Alexandra Gardner (1967- )
The
instrumental and electroacoustic music of composer Alexandra
Gardner combines explorations into the rich details of
acoustic
sound with a visceral percussive energy to create dynamic sonic
landscapes. Drawing inspiration from sources ranging from mythology and
contemporary poetry to her training as a percussionist, Gardner is
building new audiences for contemporary music with an expressive sound
and a flair for the imaginative and unexpected. A native of
Washington, DC, Gardner studied music composition at Vassar
College, the California Institute of the Arts, and The Peabody
Conservatory of Music. Gardner's compositions have been featured at
festivals and venues throughout the U.S. and internationally, including
performances at the Aspen Music Festival, The Warsaw Autumn Festival,
MATA Festival of New Music, Centro de Cultura Contemporania de
Barcelona, The Corcoran Gallery of Art, Look and Listen Festival,
Conservatory of Amsterdam, Mobtown Modern, The Library of Congress, The
Third Practice Festival and The Kennedy Center. Her music has been
commissioned and performed by ensembles and musicians such as
Percussions de Barcelona, SOLI Chamber Ensemble, bass clarinetist Harry
Sparnaay, saxophonist Brian Sacawa, ETHEL, pianist Kathleen Supové,
Ne(x)tworks and The Seattle Chamber Players. She has written a great
deal of music for modern dance, and has worked with choreographers
Deborah Riley, Sharon Mansur, Daniel Burkholder and Gesel Mason. Among
Gardner's honors and awards are recognitions from Meet the Composer,
ASCAP, The American Music Center, American Composers Forum, the
Mid-America Arts Alliance, the Maryland State Arts Council, Vassar
College, The Netherland-America Foundation, the Open Meadows
Foundation, the Prix Ton Bruynel and the Smithsonian Institution. She
has been a composer-in-residence at the Atlantic Center for the Arts,
Harvestworks Digital Media Arts Center, Liz Lerman Dance Exchange and
The MacDowell Colony. From 2002-2004 she was a Visiting Composer at the
IUA/Phonos Foundation in Barcelona, Spain. In 2006 Innova Recordings
released Gardner's CD Luminoso, a series of six compositions for solo
instrument with electronics. She was a 2008 recipient of a DC
Commission for the Arts and Humanities Individual Artist Fellowship. COMPOSITIONS Alexandra Gardner Links ~ ~ ~ Works by Genre
Sleeping Weather, a thunderstorm meditation on tape (1990)
Marblehead, sampled toy marbles (1992)
Two Breathing Songs, clarinet (1993)
Waterbourne, electronic tape (1995)
Ituri, trumpet, harp and tape (1996)
Earthmoves, 2 percussionists (1990; rev. 1996)
Migrations, flute, clarinet, violin, cello, piano and percussion (1997)
Crows, clarinet, violin, cello and piano (1998)
Picking Up, computer-generated tape (1999)
Shifting Sands, computer-generated tape (2000)
Tamarack, accordion and ensemble (2000)
Spotted Jasper, bass clarinet, marimba and electronic sounds (2001)
Snapdragon, trombone and sampled sounds (2002)
Ayehli, marimba and sampled sounds (2002)
Ónice, bass clarinet and processed sounds (2003)
New Skin, alto flute and computer (2003)
Luminoso, guitar and sampled sounds (2003)
Tourmaline, soprano saxophone and computer sound (2004)
Coyote Turns, string quartet (2004)
Coyote, percussion quartet (2004)
(Re)acciones, piano and computer sound (2005)
It was bound to happen, bass clarinet and organ (2006)
electric blue pantsuit, amplified violin and computer sound (2007)
The Way of Ideas, flute, clarinet, violin and cello (2007)
Mythimna Twilight, alto saxophone and guitar (2008)
Banyan, orchestra (2008)
Bloom, cello and boombox (2009)
