9/17/2015

BryceDessnerLongBiographyMusicSalesClassical

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Bryce Dessner
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Bryce Dessner
Born: 1976
Nationality: American
Publisher: Chester Music
Photo Rene Cervantes
BryceDessnerisoneofthemostsoughtaftercomposersofhisgeneration,witha
rapidlyexpandingcatalogofworkscommissionedbyleadingensembles.Knownto
manyasaguitaristwithTheNational,heisalsoactiveasacuratoravitalforcein
theflourishingrealmofnewcreativemusic.
Hisorchestral,chamber,andvocalcompositionshavebeencommissionedbythe
LosAngelesPhilharmonic,MetropolitanMuseumofArt(fortheNewYork
Philharmonic),KronosQuartet,BAMNextWaveFestival,BarbicanCentre,
EdinburghInternationalFestival,SydneyFestival,eighthblackbird,SPercussion,
NewYorkCityBallet,andmanyothers.Hehascreatedtheatricalworksin
collaborationwithchoreographersBenjaminMillepiedandJustinPeck,visualartist
MatthewRitchie,theBrooklynYouthChorus,andcomposersSufjanStevensand
NicoMuhly.
Dessnersmusiccalledgorgeous,fullheartedbyNPRandvibrantbyTheNew
YorkTimesismarkedbyakeensensitivitytoinstrumentalcolorandtexture.
Propulsiverhythmsoftenalternatewithpassagesinwhichtimeisdeftlysuspended.
Hisharmoniesareexpressiveandflexible,rangingfromthedenseblockchordsof
AheymtothespaciousmodalityofMusicforWoodandStrings.
BridgingmusicallanguagesandcommunitiescomesnaturallytoDessner,born
1976inCincinnati,Ohio.Afterearlytrainingontheflute,heswitchedtoclassical
guitarinhisteens.WhileinhighschoolhestartedabandwithhistwinbrotherAaron,
alsoaguitarist.Iwasplayingclassicalguitarrecitals,andpeoplesaid,Youknow,
youcantreallydoboththings,recalledDessnerinSalon.MyintuitiontoldmetheywerewrongSomedaythatdiversityof
experiencewouldbemoreenrichingorrewardingthanjustgoingdownonepath.
HeearnedhisbachelorsandmastersdegreesfromYaleUniversity.WhileatYaleinthelate90's,Dessnermettheother
membersofthequartetthatbecameClogs,weavingcompositionsoutofimprovisationsonclassicalinstruments.Clogshas
touredwidely,releasingfivealbumssince2001.Thatsameyearsawthefoundingofthecriticallyacclaimed,Grammy
nominatedindierockbandTheNational,anchoredbytheDessnerbrothers.
Aheym,commissionedin2009byKronosQuartet,wasabreakthroughscore.Itmadeitsdebutbeforeanaudienceof
thousandsinBrooklynsProspectPark,notfarfromDessnershome.Sincethen,theensemblehasplayedtheintense,
anguishedpiecehundredsoftimesitservedasthecenterpieceofa2013KronosdiscdevotedtoDessnersmusiconthe
Antilabel.St.CarolynbytheSeafollowedin2014onDeutscheGrammophon,featuringthelyricaltitleworkandtwoother
DessnercompositionsperformedbytheCopenhagenPhilharmonicunderAndredeRidder.May2015marksthereleaseon
BrasslandofMusicforWoodandStrings,analbumlengthworkperformedbySPercussiononcustombuiltChordSticks
thatlendashimmering,hammerdulcimerlikequality.
Asaperformerandproducer,Dessnerhascollaboratedwithawidevarietyofmusicians,amongthemSteveReich,Philip
Glass,DavidLang,BonIver,AntonyandtheJohnsons,theBangonaCanAllStars,composer/guitaristJonnyGreenwood,
singerSharaWorden,andmultiinstrumentalistRichardReedParry.
Hisactivitiesasacuratorhavegrownashiscareerhasexpanded,allowinghimtobringdiverseartistsandcommunities
togetherinanorganicway.Mostrecently,hehasbeentappedtocurate'MountainsandWaves,'aweekendcelebrationofhis
musicattheBarbicaninLondon,May2015,withguestsincludingSteveReich,eighthblackbird,SPercussion,Caroline
Shaw,andtheBrittenSinfonia.InSeptemberof2015,DessnerwillalsocurateaweekendofperformancesattheCorkOpera
House,Ireland.
MusicNOW,theCincinnatibasedcontemporarymusicfestivalhefoundedin2006,hasfeaturedTinariwen,JustinVernon,
JoannaNewsom,DavidLang,GrizzlyBear,PerfumeGenius,andtheCincinnatiSymphonyOrchestra,amongmanyothers.In
2015,MusicNOWcelebratedits10yearanniversary.Tomarktheoccasion,analbumtitledMusicNOW:10Years,comprised
ofthefestivalsbestliveperformances,wasreleased.
ThisMay,GustavoDudamelwillconducttheLosAngelesPhilharmonicinthepremiereofQuilting,a17minutescoreco
commissionedwiththeBBCSymphonyOrchestra.UpcomingprojectsincludeascorefortheNewYorkCityBallet,
choreographedbyJustinPeck,andanewworkcommissionedbytheMetropolitanMuseumofArt,tobeperformedbythe
NewYorkPhilharmonic.Bothscoreswillpremiereinthe201516season.
BryceDessnersmusicispublishedbyChesterMusicLtd.

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