Tim Corpus
Tim Corpus Tim Corpus
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New Studio in 2026

After about 6 months of development, I moved in to my new studio this spring. This has been a huge amount of labor as I took a full-size basement room and completely refinished it.

The Original Space

The space was a 32’ x 12’ room that was partially finished. There was 1/4” thick cardboard-esque paneling that certainly didn’t help with temperature control of the room. There was just a concrete floor, and it really felt like a basement.

Tim Corpus new studio

So I was thrilled to take the space and completely redesign it. We did a ton of work all ourselves, except for a little bit of electrical help.

  • Redesigned the laundry room to better use the space
  • Added a new wall dividing the room to about a 60/40 split of space
  • Replaced the old paneling with higher quality 5/8” drywall (this brought with it several hours of mudding, taping, sanding, and finishing the walls)
  • Insulated the walls for temperature and acoustics control
  • Installed new underlayment and flooring
  • Installed baseboards and trim

That was all just the core work for the space, now I’m in the design phase which is a lot more fun.

The New Space

With the new wall the space is now 22’ x 12’.

Acoustic Planning

Adding insulation into the walls has been critical to blocking out and keeping in sound in the studio and temperature control. I also built a specialty sound panel wall from the ground up. It features duventyne cloth behind slats that are 3/4” deep. The slats are between .75” to 1.5” wide and arranged in a specific order that makes it so no two slats of the same size are next to each other.

This slat wall adds a great design to the space, it also helps with the flutter/slap echo in the space.

I have a variety of acoustic panels hanging on the wall and as a cloud over my studio desk. The panels include rockwool and were made by me with simple wood and some broadcloth.

Another big help to the space is having rugs and furniture.

Design

In addition to the slat wall, I really wanted a warm feeling to the space, kind of like a library. I have so many scores and music books on shelves, I leaned into the library feel. The dark green walls fit in perfectly and the white trim really pops.

Furniture

Some of the other big additions to the space were new furniture.

  • I built a new desk that holds my 88-key Arturia Mk3 keyboard and can become a standing desk.
  • I built two cabinets for microphones, cables, scores, and other computery things.
  • I built a tall cabinet that holds my computer, power unit, and server.
  • I also built a guitar stand which can hold up to five guitars.

There’s more to show about this process, but I’m really excited to be able to work in here and enjoy the environment.

”Corpus’s writing is consistently inventive: It’s never quite clear whether the soloists are teasing one another or casually trying to one-up each other, and you’ll never hear a xylophone sound more mournful than it does at the middle of the movement. I’s always a high endorsement, to both performer and composer, when people start hooting in the middle of a classical music piece like they’re at a stadium show.”

Hannah Edgar Chicago Tribune

Tim Corpus is a composer with a genuine lyric impulse. He writes music that is at the same time challenging and appealing - which should be the ideal of any composer. He has a wonderful ear for sound and for shape. This is a composer with a real and important voice.

Henry Fogel Retired Dean of the Chicago College of Performing Arts and CEO/President of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra

...`{`Three Pieces for Five Timpani`}` is an outstanding addition to the literature for timpani and great for advanced recital programs.

George Frock Professor Emeritus, The University of Texas

Tim Corpus is a wonderfully skilled composer who has important things to say with his music. His debut album, Breath, is extremely impressive. Beautiful and exciting music to be sure!

Larry Alan Smith Composer

Tim Corpus' music is complex, original and steeped in tradition. His Three Pieces for Five Timpani is clearly an extension of the composers, such as Elliott Carter, that came before him. The pieces are challenging but fulfilling to learn and perform. Possibly the most important thing about Tim's timpani writing is that audiences will enjoy listening to his compositions. He is taking solo timpani writing to the next level.

Ed Harrison Timpanist of the Lyric Opera of Chicago

The melodic gestures in Tim Corpus' masterful piece for strings, ``Breath``, are paced so that a listener’s respiration pattern aligns itself instinctively with the slow and even pulse of the piece. Breath creates a powerful performer/listener symbiosis, a remarkable accomplishment on the part of the composer.

Steven Gryc Composer

Tim Corpus’s music is beautifully lyrical, nicely voiced and technically well-realized. In person, he is a pleasure to work with. We very much enjoyed recording his first two string quartets and hope to see more from him in the future.

Jen Leckie Violinist, Grant Street String Quartet

I recently had the pleasure of conducting the premiere of First Flight. It is artfully written, fresh, unique, and best of all – a beautiful piece of music! Tim is a major talent with big things in store for his future. It clearly deserves a permanent place in the repertoire of any serious wind ensemble. I can't wait to program it again!

Stephen Squires Conductor, Chicago College of Performing Arts Wind Ensemble

I have worked with Tim Corpus as a performer, composer and teacher. He brings passion and energy to his craft. He is a young lion who is making his mark on the Chicago music scene.

Kevin Miller Retired Band Director, Schaumburg High School

I've had the pleasure of knowing Tim for years now, and I learned very quickly that his passion and talent as a performer and composer are unquestioned. Everything he does is handled with a rare combination of intensity and care, and his works display such attributes. His lyricism in particular, along with his rich, beautiful harmonies and intricate polyphony set him apart from many of his colleagues. In a world littered with simple, non-intellectual music, Tim is breaking through and creating a new, exciting, accessible, and, most importantly, intelligent style of music that is imperative to the future of our art form.

Matt Bronstein Axiom Brass Quintet

Breath is very professionally produced, and the overall impression is of a lyrical and rhapsodic voice. I think Breath is a great starter, very ample and serene, even ecstatic. The second quartet is lively and engaging throughout.

Dr. Robert Carl Composer

© 2026 Tim Corpus.