William Harper (born October 10, 1949) is a Chicago photographer and composer. His photography is concerned with natural form and line and his music is theatrical, technology-based work sourced from liturgical and folk traditions. Harper first earned critical acclaim for his work defining a Chicago style of new music theater and opera as the creator and producer of many full-length original works for the American Ritual Theater Company (ARTCO). Concurrent with these projects, and subsequently, Harper’s opera, music theater, dance, orchestra, chorus, and electro-acoustic works have been commissioned and performed by companies including The Minnesota Opera Company, The New Music Theater Ensemble of Minneapolis, INTAR Hispanic American Cultural Center, The Goodman Theater, Hartford Stage and The Music Theatre Group. Harper’s recently completed Unquiet Myths, a suite of electro-acoustic pieces was commissioned by The Ellen Sinopoli Dance Company for Spill Out!, which premiered in 2006 and is scheduled to begin a national tour this year. William Harper received a PhD in music composition from the Eastman School of Music, and has received support from many foundations including the National Institute for Music Theater, the Djerassi Foundation, the Yaddo Foundation, the National Endowment for the Arts, the Illinois and New York State Arts Councils and The MacArthur Foundation.
Harper has three sisters including a twin sister, Jessica Harper, Lindsay Harper duPont and Diana Harper. He also has two brothers, Sam Harper and Charles Harper.
2013 Water!, juried show, Center for FIne Art Photography, Fort Collins2012 Hot New Pix, Center Gallery at the Midwest Center for Photography, Wichita2012 Transformational Learning, group show, Brick Gallery, Chicago2012 Night Light, juried show, Darkroom Gallery, Essex Jct., Vermont2012 Family Dynamics, juried show, Kiernan Gallery, Lexington, Virginia2012 Between Dusk and Dawn, juried show, Kiernan Gallery, Lexington, Virginia2012 Family Dynamics, juried show, Kiernan Gallery, Lexington, Virginia2012 Portfolio Prize, Center for FIne Art Photography, Fort Collins2012 Water, Ice & Light - Solo show, University Club, Chicago2011 Grand prize, Filter Festival, Chicago2011 Beginnings, juried show, Black Cloud Gallery, Chicago2011 Faces of Evanston, Noyes Cultural Arts Center, Evanston, IL2011 Real People, juried show, The Courthouse, Woodstock, IL2010-12 Court, Transistor, Chicago2009 Finding Middle Ground, Dayton Visual Arts Center2009 Group Show at Walker Fine Arts, Denver, CO2009 Group Show at Lincoln Center, Ft. Collins, CO2008 Breaking Ground, Solo show, Sinclair Community College, Dayton, OH2008 Real People, juried show, The Courthouse, Woodstock, IL2008 The Workshop, Berkeley, CA2008 Minimal, Flatfile Gallery, Chicago, IL2008 Faculty Sabbatical Show, Betty Rymer Gallery, Art Institute of Chicago2006 Digitally Propelled Ideas, Kellogg University Art Gallery California State Polytechnic University Pomona CA2006 Snapshots, The ARC Gallery. Chicago, ILOperas and Music Theatre
2000 Heroism with Frederick Feirstein, Nassau Community College, New York1997 The Bacchae Harvard University, Katherine Walker, Music Theater Group, New York1995 Extraordinary Measures with Eve Ensler, Music Theater Group, New York1993 El Greco INTAR Hispanic American Arts Center, New York1992 Martin Guerre (Orchestrations) with Roger Ames Hartford Stage, Hartford1992 Cooking the World with Bob Berkey Music Theater Group, New York1989 Snow Leopard Minnesota Opera Company, Minneapolis1987 Tantracidal Mania Minnesota Opera Company, Minneapolis1986 Peyote Roadkill ARTCO, Chicago1983 John Ball Shot Them All N.A.M.E. Gallery, Chicago2006 Unquiet Myths, A collection of electro-acoustic pieces2005 Requiem, Mass for chorus, SATB and electronic accompaniment2004 Marlidendur, Music for strings, percussion, and boys choir2002 The Banjo of Death Sleeping, Three electro-acoustic pieces2000 El Greco, Opera1999 Marlidendur Gudmundur Emilsson, The Baltic Philharmonic Chamber Orchestra, Reykjavik1997 Scenes from the Valley of the Black Pig Full Orchestra, ARTCO, Chicago1996 Requiem Mass Chorus, Orchestra and Alto Solo, Harle & Ken Montgomery Foundation1994 Seasons of the Heart Song for Soprano Solo and String Orchestra. Texts by Bernardo Solano, INTAR, New York.1990 Marouska Variations Full Orchestra, ARTCO, ChicagoDance, Film, and Incidental Music
2012-13 Reflections on the way o the Gallows - Eight films and a Dark Tourism project by Collette Copeland2006 Unquiet Myths for Spill Out! Ellen Sinopoli Dance Company, Troy1992 Words Divine INTAR Hispanic American Arts Center, New York1987 Waiting in the Dark For Bay Area Playwrights, Mill Valley1986 Changing Habits WTTW-TV, Chicago1986 Macando Dreiske Performance Ensemble, Chicago1985 Illinois Turner Broadcasting, Atlanta1985 Light Kanopy Dance Theater, Madison1984 Crimson Cowboy (Opera/Dance Work) ARTCO, Chicago1984 Julius Caesar Alliance Theater, Atlanta1984 Red River The Goodman Theater, Chicago1983 Dead Birds (Opera/Dance Work) ARTCO, Chicago1983 Calyx Columbia Dance Center, Chicago1983 I've Known Rivers (Dance/Opera Work) MoMing, Chicago 
