Johan Othman

Biodata

Johan Othman, a native of Kuala Lumpur, obtained his undergraduate education at Oberlin
Conservatory of Music graduating in 1997 with a major in music composition and in 1999 graduated
from Yale University with a Masters of Music in music composition. His early works performed in
the USA include Peristalsis for the Cleveland Chamber Orchestra, Papilio Albus performed by the
Oberlin Orchestra and Kist for the Yale Philharmonic Orchestra. Early theatre musicals include The
Stage with the Actors Studio; Chin San Sooi’s Reunion and Oh Brickfields; and Tengku Puteri Salasiah
for Universiti Sains Malaysia. Recent involvement with composing music and soundscapes for the
theatre consists of A Mordern Woman Called Ang Tau Mui and The Sandpit: Womensis with
Pocketsize Productions and Five Arts Centre and Jangan Bunuh Diri for Universiti Sains Malaysia. He
has composed an opera The Conference of the Birds for a workshop performance produced by The
Five Arts Centre and James Lochhead. His most recent theatre project is a script for a one act play
Malam Takdir that was produced by Reka Art Space and Cendana Malaysia as strategic partner. As a
composer, his orchestral and chamber works for the Malaysian Philharmonic Orchestra includes
ittar, topeng 1 and topeng 2. The Dancing Mouse for soprano and harp and the doctrine of final
causes for solo oboe was recently performed in Hamburg, Germany and the USA respectively.
‘Neutral Space’ for solo piano was performed by Ernst Surberg of Ensemble Mosaik in 2009 as guest
composer for the "Young Composers Competition Concert and Jury's Music". His most recent piece
He too a simulacrum, that another person was dreaming him a chamber piece for winds was
commissioned and performed by the High Winds Ensemble in 2013. In 2015 he obtained his PhD in
Art History and Theory from Universiti Sains Malaysia. Currently, he is teaching music at the School
of the Arts, Universiti Sains Malaysia.