Scott A. Wyatt

Meet Scott A. Wyatt

Scott Wyatt’s music story starts the old-school way: classical piano lessons as a kid. But by high school, things got a little wild—in the best way. He was playing keyboards and bass in rock bands while building his own amps and speaker cabinets because buying them just wasn’t an option. Music and technology were always intertwined for him.

Early Curiosity: Music + Tech

While studying music education and piano performance at West Chester University in 1970, Scott was introduced to a brand-new Moog Series 900 synthesizer. The problem? The manual made no sense to most people.

Thanks to his hands-on experience with electronics and performing in bands, Scott dove right in, figured the instrument out, and wrote a clear, usable manual so faculty and students could actually use it. That moment changed everything.

Around the same time, he discovered the music of composers like Milton Babbitt and John Cage music that completely grabbed his attention and sent him down the path of composition.

Graduate School & Finding His Voice

After graduating, Scott entered the graduate program at University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign in 1974. There, he studied composition with influential composers including:

  • Herbert Brün
  • Ben Johnston
  • Salvatore Martirano
  • Paul Zonn

Just one year later, Scott was hired as a lecturer, teaching music theory, ear training, and electronic music. Not long after that, he stepped into a role that would define his career.

The Experimental Music Studios

In 1976, Scott became Director of the University’s Experimental Music Studios—a position he held for 40 years, until 2016.

During that time, he:

  • Shaped how electroacoustic music was taught and created

  • Mentored generations of composers and audio artists

  • Helped push the field forward both nationally and internationally

Many of his students have gone on to meaningful careers in composition, music education, and audio technology.

Leadership in the Field

Scott has long been a central figure in the electroacoustic music community. He was deeply involved with Society for Electro-Acoustic Music in the United States (SEAMUS), serving as:

  • President (1989–1996)
  • Board member until 2016

In 2018, SEAMUS honored him with its highest award for his lasting impact on the field.

Awards, Grants & Big Ideas

Scott’s work has earned international recognition. Highlights include:

  • Grand Prize at the International Electro-Acoustic Music Competition in Bourges, France
  • Multiple international composition competition awards
  • Research awards for digital sound processing and multi-channel audio
  • Grants supporting innovations in eight-channel sound diffusion
  • A major creative research award for Risky Business: A Tribute to Nikola Tesla, featuring two 900,000-volt Tesla coils (yes, really)

What He Composes

Scott Wyatt is known for music that explores space, movement, texture, and sound in bold ways. His work includes:

  • Choral, chamber, orchestral, and instrumental music

  • Electroacoustic concert works

  • Music for dance, film, radio, theater, and television

  • Large-scale multimedia performances with:

    • Multi-channel sound

    • Live performers

    • Lasers

    • Tesla coils

He also composed music for commercial projects along the way—but this website focuses on his electroacoustic concert art music, where his creative voice shines brightest.

Today

Scott A. Wyatt is Professor Emeritus of Music Composition at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. After more than four decades of teaching, composing, mentoring, and experimenting, his influence continues to ripple through the world of contemporary and electroacoustic music.

In short: he never stopped being curious—and the music world is better for it. 🎶✨