Moses Hogan

Until his untimely death February 11, 2003, Moses George Hogan was one of the most celebrated contemporary directors and arrangers of spirituals. In his short life, he created dozens of new original arrangements of classic spirituals and formed several choirs that performed them with new vitality. Born in New Orleans, Louisiana on March 13, 1957, Moses Hogan was a pianist, conductor and arranger of international renown. A graduate of the New Orleans Center for Creative Arts (NOCCA) and Oberlin Conservatory of Music in Ohio, he also studied at New York’s Juilliard School of Music and Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge. Mr. Hogan’s many accomplishments as a concert pianist included winning first place in the prestigious 28th annual Kosciuszko Foundation Chopin Competition in New York. Hogan was Artist In Residence at Loyola University in New Orleans. Hogan began his exploration of the choral music idiom in 1980. Hogan’s former New Orleans-based Moses Hogan Chorale received international acclaim.

The Moses Hogan Singers made their debut in 1998 on the EMI record label with the acclaimed soprano Barbara Hendricks. Hogan was commissioned to arrange and perform several compositions for the 1995 PBS Documentary, “The American Promise,” whose soundtrack was released separately by Windham Hill records under the title “Voices.” Hogan served as editor of the new Oxford Book of Spirituals, an expansive collection of spirituals, published by Oxford University Press. Hogan’s contemporary settings of spirituals, original compositions and other works have been revered by audiences and praised by critics including Gramophone magazine. With over 70 published works, Hogan’s arrangements have become staples in the repertoires of high school, college, church, community and professional choirs worldwide. Hogan’s choral style, high musical standards and unique repertoire have consistently elicited praise from critics worldwide.

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