New York, New York
Born 1951, Cleveland, Ohio
My work cuts across genres, traditions, and materials, and manifests an overall approach of transformation and resynthesis. Even when operating within a specific genre, I try to develop a unique vocabulary and syntax for the situation, whether compositional strategy, instrumental technique, or conceptual paradigm. Each of the activities informs and feeds the others. Concerns include rhythmic "groove" on both macro -and micro- levels, melodic materials inherent in the natural overtone series, processes that lie on the border between order and chaos, notions of density, and use of noise and sounds not usually considered "musical".
A prime example is Syndakit, based on the activities and behavior of flocking birds, African drum choirs, hunting packs, and recombinant amino acids. SyndaKit is essentially a construction set consisting of 144 notated "cores" and a set of simple rules for their use through cycling, imitation, addition, recombination, transposition, and mutation. In the composition Calling, these tools were use to create a fixed score for the symphony orchestra, one version out of many possibilities.
1969-1971 Cornell University Studies in anthropology, music, electronics.
1973 B.A., Bard College Studies in composition with Benjamin Boretz and Elie Yarden. Studies in jazz composition improvisation, and ethnomusicology with Roswell Rudd. Studies in physics and electronics with Burton Brody.
1977 M.A., State University of New York at Buffalo Studies in composition with Morton Feldman and Lejaren Hiller, Studies in ethnomusicology with Charles Keil.
2004 Performances of Coriolis Effect for orchestra, Approaching the Arches of Corti for saxophone quartet, SyndaKit for ensemble, and Sharp solo acoustic guitar; Northwestern University New Music Marathon, Evanston, IL
2004 95 To EC From E#, for the Arditti Quartet and Sospeso Ensemble to honor Elliott Carter's 95th birthday; New York, NY
2003 Quarks Swim Free, Carbon, Venice Biennale; Venice, Italy
2003 Beyond The Curve, Meridian Arts Ensemble; Havana, Cuba
2002 Calling, Radio--Symphony of Franfurt, Ferienkurse fur Neue Musik; Darmstadt, Germany
2002 Do the Don't, performed by Elliott Sharp's Terraplan (Gaff Music, USA).
2003 Velocity of Hue for solo acoustic guitar performed Elliot Sharp (Emanem Records, UK).
2003 Calling/Racing Hearts/Tessalation Row, performed by RSO Frankfurt and Ensemble Modern (HR Media, Germany).
