Joni Greene's music is described as "rich, colorful, and expressive," drawing inspiration from the Earth's expansive landscapes and the cosmos. Her music has a unique perspective due to her ability to see color when she hears sound (or vice versa), a trait called synesthesia. Through a process she calls "organized color," Ms. Greene's music focuses on imagery through a hierarchy of instrumental color. Her works are often compared to a kaleidoscope where colorful textures roll into one another while also shading in and out from one soundscape to another. She has a special interest in topics regarding space, physics, and nature. Many of her works use outside devices such as pictures from the James Webb Space Telescope, photography, science, and poetry to teach and integrate players into her sensory perspective.
Her music has been performed throughout the United States, Canada, Europe, China and Australia. Her work Moonscape Awakening was recently performed by the U.S. Army Band "Pershing's Own" at the 2024 Texas Bandmasters Association conference. Her diverse catalog includes works for band, choir, orchestra, chamber ensemble, and chamber opera. Notable awarded prizes include the 2nd and 3rd Frank Ticheli competitions, ASCAP/Lotte Lehman "Damien Top" Prize, and the ACC Band Directors Association Emerging Artist Grant. Recordings of her works, Glow and The Moon Glistens are available through Klavier Music Productions, featuring the University of Kansas Wind Ensemble with conductor Paul W. Popiel. Ms. Greene is frequently commissioned by universities and school districts. She is currently working on The White Rose for Wind Ensemble and Soprano Voice inspired by her ancestors Sophie and Hans Scholl who formed a resistance movement against Hitler and the Nazis. Current projects also include works for young band as part of the Next Music Project featuring music from diverse perspectives. Exciting future works include an Alto Saxophone concerto for Otis Murphy, and a work for Solo Cello and Wind Ensemble for Hyerim Mapp.
Ms. Greene's music is frequently performed at conferences and festivals including the Texas Bandmasters Association (TBA), ABA, CBDNA, The Midwest Clinic, the Nebraska State Bandmasters Association (NSBA), the International Tuba Euphonium Conference, the World Association for Symphonic Bands and Ensembles conference in Taiwan (WASBE), the Las Americas en Concierto/Composers in New York, the Albert Roussel International Festival in France, Essentially Choral Reading Sessions, and the North American Saxophone Alliance (NASA) Conference. Additionally, her music can be heard by All-State bands and honor bands throughout the U.S.
Analyses of Ms. Greene's music for wind band may be found in the School Band and Orchestra (SBO) magazine and Manhattan Beach Times issues 5-7. Additionally, conductor Chad Simons has published a dissertation on the topic of Ms. Greene's life and music. Ms. Greene holds MM and BM degrees from Indiana University. Her training also includes instruction abroad and at master-classes across the country. Her instructors include: Michael Gandolfi, Sven-David Sandstrom, Kevin Puts, Don Freund, David Dzubay, Claude Baker, and Michael Colgrass.
When she is not composing, Ms. Greene enjoys working in residence with all levels of concert band, orchestra, choir and chamber groups. She currently resides in Driftwood, Texas with her husband and two sons. She is also a proud marching band parent!
