Main Biography

Justus (Jay) Parrotta possesses a varied and extensive music background while receiving numerous commissions and awards during his musical career.  He performs on keyboard throughout the Metropolitan DC area.  Prior to university, Parrotta studied piano with James Selway, organ with Diane Heath and Dale Krider, and composition and theory with Frances Thompson McKay.  He holds a Bachelor’s of Music in Organ Performance with a Minor in Composition Magna Cum Laude, a Masters in Composition with a concentration in Concert Music, and a Doctorate of Musical Arts in Music Composition from The Catholic University of America’s Benjamin T. Rome School of Music.  His teachers include Robert Baker, Stephen Gorbos, Jason Lovelace, Anthony Randolph, Andrew Simpson, and Steven Strunk for composition, Edward Alan Moore for organ, Rosemarie Ruiz Houghton for voice, and Esperanza Berrocal for Latin American Music.  Dr. Parrotta teaches in DC, Maryland, and Virginia.

Composition Biography

Justus (Jay) Parrotta’s works consist of music for solo instruments, voice, choir, congregation, chamber ensemble, orchestra, dance, opera, electronics, and film including the critically acclaimed documentary Dakota 38.  His solo, chamber, orchestral, and vocal music merges a variety of influences such as the Fibbonacci and Lucas sequences, Latin American rhythm combinations, pitch centricity, the overtone series, Native American scales, Japanese Gagaku, and Irish and Scottish folk music. His sacred music takes influence from late 19^th and early 20^th century English and Anglo-American sacred music, plainsong, Byzantine chant, shape-note hymnody, Hildegard Von Bingen, Melchior Vulpius, Michael Praetorius, Henry Purcell, Johann Sebastian Bach, and Felix Mendelssohn.  Regarding electronic music, he possesses an interest in Musique Concrete and manipulations of prerecorded sounds via digital technology.  The Columbia Pike Community Chorus, Writing the Rockies Conference at Western State Colorado University, New Voices at CUA, OpenPageEnsemble, and venues throughout DC, Maryland, and Virginia have featured his works.  Dr. Parrotta’s music has been heard in Antarctica, Australia, France, Russia, Sweden, Zambia, and throughout North America.

Organ Biography

Justus (Jay) Parrotta is a Fellow of the American Guild of Organists, the highest level of certification granted by the AGO.  He is a recipient of awards and scholarships from the Delaware, District of Columbia, and Northern Virginia Chapters of the AGO, National Federation of Music Clubs, National Foundation for the Advancement in the Arts, and West Chester University.  He has participated in master classes and workshops lead by organists Ken Cowan, Rick Erickson, Gerre Hancock, David Higgs, Peter Latona, Bruce Neswick, William Porter, and Gillian Weir.  He received additional coaching in improvisation under David Arcus and Ronald Stolk.  As a concert organist, his performances include recitals at venues such as the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception, Franciscan Monastery of the Holy Land in America, National City Christian Church, St. Luke’s Catholic Church in McLean, Virginia, and Washington National Cathedral.  He has premiered the organ works of composers Thomas Fielding and Mark Winges.  Dr. Parrotta serves as Organist and Schola Director at Immaculate Conception Church, Shaw-Mount Vernon, Washington D.C.