary Music Project, the Electronic Music Midwest Festival and the International Computer Music Association as wells as the Sonic Art Oxford Festival in England and the LOOP Video Art Festival in Spain. His electronic music has been used at art museums in many major US and European cities. He has also created several animated Digital Art works that have been featured in numerous national and international performances.
Richard has received numerous commissions throughout the country, and also written music for theatrical productions, documentaries, web-series, film, and Emmy nominated television series. He has several pieces published by Dorn Publications and GoFish Music. His works "Desert Waves, Wilderness of Water" (saxophone and delay pedal) and "Viva La Reina De La Muerte" (film score) both won medals from the Global Music Awards, a peer reviewed, prestigious international music competition. He was a co-composer for the screen-dance film, "THULE," which won Best Original Score at the Frostbite Film Festival and his score for the play "Electra," won an award for Excellence in Musical Score from the Kennedy Center American College Theater Festival. His music has also been recorded by the Czech Philharmonic Orchestra for ERM Media and the Wild Basin Winds with the Emmy award-winning children's group The Biscuit Brothers. He is also the recipient of several ASCAP Plus Awards grants. His musical collaborations with dancers have been featured in Brazil, Mexico, Uruguay, Romania, Scotland, Guatemala, Egypt, South Korea, India, Iran and Berlin, Germany. He has published software and book reviews for the South Central Music Bulletin for which he was also the music graphics editor.
Richard is currently a Professor of Instruction of Music at Texas State University in San Marcos, TX. His teaching duties include Composition, Electronic Composition, Music Technology, and Music Concepts for Dancers. He also directs the Texas State Mysterium for New Music Ensemble.
Richard has received numerous commissions throughout the country, and also written music for theatrical productions, documentaries, web-series, film, and Emmy nominated television series. He has several pieces published by Dorn Publications and GoFish Music. His works "Desert Waves, Wilderness of Water" (saxophone and delay pedal) and "Viva La Reina De La Muerte" (film score) both won medals from the Global Music Awards, a peer reviewed, prestigious international music competition. He was a co-composer for the screen-dance film, "THULE," which won Best Original Score at the Frostbite Film Festival and his score for the play "Electra," won an award for Excellence in Musical Score from the Kennedy Center American College Theater Festival. His music has also been recorded by the Czech Philharmonic Orchestra for ERM Media and the Wild Basin Winds with the Emmy award-winning children's group The Biscuit Brothers. He is also the recipient of several ASCAP Plus Awards grants. His musical collaborations with dancers have been featured in Brazil, Mexico, Uruguay, Romania, Scotland, Guatemala, Egypt, South Korea, India, Iran and Berlin, Germany. He has published software and book reviews for the South Central Music Bulletin for which he was also the music graphics editor.
Richard is currently a Professor of Instruction of Music at Texas State University in San Marcos, TX. His teaching duties include Composition, Electronic Composition, Music Technology, and Music Concepts for Dancers. He also directs the Texas State Mysterium for New Music Ensemble.
Teaching Interests
Research Interests
Featured grants
- Baer, Ana Carrillo (Principal), Hall, Richard D (Co-Principal). WECreate Environments: Human Nature, REP, Texas State University, $16000. (Funded: May 2025 - May 1, 2026). Grant.
Featured scholarly/creative works
- Lady Bird Suite.
2020.
Performances:
- Texas State University Faculty Artist Concert Series "Karla Hamelin Cello Recital,”. February 24, 2020 University Performing Arts Center Recital Hall, San Marcos, TX.
- Texas State University Faculty Artist Concert Series "Composition Faculty Recital,”. November 19, 2020 University Performing Arts Center Recital Hall, San Marcos, TX.
- Dallas New Music Virtual Festival. May 21, 2021 Virtual, Dallas, TX.
- Espacios Latentes/Latent Spaces, Texas State University. Composer/Sound Designer. May 28, 2018 - June 5, 2018.
- Honored Guest, Going to the Sun. Honored Guest, Going to the Sun. Kyle, TX. Public. February 2018 - March 2018, Wind Band.
- Music composer/performer/recordist, Sound Design and Sound Mixing, Revolutions (2025) - 2025.
January 2025 - December 2025.
Showings:
- Latino and Native American Film Festival. March 21, 2025 New Haven, CT.
- Disabled and Proud Gallery. April 3, 2025 - April 2, 2026 Alkek Library, TXST University, San Marcos, TX.
- Viva el Cine Festival. May 12, 2025 - May 18, 2025 Buenos Aires, Argentina.
- Viva el Cine Festival. July 20, 2025 - July 27, 2025 Mar del Plata, Argentina.
- TJLand Screendance. July 23, 2025 - July 30, 2025 Tijuana, MX.
- SmallRig Awards. September 16, 2025 Shenzhen, China.
- NanoCon International Film Festival. October 4, 2025 Longview, WA, US.
- Music coordinator, performer, Testify - Storytelling Series - 2025.
January 2025 - December 2025.
Performances:
- Testify Presents: That's What Friends are For - a Storytelling Show. February 6, 2025 Alamo Drafthouse - Mueller, Austin, TX.
- Testify Presents - All By Myself - A Storytelling Show. March 6, 2025 Alamo Drafthouse - Mueller, Austin, TX.
- Testify Presents - Bedtime Stories. April 3, 2025 Alamo Drafthouse - Mueller, Austin, TX.
- Testify Presents - True Colors. June 5, 2025 Alamo Drafthouse - Mueller, Austin, TX.
- Let the Music Play - A Storytelling Show. August 7, 2025 Alamo Drafthouse - Mueller, Austin, TX.
- The Austin Sampler Platter - A Taste of Austin Theater. September 4, 2025 Alamo Drafthouse - Mueller, Austin, TX.
- The Grab Bag - A Storytelling Show. November 6, 2025 Alamo Drafthouse - Mueller, Austin, TX.
- The Austin StorySlam! - Theme "Grab Bag". December 4, 2025 Alamo Drafthouse - Mueller, Austin, TX.
Featured awards
- Award / Honor Nominee: Experimental Short by the Festival of the Moving Image, London, UK., Festival of the Moving Image. 2025
- Award / Honor Recipient: ASCAP Plus Awards Grant, ASCAP. December 2025
- Award / Honor Nominee: Best Dance Film, Greece International Film Festival. October 2025
- Award / Honor Nominee: Best Dance Film, Folkestone Film Festival. October 22, 2025 - October 26, 2025
- Award / Honor Recipient: Silver Medal: Innovation in Sound, Music for Screendance - Album. June 19, 2025
Featured service activities
- Member
School of Music Administrative Advisory Committee
- Chair
BA Upper Level Review/Interview Committee
- Member
BA Upper Level Review/Interview Committee
- Chair
Public Relations Committee
- Volunteer
Hays Band Pit Crew
- Member
School of Music Planning Group