Composer OverTime is a series of interviews featuring discussions and works by innovative composers across the world today. Andrew Watts and Nick Virzi are both composers based at Stanford University, and will be facilitating these chats each week - sometimes with Bay Area guests and sometimes on location across the US and internationally. During each episode we will hear a new perspective on the contemporary music landscape, find out about the composer’s creative process and musical background, as well as listen to some of their recent work.
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Episode XII: Nick Virzi
This week our guest is Nick Virzi, an American composer based in Woodside, California. Nick has participated in a number of top festivals and residencies such as Impuls, the Cortona Sessions, and soundSCAPE. Similarly, his works have been premiered by several leading artists and ensembles today including Séverine Ballon, soprano Tony Arnold, the Los Angeles Percussion Quartet, the JACK Quartet, the Spektral Quartet, Splinter Reeds, Quince Contemporary Vocal Ensemble, Ensemble Liminar, Distractfold, the Ekmeles Vocal Ensemble, the TAK Ensemble, and Ensemble Dal Niente. He completed his doctorate at Stanford University where he studied with Mark Applebaum and Brian Ferneyhough. Currently Nick teaches an original course entitled Wild Sound Explorers at the Stanford Summer Arts Institute and International Institutes.
Episode XI: Kevin Zhang
This week our guest is Kevin Zhang, an American composer based in Los Angeles, California. Kevin has participated in a number of top festivals and residencies such as Darmstadt, Royaumont, and the Electroacoustic Barn Dance. Similarly, his works have been premiered by several leading ensembles today including the Contemporary Consort, Palimpsest Ensemble, Radnofsky Quartet, SO Percussion, Trio SurPlus, La Jolla Symphony and Chorus, flutist Ine Vanoeveren, and conductor Steven Schick. Kevin began his university education in composition at NEC, and later earned an MFA from the Integrated Composition, Improvisation, and Technology program at UC Irvine and a PhD from the Department of Music at UCSD. Currently he teaches Music Technology at Chapman University.
Episode X: Carolyn Chen
This week our guest is Carolyn Chen, an American composer living in Los Angeles, California. Carolyn has participated in a number of top festivals and residencies such as Impuls, Darmstadt, the Wellesley Composer Conference, MATA, the Harvard Composition Summer Institute, YCM, Academie Schloss Solitude, and Ostrava Days. Similarly, her works have been premiered by several leading ensembles today including Klangforum Wien, the LA Phil New Music Group, SurPlus, Southland, SFCM Players, Pamplemousse, Mocrep, red fish blue fish, and Wild Rumpus. She began her university education in music at Stanford, also earning a masters in Modern Thought and Literature there. Later she undertook graduate studies, as Fulbright Scholar, at the China Academy of Art. She has worked closely Katharina Rosenberger, Anthony Burr, and Charles Curtis. Carolyn completed her doctorate in composition at the University of California, San Diego.
Episode IX: Brian Baumbusch
This week our guest is Brian Baumbusch, an American composer living in Alameda, California. Brian began his university education at Bard College, where he studied microtonal composition with Kyle Gann, and later received his M.A. in composition from Mills College, where he studied with Chris Brown, Fred Frith, Roscoe Mitchell, and Zeena Parkins. From 2016-2018, he taught composition, music theory, and music history on the faculty at Santa Clara University where he also directed the Balinese Gamelan ensemble. Since 2014, Baumbusch has directed the U.C. Santa Cruz Balinese Gamelan ensemble, where he continues to teach while pursuing his D.M.A.
Episode VIII: Stylianos Dimou
This week our guest is Stylianos Dimou, a Greek composer based in Graz, Austria. Stylianos has participated in a number of top festivals and residencies such as Impuls, Gaudeamus, Manifeste, Royaumont, Tactus, June in Buffalo, and Delian Academy. Similarly, his works have been premiered by several leading ensembles today, including Ensemble InterContemporain, Ensemble Modern, Exaudi Vocal Ensemble, Brussels Philharmonic, Talea Ensemble, Mivos Quartet, Ensemble Nikel, Alea III, and Alarm Will Sound. Stylianos began his university education in composition at the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, later undertook graduate studies as a Fullbright Scholar at the Eastman School of Music, and studied electronic music at IRCAM in Paris through the CURSUS program. He has worked closely with Georg Friedrich Haas, George Lewis, Fred Lerdahl, and Beat Furrer. Currently, Stylianos is completing his doctorate in composition at Columbia University.
Episode VII: Clara Iannotta
This week our guest is Clara Iannotta, an Italian composer living in Berlin, Germany. Clara has participated in a number of top residencies, such as the DAAD and the Villa Médicis in Rome. Similarly, her work has been premiered by several leading ensembles today, such as Ensemble InterContemporain, Trio Catch, Klangforum Wien, and Ensemble Nikel. Clara began her university education at the conservatories of Milan and Paris, and later studied at IRCAM with Alessandro Solbiati and Frédéric Durieux. She completed her doctorate in composition at Harvard with Chaya Czernowin. Since 2014, Clara has been the artistic director of the Bludenzer Tage zeitgemäßer Musik.
