Mary Alice Rich

Mary Alice Rich grew up in Minnesota where she was a member of her school orchestra and All-State Orchestra. She received her bachelor’s and master’s degrees in Violin Performance at the Univ. of Illinois under Paul Rolland and Sergiu Luca. She played full-time in the Tulsa Philharmonic, then moved to Texas to teach at TX A&M – Commerce for 6 years. Focal dystonia, a crippling condition in her left hand, limited her work as a performer which led her to study composition with Professors Jack Waldenmaier, Ted Hansen, and Winston Stone. Mary Alice has won the Texas Orchestra Directors Association Composition Contest 3 times along with several other national composition contests. Her music has been played by many student orchestras as well as professional ensembles around the country and abroad. Her opera Wading Home received a $40,000 grant from the Sphinx Organization and was given multiple performances in Dallas, New Orleans, and South Africa.