Wilhelmina Pariseau (née Esary) is a versatile composer whose works have been performed by members of the Seattle Symphony, Women’s Works of Ithaca, and the American Creators Ensemble. Her compositions range in character from contemplative to whimsical, dark to ethereal, and are often inspired by emotional reactions and connections which stem from human perception of the natural and physical world.

Equally delighted by music making within and outside of the concert hall, Mina has contributed to various community projects such as creating a semi-improvisatory work for Rochester based ensemble 5x5 and students from ROC Music collaborative which celebrated and considered the legacy of Susan B. Anthony. Other community projects include a solo horn work, Playing with Blankie, written for the Strong Nation Museum of Play’s Toy Suite, a set of pieces inspired by specific toys, and Waterfall Scenes, which were inspired by works of art at the Memorial Art Gallery and performed there as part of the 2019 Image/Sound Festival. She also participated in the Eastman Audio Research Studio’s presentation and installation of David Tudor’s Rainforest IV at the Memorial Art Gallery, where participants created sculptural objects and played sounds on the objects through transducers. As part of the Seattle Symphony Young Composers’ Workshop, she worked with composer and kinetic sculptor Trimpin to compose a piece for his sound installation in Benaroya Hall’s grand lobby.

Originally from the greater Seattle area, Mina began her composition studies under faculty at the Academy of Music Northwest, and she went on to study with Samuel Jones and Huck Hodge in the Seattle Symphony Young Composers’ Workshop. She has participated in festivals such as Nief-Norf’s C-P-I summit, Art Song Lab, and the Oregon Bach Festival Composers Symposium, and has received recognition for her work from various competitions and organizations including the American Guild of Organists, the National Collegiate Choral Organization, Hymn for Mercy Competition, and Women’s Works of Ithaca.

Active in arts administration and leadership, Mina currently works as administrative coordinator for Seattle Modern Orchestra. At the Eastman School of Music, Mina served as the 2018-2019 president of OSSIA New Music, the student-run new music ensemble. She also previously served as the secretary and treasurer of OSSIA and has several years’ experience working in the Eastman Concert Office. She is honored to be a member of Pi Kappa Lambda, Sigma Alpha Iota, and Phi Theta Kappa.

In addition to composition, she has had classical training in piano performance and sings regularly in various choral ensembles and scholas. She has a special interest in the performance of Gregorian chant, and the influence of these ancient melodies can be found seeping into many of her compositions.

Mina holds a Bachelors of Music in Composition from the Eastman School of Music, where she studied with Carlos Sanchez-Gutierrez, Ricardo Zohn-Muldoon, David Liptak, and Oliver Schneller, and a Masters in Composition from Stony Brook University, studying under Matthew Barnson, Nirmali Fenn, and Daniel Weymouth.

Please contact me directly for a complete C.V.