After decades of composing for television, recording artists and the concert stage, Jeff Lippincott is hearing something new these days — his own work echoing through Wyoming concert halls, written to celebrate the nation’s 250th anniversary.

A career that began in Nashville and later shifted into Hollywood television scoring led Lippincott into some of reality TV’s most recognizable soundtracks, including “Shark Tank,” “American Idol” and “The Biggest Loser.”

Years of writing music meant to immediately capture attention in television helped shape Lippincott’s approach to concert music, where themes must still carry emotional clarity—just in a much larger and more expansive format.

Now, he has turned his attention to his home in Wyoming. He and his wife made Wyoming their home in 2020. In celebration of Wyoming’s America 250, Lippincott has composed an original piece, which was recently performed by the Cheyenne Symphony Orchestra.

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The performance of “American Patriot Hymn” took place on April 10 during the Rhapsody in Red, White & Blue concert. It combined instruments, vocals, and narration. Halfway through the performance, the University of Wyoming Chorale joined the orchestra, helping build momentum in the piece. Lippincott conducted the piece, earning a standing ovation.

“When the composer gets to stand there and finally hear what’s been in his head… and hear the audience’s response,” Lippincott said, “that for me was special.”

The project brings his work into a different space—one tied not to ratings or broadcasts, but to a state celebrating its history.

This has been over a decade in the making. Lippincott shared that “It’s been on my table, on my desk for 12 years,” he said. “Typically, I’m gonna write it and put it in the drawer type of thing… but this work has evolved.” The timing aligned with Wyoming’s America 250 celebration, giving Lippincott a public platform for a work he said represents years of development.

Through a connection with Grammy-winning cellist Zuill Bailey, Lippincott was introduced to the Cheyenne Symphony Orchestra, which was seeking a Wyoming-based composer. That opportunity led to his role as the symphony’s first composer-in-residence and brought “American Patriot Hymn” to completion.

“It really fell into place very quickly,” he said. The performance is planned to happen on State Capitol steps on the Fourth of July, but the recorded version is also underway with actor Gary Sinise narrating.

When creating the lyrics and narration, Lippincott shared how he used words from historical figures Samuel Adams and John Quincy Adams. Samuel Adams wrote a poem that served as the foundation for the Chorale section of the piece. The narration draws from John Quincy Adams

Pulling from Wyoming’s landscape and history, Jeff Lippincott said he shaped the piece to reflect the state’s identity, pointing to its “ruggedness” and role in westward expansion. He referenced the period between the nation’s founding and the early 1800s as a time defined by exploration, including figures such as Jim Bridger and the broader push into the frontier. Musically, that inspiration became what he described as an “Americana sort of westward feel,” designed to evoke movement, expansion and the spirit of the American West while tying together the historical texts and orchestral elements into a Wyoming-centered narrative.

As Wyoming prepares to mark America’s 250th anniversary, Lippincott’s composition is intended to live beyond this single moment in history and be performed by schools, choirs and communities across the state, extending the reach of this piece built on both history and home.

View the April 10 performance on the @CheyenneSymphony YouTube channel.