Steven D. Block

Steven Block (b.1952, NYC) has appeared in the various personae of composer, music theorist, music critic, pianist, and both classical radio and disco d.j., among others. His compositions have been performed worldwide including performances in Australia, Paris, and Poland. His articles as a music theorist and music critic have appeared in such journals and magazines as Perspectives of New Music, Integrales, Music Theory Spectrum, the Journal of Music Theory, the Annual Review of Jazz Studies, and High Fidelity.

In 1992, Block received the first University of New Mexico award for excellence in teaching and in 1993 he was a UNM Faculty Scholar. His orchestral work Shadows has been reissued on Navona Records (5990) and is available directly from Navona, Amazon.com, I-Tunes, and most retail outlets. Likewise, FireTiger for violin and piano can be found on Navona (7871) and Five Plainchants for Clarinet, performed by UNM Faculty Keith Lemmons, is also available on the same label.

“His skillful use of tuned percussion gives several passages a gamelanlike quality reminiscent of Messaien. The long-note passages…and their harmonic suspensions are wonderful. I impatiently await the completion of this Symphony” —William Zagorski, Fanfare

Steven Block is the Chair of the Department of Music at the University of New Mexico, having served as the head of the program since the turn of the century.