Composer Blogs@Sequenza21.com

Composer Anthony Cornicello (born in Brooklyn, New York, 1964) writes music that blurs distinctions between performers and electronics, timbre and harmony, composition and improvisation, and explores the boundaries of what may be considered post-classical concert music. His music is vibrant and visceral, full of rhythmic energy and harmonic sophistication, and his forays into live electronics have led to exciting combinations of instruments and processed sound. Cornicello’s background as a jazz pianist is evident not only in the rhythmic activity of his music, but also in his constant investigation of the rich sonorities available from a variety of instruments.

He has been commissioned to write music for the Scorchio Electric String Quartet, ModernWorks! (funding from Meet the Composer/ Commissioning Music USA), the Auros Group for New Music, the Prism Saxophone Quartet, the New York New Music Ensemble, David Holzman, the Group for Contemporary Music, and the InterEnsemble of Padova, Italy. His work has also been featured on the Guggenheim Museum’s “Works and Process” series. Cornicello’s works have also been performed by the Chicago Civic Symphony, Parnassus, ALEA III, Composers Concordance, Madeleine Shapiro, Robert Black, among many other outstanding groups and solo performers. His music has been presented as part of the Darmstadt International Festival of New Music as well as the June in Buffalo Festival.

Cornicello’s Second String Quartet has been recorded by the Atlantic String Quartet; the Second Sonata for Piano by David Holzman (Centaur). More recently, his Post-Modern Waltz was recorded by Eric Moe for Albany Records. A portrait CD of Cornicello’s works is scheduled for 2006 release on Albany Records.

As a performer, he has conducted or played piano in his own works on numerous occasions. While a graduate student at Rutgers, he formed and directed the Janus Ensemble, a group dedicated to contemporary music. More recently, Cornicello has begun performing on the laptop, using a variety of interfaces and the Max/MSP program. Those performances, mostly with EEE!, have had a notable impact on his music, as EEE!’s music ranges from hip-hop to experimental noise. EEE! is based at Eastern Connecticut State University, where Cornicello is an Associate Professor and Director of the Electronic Music Lab.

Cornicello received the Ph.D. from Brandeis University, where he studied with David Rakowski, Eric Chasalow, and Martin Boykan. His teachers also include Charles Wuorinen, Gérard Grisey, and Richard Beirach.

His current fields of interest include developing unusual interfaces for live computer music performances, as well as continuing to investigate resonance and spatialization. His recent and current projects (mostly for string instruments and electronics) have been exploring the latter two, and the series of experimental works ReZenant Garden, performed by EEE! have operated on all three areas of interest. Future projects will include works for instrumental groups or soloists and electronics, as well as turntablists.

Cornicello's works are published by C.F. Peters Corporation and APNM, and he is a member of BMI.

Friday, December 07, 2007
Stockhausen (1928-2007)

I just got this press release, announcing Stockhausen's passing.

Sad to say, we've lost another creative soul.





PRESS RELEASE

The composer Karlheinz Stockhausen passed away on December 5th 2007
at his home in Kuerten-Kettenberg and will be buried in the
Waldfriedhof (forest cemetery) in Kuerten.

He composed 362 individually performable works. The works which were
composed until 1969 are published by Universal Edition in Vienna, and
all works since then are published by the Stockhausen-Verlag.
Numerous texts by Stockhausen and about his works have been published
by the Stockhausen Foundation for Music.

Suzanne Stephens and Kathinka Pasveer, who have performed many of his
works and, together with him, have taken care of the scores, compact
discs, books, films, flowers, shrubs, and trees will continue to
disseminate his work throughout the world, as prescribed in the
statutes of the Stockhausen Foundation for Music, of which they are
executive board members.

Stockhausen always said that GOD gave birth to him and calls him home.

****

Šfor love is stronger than death.

IN FRIENDSHIP and gratitude for everything that he has given to us
personally and to humanity through his love and his music, we bid
FAREWELL to Karlheinz Stockhausen, who lived to bring celestial music
to humans, and human music to the celestial beings, so that Man may
listen to GOD and GOD may hear His children.

On December 5th he ascended with JOY through HEAVENšS DOOR, in order
to continue to compose in PARADISE with COSMIC PULSES in eternal
HARMONY, as he had always hoped to do: You, who summon me to Heaven,
Eva, Mikael and Maria, let me eternally compose music for Heavenšs
Father-Mother, GOD creator of Cosmic Music.

May Saint Michael, together with Heavenšs musicians in ANGEL
PROCESSIONS and INVISIBLE CHOIRS welcome him with a fitting musical
GREETING.

On behalf of him and following his example, we will endeavor to
continue to protect the music.

Suzanne Stephens and Kathinka Pasveer
in the name of the world-wide family of musicians who love him,
together with everyone who loves his music.

****

On Thursday, December 13th 2007, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. it will be
possible to personally say farewell to Karlheinz Stockhausen in the
chapel of the Waldfriedhof in Kuerten (Kastanienstrasse).

A commemorative concert will take place soon at the Sülztalhalle in
Kuerten. Programme, time and date will be specially announced.
?