Composer Spotlight: Moses Hogan

Moses George Hogan (1957-2003) was an American composer, arranger, pianist, and choral conductor, best known for his powerful settings of African American spirituals.  Over his brief but prolific musical career, Hogan published more than 80 original arrangements for spirituals and formed several choirs dedicated to their performance. Hogan credited both his classical piano training and upbringing in the African American Baptist church as influences for his compositions and arrangements. 

Hogan’s musical talent emerged early—by the age of six, he was already accompanying church choirs on the piano. As a high school sophomore, Hogan was accepted to the New Orleans Center for Creative Arts and was a member of the school’s first graduating class in 1975.  He continued his formal music studies at Ohio’s Oberlin Conservatory of Music, graduating in 1979, and studied at the Juilliard School of Music and Louisiana State University.

As an advocate for African American spirituals, Hogan founded and led three choirs—the Moses Hogan Chorale, the Moses Hogan Singers and the New World Ensemble—dedicated to performing and promoting this rich musical tradition.  Beyond the stage, Hogan served as editor of The Oxford Book of Spirituals, an expansive collection published in 2001 by Oxford University Press.

Hogan's life was tragically cut short when he passed away from a brain tumor in 2003 at the age of 45.  His contributions to choral music and the preservation of African American spirituals remain invaluable. Today, Hogan’s arrangements are widely performed, becoming staples in the repertoire of high school, college, church, community and professional choirs worldwide.

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Learn more about our upcoming Seven Last Words of Christ concert on April 13, 2025.