Dr. David H. Sargent, born February 11, 1941 in Springville, Utah, taught Composition and Music Theory at Brigham Young University in Provo, Utah for 32 years—1976–2008. Since his arrival at BYU in 1976, his music has been performed throughout the United States as well as internationally in Germany, France, Denmark, Switzerland, Hungary, Wales, England, Bolivia, and Canada.
Some of his prized compositions include Praise Ye Him for SATB choir and Cello, premiered by the Utah Baroque Ensemble at the International Kodály Symposium, Leicester, England; Images, a Tuba Concerto for for brass and percussion, premiered by members of the Eastman Brass and Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra, Rochester, New York; Interior Windows and Millennium II, premiered by the Meadows Wind Ensemble at Southern Methodist University, Dallas, Texas; Gestures, a three-movement work for ten chamber players; In Burning Vision, a five-movement song cycle for tenor and piano, commissioned by the Barlow Endowment for Music Composition for the BYU School of Music’s celebration of the Prophet Joseph Smith’s 200th birthday; and Kaleidoscope for oboe, bassoon, and piano, premiered by the Sundance Trio at the 2007 International Double Reed Society Convention in Ithaca, New York. In June 2008, several pieces were performed in Toulouse, France; Rome and Florence, Italy; and Lucerne, Switzerland; including premiere performances of a new choral work—O Clap Your Hands for SATB a cappella choir.
Dr. Sargent holds a B.A. in Music Theory and an M.A. in Music Theory and Composition from BYU as well as an M.Mus. and a D.M.A. in Composition from the University of Illinois. While at Brigham Young University he studied composition with Dr. Merrill K. Bradshaw (1963–1968) and with Professor Gordon W. Binkerd while attending the University of Illinois (1968–1971). He taught as Visiting Assistant Professor of Composition at the Eastman School of Music, Rochester, New York from 1972–1975 and as Visiting Assistant Professor of Music Theory at The Ohio University, Athens, Ohio from 1975–1976. In 1998, he was awarded the Harold R. Laycock Professorship in Music Composition at BYU, which he held until he retired in September 2008.