| Biography | Whitacre (born 2 January 1970 in Reno, Nevada) is an American Grammy Award-winning composer and conductor. He is one of the most popular and performed composers of his generation. In 2008, the all-Whitacre choral CD Cloudburst (released by the British ensemble Polyphony on Hyperion Records) became an international best-seller, topping the classical charts and earning a Grammy nomination. In addition to Whitacre's litany of choral and wind ensemble compositions, he is also known for his "Virtual Choir" projects, bringing individual voices from around the globe together into an online choir. Whitacre signed a long-term recording deal with Decca in 2010. |