An anthology of text and graphic scores to be used while walking, from Fluxus to the critical works of current artists, through the tradition of experimental music and performance, gathered and presented by Elena Biserna.

Works by Peter Ablinger, Milan Adamčiak, Blank Noise, George Brecht, Cornelius Cardew, Seth Cluett, Milan Knížák, Alison Knowles, Takehisa Kosugi, Anne Leilehua Lanzilotti, Alvin Lucier, Max Neuhaus, Pauline Oliveros, Yoko Ono, Nam June Paik, Michael Parsons, La Monte Young, and others.

Radical Indigenous Contemporaneity in ʻKe Aloha O Ka Haku’

Forging, Language Issue, January 8, 2024

Excerpt: Through radical indigenous contemporaneity, Liliʻu was subverting stereotypes and blending musical styles as equal, made powerful together. While the harmonies and counterpoint are clearly drawn from her western training as a musician, the depth of the lyrics is made powerful through the poetry of ‘Ōlelo Hawaiʻi. In “Ke Aloha O Ka Haku,” the word “haku” has many potential interpretations. Given that diacriticals were not standard use at the time, there are even more possibilities. “Haku” has always been interpreted as “Lord” inferring that the work is a religious song, however a purely religious reading misses the gorgeous nuance of Liliʻu’s lyrics and the importance of kaona (hidden meanings) in her writing. Read on

Andrew Norman's A Trip to the Moon

London Symphony Orchestra Program Note for the UK Premiere, July 9, 2017

Excerpt: The Prologue to Norman’s A Trip to the Moon accompanies the Méliès film in this way, presenting themes and ideas that will return and develop later in the opera. Storytelling unfolds through the various communities on stage. Here, the orchestra itself as a community takes the first turn at telling the story of how our characters got to the moon. At the end of the Prologue, the audience has been taken with the astronomers by the rocket to the moon, where the entire action of the opera will take place. Méliès himself tags along as the videographer for the expedition, and his ability to observe and draw out meaning from things that are not what they seem will prove essential to the mission. Read on

Architektur der Gesellschaft: Der US-Amerikanische Komponist Andrew Norman

Erschienen in: Neue Zeitschrift für Musik 02/2017, Seite 42

The publisher has generously allowed me to share an English version of the article.

Excerpt: Try. Split. Suspend. Switch. Play. Many of the titles for Andrew Norman’s recent works are both a window into formal devices used in the piece and an invitation for the audience to engage in active listening. Read on

"Cut to a Different World": Andrew Norman

Published in Music & Literature October 25, 2016

An in-depth listening guide to Andrew Norman's Play.

Excerpt: Andrew Norman’s Play, “a symphony in all but name,” has already made waves . . . Read on

Dissertation: Andrew Norman’s The Companion Guide to Rome: Influence of Architecture and Visual Art on Composition

Abstract: Andrew Norman’s The Companion Guide to Rome (2010) is a collection of nine pieces for violin, viola, and cello inspired by churches in Rome. Norman uses discrete compositional styles to express visual metaphor, showing the different ways artists or architects express spirituality in these churches. This dissertation presents an in-depth analysis of The Companion Guide to Rome, complemented by interviews with the composer, as well as a free online resource demonstrating extended techniques for strings in Norman’s orchestral and chamber music: http://www.shakennotstuttered.com.

Read/download the complete dissertation.

Anna Thorvaldsdottir: Tales of Intuition and Inspiration

Excerpt: The Icelandic composer Anna Thorvaldsdottir uses combinations of timbres that are at times ominous, or melancholy, and always powerful. She takes inspiration from natural phenomena or landscapes for many of her pieces, beautiful in the complexity of detail and the compelling quality of their large formal structures. . . . Recently, Thorvaldsdottir generously took time to discuss the inspiration behind her new work, and how she found her voice as a young composer. Read on

Anna Thorvaldsdottir: A Part of Nature

Published in Music & Literature May 18, 2017

Excerpt: Anna Thorvaldsdottir’s music is powerful and visceral. Merely saying that it represents nature does not express the depth of her compositional process. Many composers are inspired by the natural world, but what makes Thorvaldsdottir’s works unique is her imaginative rendering of nature—her ability to create the affect of tangible, physical landscapes through sound. She is enthralled by large-scale ensembles, and writes detailed orchestral scores that draw the listener in with layers of sonic perspectives. Read on

American Dream

Liner notes for album of works by Scott Wollschleger titled American Dream (Cantaloupe Music, February 2019).

Soft Aberration

Liner notes and photographs for Scott Wollschleger's debut album Soft Aberration (New Focus Recordings, October 2017). Read the entire booklet here.

Saariaho X Koh

Liner Notes for Jennifer Koh’s album Saariaho X Koh on Cedille Records featuring the violin works of Kaija Saariaho. You can download the booklet here, or read the notes in this post.

Lesley Flanigan: Sound, Intuition, and Process

An interview of Lesley Flanigan for The Log Journal

Excerpt: "If I think about the advice I would give to myself at a younger age, the first thing I would say is trust the process. For example, I stepped away from sound for those five years. I thought I had lost my voice, but it was in me, I just needed to come at it from another angle. That means trusting the process and living your life. It doesn’t just go away; it can percolate and come back even stronger, whether it’s writing music or creating a project." Read on

A series for the Journal of the American Viola Society on The 20/19 Project

• The 20/19 Project: A Centennial Celebration, JAVS, Volume 35 No. 1, September 2019. Part one discusses the origins of the project and the process of commissioning new work in general.

• The 20/19 Project: Composer Workshops, Journal of the American Viola Society, Vol. 36, No. 2, Fall 2020. Part two gives a behind the scenes look at workshops with The 20/19 Project composers held at University of Northern Colorado, Oberlin Conservatory, and Thorvaldsdottir’s studio in London.

Approaches to Modern European Viola Repertoire: A Conversation with John Stulz

Published in the Journal of the American Viola Society, Volume 33 No. 2, December 2017

A series for NewMusicBox on the importance of (and resources for) building curriculum diversity:

• Building Curriculum Diversity: Stereotype Threat

• Building Curriculum Diversity: Pink Noises

• Building Curriculum Diversity: Analytical Essays

• Building Curriculum Diversity: Technique, History, and Performance