[spectre] Turbulence Spotlight: "Piano Etudes" by Jason Freeman, et al

[Turbulence]

February 9, 2009
Turbulence Spotlight: "Piano Etudes" by Jason Freeman, with Akito Van Troyer
and Jenny Lin
http://turbulence.org/spotlight/pianoetudes/
[Needs Flash Player]

Inspired by the tradition of open-form musical scores, "Piano Etudes" is a
set of four short works, each of which is notated as a collection of short
musical fragments with links to connect them. In performance, the pianist
must use those links to jump from fragment to fragment, creating her own
unique version of the composition.

The pianist, though, should not have all the fun. So an accompanying web
site enables anyone to create their own version of each etude, download it
as an audio file or a printable score, and share it with others. In concert,
pianists may make up their own version of each etude, or they may select a
version created by a web visitor.

"Piano Etudes" was supported, in part, with a Special Award from the Yvar
Mikhashoff Pianist/Composer Commissioning Project. The American Composers
Forum’s Encore Program provided additional support for several live
performances of the piece. Additional thanks to New Radio and Performing
Arts, Inc. and its Turbulence web site for hosting the project online.

BIOGRAPHIES

JASON FREEMAN's works break down conventional barriers between composers,
performers, and listeners, using cutting-edge technology and unconventional
notation to turn audiences and musicians into compositional collaborators.
His music has been performed by the American Composers Orchestra, Speculum
Musicae, the So Percussion Group, the Rova Saxophone Quartet, the Nieuw
Ensemble, Le Nouvel Ensemble Moderne, and Evan Ziporyn; and his works have
been featured at the Lincoln Center Festival, the Boston CyberArt Festival,
01SJ, and the Transmediale Festival and featured in the New York Times and
on National Public Radio. N.A.G. (Network Auralization for Gnutella) (2003),
a commission from Turbulence, was described by Billboard as “
an example of
the web’s mind-expanding possibilities.” Freeman received his B.A. in music
from Yale University and his M.A. and D.M.A. in composition from Columbia
University. He is currently an assistant professor in the music department
at Georgia Tech in Atlanta.

AKITO VAN TROYER is a masters student in music technology at Georgia Tech,
where his research interests include interactive music systems, music
information retrieval, cybernetics, ethnomusicology, error structures in
digital systems, and computer programmed music. He is currently developing
GrainBox, an intuitive, web-based granular synthesis application to be
launched this spring.

JENNY LIN is one of the most respected young pianists today, admired for her
adventurous programming and charismatic stage presence. Her ability to
combine classical and contemporary literature has brought her to the
attention of international critics and audiences. She has been acclaimed for
her "remarkable technical command" and "a gift for melodic flow" by The New
York Times. Her concerts have taken her to Carnegie Recital Hall, Miller
Theatre, Museum of Modern Art, Whitney Museum, and Morgan Library, among
others. Jenny's extensive discography includes critically acclaimed
recordings on Koch International Classics, Hänssler Classic, BIS Records,
Sunrise Records, and Poem Culture Records. Born in Taiwan and raised in
Austria, Jenny studied with Noel Flores at the Hochschule für Musik in
Vienna, with Julian Martin at the Peabody Conservatory (Artist Diploma) in
Baltimore, and with Dominique Weber in Geneva. She holds a bachelor's degree
in German Literature from The Johns Hopkins University and currently resides
in New York City, where she also serves on the faculty of the 92nd Street Y.


Jo-Anne Green, Co-Director
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