ABOUT

Dr. Polasky began his music studies at the Guitar Gallery in McMurray, Pennsylvania.  He was introduced to music theory by composer and guitar virtuoso Rick Mals.  In 1998, Polasky began studying classical guitar with Tom Kikta. In 1999, Polasky was accepted into the music program at Duquesne University.

While attending  Duquesne , Dr. Polasky studied composition with David Stock and Classical Guitar with Tom Kikta and Dr. Aaron Shearer. He was a member of Classical Guitar Ensemble and Electronic Music Ensemble and earned a B.M. in Music Technology in 2003.

In 2005, Dr. Polasky began his studies at the Peabody Institute. Studying with diverse composers such as Dr. Bruno Amato, Michael Hersch, and Dr. Chris Theofanidis, he was exposed to a variety of compositional outlooks, fostering him with a deep roster of problem solving abilities and philosophies. He earned his M.M. in Composition from Peabody in 2008.

Dr. Polasky began work on his D.M.A. at the University of Maryland in 2008, studying composition with Dr. Lawrence Moss and music theory with Dr. Thomas DeLio. While at Maryland, he made significant study of the piano works of Conlon Nancarrow and Gyorgy Ligeti. His study of classical set theory heavily influenced the pitch organization of his dissertation, String Quartet. 

Since receiving his D.M.A in 2012, Dr. Polasky has begun work on a modern set theory textbook for musicians. In addition to his scholarly writing, he serves as adjunct faculty at Anne Arundel Community College where he teaches Music Theory, Applied Guitar and Composition, and is a member of the I-Y Guitar Duet.

In the fall semester of 2015, Dr. Polasky founded the Anne Arundel Community College New Music Club; an ensemble dedicated to playing music written since 1945.  Dr. Polasky serves as the faculty advisor and conductor of this ensemble.