Episode VI: Eoin Callery
This week our guest is Eoin Callery, an Irish composer living in Mountain View, California. His works have been premiered by several leading musicians today, including Severine Ballon, the JACK Quartet, Splinter Reeds, Now Hear Ensemble, Ensemble Pamplemousse, Radical 2, Quince Contemporary Vocal Ensemble, Ensemble Liminar, Rage Thrombones, and Ensemble Retrodisco. Eoin began his university education in composition at University College Cork, and later received his masters at Wesleyan University, as well as his doctorate from Stanford University. He is currently a lecturer at the Center for Computer Research in Music and Acoustics (CCRMA) at Stanford University.
Episode V: Timothy McCormack
This week our guest is Timothy McCormack, an American composer living in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Tim has participated in a number of top festivals and residencies such as Schloss Solitude. Similarly, his works have been premiered by several leading ensembles today, including the Elision Ensemble, the JACK Quartet, Klangforum Wien, Ensemble Dal Niente, Talea, Ensemble Nikel, Ensemble Surplus, Musikfabrik, and Ensemble Recherche. Tim began his university education in composition at Oberlin, and later studied at the University of Huddersfield with Aaron Cassidy and Liza Lim. He was worked closely with Steven Takasugi, Roger Renoylds, Mark Andre, Claus Steffen Mahnkopf, Amnon Wolman, Jason Eckhardt, Olga Neuwirth and Philippe Manoury – all major figured in the field.. Currently, Tim is completing his doctorate at Harvard with Chaya Czernowin and Hans Tutschku.
Episode IV: Jon Yu
This week our guest is Jon Yu, a Taiwanese-American composer from the Bay Area, currently in residence in Paris. Jon’s work explores notions of ritual, utility, and excess. He has participated in a number of top festivals and residencies such as June in Buffalo, Darmstadt, and SICPP. Similarly, his works have been premiered by several leading ensembles today, including the Mivos Quartet, Wet Ink, Ensemble Surplus, Ensemble Signal, and Earplay. Jon is currently pursuing his PhD in composition at UC Berkeley where he studies with Frank Bedrossian, Ken Ueno, and Edmund Campion. He has also participated in masterclasses and private lessons with Steven Takasugi, Rebecca Saunders, Philippe Manoury, and Klaus Lang.
Episode III: Andrew Watts
This week our guest is Andrew Watts, an American composer living in San Francisco, California. Andrew has participated in a number of top festivals and residencies such as Composit, Darmstadt, Etchings, Impuls, Ostrava Days, Rainy Days, and the Wellesley Composer Conference. Similarly, his works have been premiered by several leading musicians today, including Ekmeles Vocal Ensemble, Proton Bern, Distractfold, Quince Vocal Ensemble, Line Upon Line, soprano Tony Arnold, and cellist Severine Ballon. Andrew began his university education in composition at the New England Conservatory, and later received his masters at Oxford University. Currently, Andrew is completing his doctorate in composition at Stanford with Brian Ferneyhough.
Episode II: Joanna Bailie
This week our guest is Joanna Bailie, a British composer living in Berlin, Germany. Joanna's music has been featured in a number of top festivals and residencies such as Donaueschingen, Venice Biennale, Huddersfield, Borealis, Transit, and Darmstadt. Similarly, her works have been premiered by several leading ensembles today including the London Sinfonietta, Exaudi, Ensemble Musikfabrik, Ensemble Neder, the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra, and the Ives Ensemble. Joanna began her university education in composition with Richard Barrett, and later studied electronic music in Holland as well as composition at Columbia University in the City of New York. She completed her PhD at City University of London, and together with composer Matthew Shlomowitz, Joanna is the founder and artistic director of ensemble Plus-Minus.
Episode I: Davor Branimir Vincze
This week our guest is Davor Branimir Vincze, a Croatian composer living in Palo Alto, California. Davor has participated in a number of top festivals and residencies such as Impuls, MATA, Manifeste, and Royaumont. Similarly, his works have been premiered by several leading ensembles today including Ensemble Intercontemporain, Klangforum Wien, Ensemble Modern, Talea, and Ensemble Recherche. Davor began his university education in composition at Graz and Stuttgart, and later studied at IRCAM in Paris. He has worked closely with Stefano Gervasoni, Georg Friedrich Haas, Klaus Lang, Mauro Lanza, and Marco Stroppa - all major figures in the field. Currently, Davor is completing his doctorate in composition at Stanford with Brian Ferneyhough.