(b. 1950, Naperville, Illinois).
American composer of mostly orchestral, chamber, choral, vocal, and piano works that have been performed in the Americas and Europe.
Prof. Westerberg began piano lessons at age five and composing at age ten. He studied composition with Arthur Campbell and G. Winston Cassler and piano with DeWayne Wee at St. Olaf College in Northfield, Minnesota from 1968–72 and there earned his BMus. He then studied composition with Alan Stout at Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois from 1972–86, where he earned his MMus and later his DMA.
He has also held other posts. He has served as Director of Music at St. Paul's Lutheran Church in Evanston since 1998.
He taught composition at DePaul University in Chicago from 1987–2019, including as associate professor from 1992–2019, where he also served as associate dean of the School of Music from 2016–18.
SELECT LIST OF WORKS
STAGE:
De Profundis (text from Psalm 130, choreography by Dell Grant), soprano, mixed chorus, 2 French horns, 3 trumpets, 4 trombones, piano, timpani, 2 percussion, bass guitar, 1970 (may be performed as a concert work)
Phrases (choreography by Lynne Anne Bloom), soprano saxophone, vibraphone, marimba, 1987 (may be performed as a concert work)
On the River of Time (choreography by Lynne Anne Bloom), fixed media, 1988 (may be performed as a concert work)
ORCHESTRAL:
Amchitka, small orchestra (percussion, strings), 1971
Darkness at Noon, symphonic band, 1971
Sinfonia, 1973
Canzona, small orchestra (brass, percussion), 1981
Concerto, symphonic band, 1987, revised 2007
Chamber Concerto, cello, small orchestra (oboe, strings), 1988
Nocturne, symphonic band, 1989–91
Antiphonies, small orchestra (brass, percussion), 1991
Four Sketches for String Orchestra, string orchestra, 1993
Winter Light, 1997
Fanfare for Brass and Percussion, small orchestra (brass, percussion), 2003
Continuum, symphonic band, 2003
Inaugural Fanfare, small orchestra (brass, percussion), 2004
Fanfares for Uncommon People, piano, small orchestra, 2018
CHAMBER MUSIC:
Serenade, flute, piano, 1980–81
Night Music I, guitar, 1981, revised 1994
Volant, cello, 1975–82
String Quartet, tenor, string quartet, 1974–83
Four Miniatures, clarinet, viola, cello, 1982–83
Phrases, soprano saxophone, vibraphone, marimba, 1987 (concert version of stage work)
Splinters, flute, harp, 1990–91
Two Solitudes, oboe, cello, 1991
Chains, percussion, live electronics, 1993
Spirals, marimba, 1995, revised 2001
Quartet, soprano saxophone, alto saxophone, vibraphone, marimba, 1997
Five Episodes for Three Clarinets, 3 clarinets (all + E-flat clarinet, bass clarinet), 1998
Scenes from a Childhood, 2 flutes, 2 oboes, 2 clarinets, 2 French horns, 2 bassoons, 1998
Sargasso, string quartet, 1999 (longer version of third movement of String Quartet)
Incantations, clarinet, piano, 2001
Night Music III, 2 marimbas, 2002
Piano Trio, violin, cello, piano, 2003
Fantasy, violin, piano, 2005
Miserere I, amplified violin, 2007
Ensembles and Monologues, 3 clarinets, 2013
Winterbourne, geomungo (zither from the Koreas), ensemble (percussion, 2 violins, viola, cello, double bass), 2013
Fragments, Remnants, Shards, flute, harp, piano, 2014
Swedes in Chicago, alto recorder, violin, viola da gamba, harpsichord, fixed media, 2019
Janus, cello, piano, 2023
Palimpsest, cello, piano, 2024
Epilogue (After...), clarinet, piano, 2025
CHORAL:
De Profundis, soprano, mixed chorus, 2 French horns, 3 trumpets, 4 trombones, piano, timpani, 2 percussion, bass guitar, 1970 (concert version of stage work)
Veni, Creator Spiritus (text from Latin liturgy), mixed chorus, organ, 1973
Phos Hilarion (text from the hymn Phos Hilarion), mixed chorus, 1982
Nunc Dimittis (text from Latin liturgy), mixed chorus, cello, small orchestra (4 French horns, percussion, strings), 1987
Jubilate Deo (text from Latin liturgy), mixed chorus, organ, 1995
Cantate Domino (text from Latin liturgy), mixed chorus, piano, percussion, 2001
In Thee is Gladness (text from the hymn In Thee is Gladness), mixed chorus, organ, 2005
In Time of Silent Rain (text by Langston Hughes), mixed chorus, piano, wind chimes ad libitum, 2007
Psalm 17 (text from Psalm 17), mixed chorus, piano ad libitum, 2007
VOCAL:
A Stable Lamp is Lighted (text by Richard Wilbur), soprano, piano, 1968, revised 1979
Three Songs on Texts of Robert Bly (text by Robert Bly), soprano, piano, 1982
Poem in October (text by Dylan Thomas), tenor, string quartet, 1983
Magnificat (text from Latin liturgy), soprano, organ, 1983
Sleep Magic (texts from lullabies from Native American sources [English translations]), soprano, 4 players, 1998
Garden of Fire (text by Leif Enger), mezzo-soprano, flute, harp, viola, 2003
Vision and Prayer (text by Dylan Thomas), mezzo-soprano, female chorus (1/2 sopranos, 1/2 altos), ensemble (flute, clarinet, French horn, piano, 2 percussion, strings), 2012
To the Stars (Three Orphic Hymns) (texts from the Orphic Hymns [translated by Thomas Taylor]), countertenor, Baroque violin, viola da gamba, 2018
Four Evening Prayers (texts by Mary Oliver, Jane Kenyon, Victor Klimoski, Evangelical Lutheran Evening prayer service), mezzo-soprano, viola, 2021
Create in Me (text from Psalm 51), soprano, mezzo-soprano, piano, 2025
PIANO:
Face Dancer, 1984
Night Music II, 2 pianos, 1991, revised 2010
Five Preludes, 1992
Mraz – Frost, 1999–2001
Nocturne, 2004
Einstein Dream Preludes, 2006–07, revised 2024
Linea, 2015
Summer Adagio, 2019
ORGAN:
Three Chorale Preludes, 1987
ELECTROACOUSTIC:
On the River of Time, fixed media, 1988 (concert version of stage work)
Night Carillon, fixed media, 1990
ARRANGEMENTS:
In the Bleak Midwinter (Christmas carol), mixed chorus, orchestra, 2007
Adeste Fidelis (Christmas carol O Come, All Ye Faithful), mixed chorus, orchestra, 2007