Residency Dates: May 14, 2017 - June 03, 2017
Application Deadline: December 04, 2016
John Gibson composes electroacoustic music, which he often combines with instrumental soloists or ensembles. He seeks to complement and extend the musical inflections of performers with vivid electronic sound, sometimes generated on the fly by the software he develops. Originally a composer of purely acoustic music, he retains in his electroacoustic work an obsession with harmonic color and rhythmic pulsation, along with a timbral sensitivity born of his early years as a rock guitarist. His music embraces influences ranging from contemporary classical to jazz, funk, and electronica.
Gibson’s new portrait CD, Traces, will be released this fall on innova. Other recordings of his music are available on the Centaur, Everglade, and SEAMUS labels. Audiences across the world have heard his music, in venues including the D-22 punk rock club in Beijing, the Palazzo Pisani in Venice, and the U.S. Botanic Garden. His instrumental compositions have been performed by, among others, the London Sinfonietta, the Seattle Symphony, the Da Capo Chamber Players, Speculum Musicae, Earplay, and at the Tanglewood and Marlboro festivals. Presentations of his electroacoustic music include concerts at the Seoul International Computer Music Festival, the Bourges Synthèse Festival, the Brazilian Symposium on Computer Music, the Australasian Computer Music Conference, the Third Practice Festival, and many ICMC and SEAMUS conferences.
Significant awards include a Guggenheim Fellowship, a Charles Ives Scholarship from the American Academy and Institute of Arts and Letters, the Paul Jacobs Memorial Fund Commission from the Tanglewood Music Center, and a residency in the south of France from the Camargo Foundation. He holds a Ph.D. from Princeton University, where his primary composition teachers were Milton Babbitt, Paul Lansky, and Steven Mackey. He has taught composition and computer music at the University of Virginia, Duke University, and the University of Louisville. He is now Associate Professor of composition and electronic music at the Indiana University Jacobs School of Music.
For more information, please visit http://john-gibson.com.
Residency Statement
I invite composers, performers, and sound artists who currently incorporate electronic resources into their practice, or would like to begin doing so, to join me in exploring the whole gamut of approaches now available. This might mean working on a piece for acoustic instruments and live electronics, creating an electroacoustic soundscape composition, designing an improvisatory framework for one or more laptops, developing a sound installation, or using spectral analysis as the basis for a purely acoustic work, among many other possibilities. I am also happy to work with composers who are interested in acoustic composition without the use of electronics.
In addition to addressing technical issues (e.g., programming in Max), we will investigate aesthetic concerns that arise from our work. There will be frequent group meetings during which we can exchange ideas and learn about each other’s work. I also will be available for individual meetings. I plan to hold several improvisation sessions for anyone who would like to participate, as this activity can prompt musical discoveries that we may want to pursue in our own work.
Application Requirements
- If you are primarily a composer or sound artist, submit two recent works, with appropriate documentation: audio (MP3 or AAC), video, scores, software (patches, scripts). For files larger than 15 MB, please use a file-sharing service, such as Box or DropBox, and include a link to the files in a separate document that you submit. You may also link to a media sharing site, such as YouTube or Vimeo. If you are primarily a performer, please link to video documentation of two of your performances.
- A letter of intent (.doc, .docx, .pdf), saying what you would like to work on during the residency. Briefly describe your influences, experience, and aspirations. Please also indicate your level of experience with music technology (not for selection purposes).
- A short CV (.doc, .docx, .pdf).
Residency Fee: $900
Includes a $100 administration fee, weekday meals and housing; does not include artist materials, transportation, or weekend meals.
Scholarships / Financial Assistance
Only accepted Associate Artists may apply for financial assistance. For details, please visit the master artist details page.