Teaching and academic appointments Since 2011, Puckett has served on the faculty at Peabody Conservatory, becoming full professor in 2023 and chairing the Department of Music Theory, Ear Training, and Keyboard Skills since 2017. In 2022, Puckett also joined the composition faculty. His past teaching includes positions at Shenandoah University and
Towson University, and composer-in-residence roles with ensembles such as the Chicago Youth Symphony Orchestras.
Major works and commissions •
The Fix (2019) – Opera with libretto by Eric Simonson, commissioned and premiered by Minnesota Opera as part of its New Works Initiative; it received widespread press coverage including
Opera News,
Star Tribune, Twin Cities Arts Reader, and
Wall Street Journal. •
The Shadow of Sirius (2010) – Flute concerto inspired by
W.S. Merwin’s poetry, commissioned by a University of Michigan consortium and premiered by Amy Porter; it was later recorded and featured on a Grammy-nominated
Naxos album (2016). •
I Wake in the Dark and Remember (2022) – Viola concerto commissioned by a consortium of over 20 institutions. •
There Was a Child Went Forth (2023) – Orchestral song cycle for tenor
Nicholas Phan and the U.S. Marine Band Chamber Orchestra.
Performances and broadcasts Puckett's works have been featured on
Performance Today, Sirius XM's Living American and
Symphony Hall, and performed and recorded internationally by ensembles such as the
London Symphony Orchestra,
Minnesota Opera,
The Crossing, and the
U.S. Marine Band. ==Style and reception==