Eric Chasalow
Eric David Chasalow is an American composer of acoustic and electronic music. He is Graduate Dean at Brandeis University, and Director of BEAMS, the Brandeis Electro-Acoustic Music Studio.
Biography
He was born in Newark, New Jersey on May 25, 1955 and was trained in music and biology at Bates College, Maine, where he was awarded a B.A. in 1977. He enrolled at the New England Conservatory of Music in Boston in 1975–76 to study composition. Between 1977 and 1985 he studied at Columbia University, earning the Doctor of Musical Arts in 1985 studying under Mario Davidovsky and the flute under Harvey Sollberger.He served as executive director of the Guild of Composers from 1980 to 1985 and of the Music Alliance in New York from 1988 to 1990. In 1983 he held a National Endowment for the Arts composer’s fellowship, in 1984, 1986, and 1998 Norlin/MacDowell fellowships, and in 1986-87 the Charles Ives fellowship of the American Academy of Arts and Letters and a Guggenheim fellowship. In 1989 and 1994 he awarded prizes by the International Society for Contemporary Music.
In 1990 he joined the faculty of Brandeis University, becoming chairman of the music department in 1996.
His music is published by G. Schirmer, McGinnis & Marx and Edition Bim and appears on CDs from New World Records, ICMC.
Selected works
INSTRUMENT AND TAPEShatter and Glide string trio and tape. Network for New Music commission
I’m Just Sayin’ for string quartet and tape. Lydian String Quartet commission
Incident and Scatter… for flute, clarinet, violin, ‘cello, percussion, piano and tape. Barlow commission for Talea
On That Swirl of Ending Dust for flute, clarinet, violin, ‘cello, percussion, piano and tape. CMA commission for NY New Music Ensemble
Are You Radioactive, Pal? alto saxophone and tape
Scuffle and Snap violin and tape
The Fundamental Object viola and tape. David Bursack commissioned
Trois Espaces du Son piano, percussion, tape. Miroglio-Aprodu duo commission
Due mani piano and tape. Vicki Ray commission for PianoSphere
What is Danced… harp and tape. Lucia Bova commission
In a Manner of Speaking bass clarinet and tape. Guido Arbonelli commission
Suspicious Motives flute, clarinet, violin, ‘cello, tape. Boston Musica Viva commission
‘Scuse Me electric guitar and tape. Tim Brady commission
Out of Joint trumpet and tape. Nuova Consonanza commission for Mauro Maur
Fast Forward two percussion and tape. Amy Knoles commission
Over The Edge flute and tape
The Furies soprano and tape. on poems by Anne Sexton
Hanging in the Balance 'cello and tape. for Fred Sherry. NEA commission
ORCHESTRA
Horn Concerto. Horn and chamber orchestra. For Bruno Schneider
Concerning Sunspots, Fromm commission for Boston Modern Orchestra Project
Dream Songs orchestra and tape. on five poems of John Berryman. Boston Modern Orchestra Project commission
CHAMBER MUSIC
Second Quartet spatially distributed string quartet, for the Lydian Quartet and the Rose Museum
Second Quartet concert hall version. string quartet, for the Lydian Quartet and the Rose Museum
The Nothing That Is three poems by Wallace Stevens, recomposed for solo cellist who speaks and sings
The Nothing That Is three poems by Wallace Stevens, soprano and guitar
String Sextet Portland Chamber Music Festival commission
Flute Concerto , Flute solo, clarinet, violin, ‘cello, percussion, piano. Koussevitzky Music Foundation commission
Fourth of Nature marimba duo. Stephen Paysen and Dominic Donato commission
Lo Schermo flute, violin, piano. David Macculi commission
Yes, I Really Did piano trio
To The Edge and Back flute and piano. Pappoutsaki Flute Competition commission.
In The Works flute, clarinet, violin, ‘cello, percussion, piano. Fromm Foundation commission
First Quartet string quartet.
Two from Three piano trio
VOICE
Ghosts of Our Former Selves ten texts by E Chasalow - version for fixed media and for live performance
Ghost Songs songs about identity on texts by E Chasalow for mezzo-soprano, clarinet, piano
Where it Finds Nothing But the Wind ten texts from the Dead Sea Scrolls. for soprano, flute, guitar, percussion, electronics
Five Simic Songs sop and string quartet. five songs on poems of Charles Simic. For the 50th anniversary of Brandeis University
Pass it On soprano and piano. on a poem by Rachel Hadas
The Shampoo soprano and piano. on a poem by Elizabeth Bishop
The Furies soprano and tape. on poems by Anne Sexton
Triptych soprano and piano. three songs on poems by Elizabeth Bishop and Rachel Hadas
SOLO
Ariel Fantasy text by William Shakespeare, monodrama for flute
Preconditions Create the Event violin solo
This Day Will Be flute solo. text by Eric Chasalow
Winding Up horn solo. Bruno Schneider commission
PIANO
A Solution in Search of a Problem
If True, Then…
As a Kind of Always
A Loose Translation
Groundwork
CHORUS
Elegy and Observation, an environmental requiem twelve voices and electronics. MusicaTrieze commission
Words SATB. four poems by Robert Creeley
OPERA
The Puzzle Master, text by F.D. Reeve. One-hour opera for five singers, keyboard, electronics and video.
ELECTROACOUSTIC
Ghosts of Our Former Selves ten texts by E Chasalow
Buchla Pieces fixed media
As a Kind of Knowing 8.1 chanl, 4 chnl, or stereo fixed media. In three movements.
Symphony of Popular Misconceptions 4 chnl or stereo fixed media. 3 mvts. may be programmed independently
Into Your Ears In honor of Mario Davidovsky’s 70th birthday
Museum in D for The Rose Museum.
Wolpe Variations Commissioned by the Stefan Wolpe Society to mark the Wolpe Centennial
Clapping Game Based on material from children at Charles Sumner Elementary School, Boston. A BMOP Project
Crossing Boundaries Commissioned by Bates College
Seven Variations on Three Spaces
Portrait of The Artist the voice of John Lennon
Left to His Own Devices the voice of Milton Babbitt
And it flew upside-down Commissioned by the Watertown Cultural Council
The Fury of Rainstorms on a poem by Anne Sexton
This Way Out
Notable students
Travis AlfordTalia Amar
John Aylward
Richard Beaudoin
Richard Belcastro
Mark Berger
Lou Bunk
Evren Celimli
Victoria Cheah
Richard Chowenhill
Anthony Cornicello
Allison Lirish Dean
Giuseppe Desiato
David Dominique
Maxwell Dulaney
Nathaniel Eschler
Ashley Floyd
Christian Gentry
Derek Hurst
Derek Jacoby
Gleb Kanasevich
Namhoon Matthew Kim
Todd Kitchen Emily Koh
Peter Van Zandt Lane
Li Qi
Mu-Xuan Lin
Ting-Chun Lin
Ying-Ting Lin
John Mallia
Chris Malloy
Laurie San Martin
Florie Namir
Sam Nichols
Seung-Won Oh
James Praznik
Jeremy Rapaport-Stein
Jeff Roberts
Jeremy Sagala
Brian Sears
Joseph Sowa
Jeremy Spindler
Roland Tec
Chris Warren
Craig Walsh
Julia Werntz
Yiguo Yan
Michele Zaccagnini