There is a reason why, clarinet, violin, cello and drum set (2009)
Two by Eight, saxophone, bassoon, electric guitar, violin, cello, contrabass, piano and drum set (2009)
Mint Conditioner, double bass and electronics (2010)
WORKS BY GENRE Alexandra Gardner Links ~ top of page ~
Orchestra
Banyan, orchestra (2008)
Soloist(s) w/Orchestra or Ensemble
Tamarack, accordion and ensemble (2000)
Chamber
Earthmoves, 2 percussionists (1990; rev. 1996)
Migrations, flute, clarinet, violin, cello, piano and percussion (1997)
Crows, clarinet, violin, cello and piano (1998)
Tamarack, accordion and ensemble (2000)
Spotted Jasper, bass clarinet, marimba and electronic sounds (2001)
Coyote Turns, string quartet (2004)
Coyote, percussion quartet (2004)
It was bound to happen, bass clarinet and organ (2006)
The Way of Ideas, flute, clarinet, violin and cello (2007)
Mythimna Twilight, alto saxophone and guitar (2008)
There is a reason why, clarinet, violin, cello and drum set (2009)
Two by Eight, saxophone, bassoon, electric guitar, violin, cello, contrabass, piano and drum set (2009)
Percussion
Earthmoves, 2 percussionists (1990; rev. 1996)
Migrations, flute, clarinet, violin, cello, piano and percussion (1997)
Spotted Jasper, bass clarinet, marimba and electronic sounds (2001)
Ayehli, marimba and sampled sounds (2002)
Coyote, percussion quartet (2004)
Solo Instrument
Two Breathing Songs, clarinet (1993)
Ituri, trumpet, harp and tape (1996)
Snapdragon, trombone and sampled sounds (2002)
Ayehli, marimba and sampled sounds (2002)
Ónice, bass clarinet and processed sounds (2003)
New Skin, alto flute and computer (2003)
Luminoso, guitar and sampled sounds (2003)
Tourmaline, soprano saxophone and computer sound (2004)
electric blue pantsuit, amplified violin and computer sound (2007)
Bloom, cello and boombox (2009)
Mint Conditioner, double bass and electronics (2010)
Piano
(Re)acciones, piano and computer sound (2005)
Electronic
Sleeping Weather, a thunderstorm meditation on tape (1990)
Marblehead, sampled toy marbles (1992)
Waterbourne, electronic tape (1995)
Ituri, trumpet, harp and tape (1996)
Picking Up, computer-generated tape (1999)
Shifting Sands, computer-generated tape (2000)
Spotted Jasper, bass clarinet, marimba and electronic sounds (2001)
Snapdragon, trombone and sampled sounds (2002)
Ayehli, marimba and sampled sounds (2002)
Ónice, bass clarinet and processed sounds (2003)
New Skin, alto flute and computer (2003)
Luminoso, guitar and sampled sounds (2003)
Tourmaline, soprano saxophone and computer sound (2004)
(Re)acciones, piano and computer sound (2005)
electric blue pantsuit, amplified violin and computer sound (2007)
Mint Conditioner, double bass and electronics (2010)
ALEXANDRA GARDNER LINKS Works by Genre ~ top of page ~
Alexandra Gardner Awarded W.K. Rose Fellowship (Vassar College)
Composer's website . . . contact Alexandra Gardner: alex@alexandragardner.net
Alexandra Gardner/Building Noises (composer's blog)
Alexandra Gardner @ American Composers Forum
Alexandra Gardner @ American Music Center
Alexandra Gardner @ Art of the States
Alexandra Gardner @ Classical Archives
Alexandra Gardner @ CrossSounds 2000
Alexandra Gardner @ Dilettante Music
Alexandra Gardner @ Fractured Altas
Alexandra Gardner @ Innova Records
Alexandra Gardner @ ISMIR
Alexandra Gardner @ Joshua Roman
Alexandra Gardner @ LinkedIn
Alexandra Gardner @ Music & Vision
Alexandra Gardner @ MySpaceMusic
Alexandra Gardner @ New Amsterdam Records
Alexandra Gardner @ NewMusicBox
Alexandra Gardner @ Sequenza 21
Alexandra Gardner @ Time Out New York
Publisher
Alexandra Gardner @ composer's website
Streaming Audio
Alexandra Gardner @ Composer's website (click individual work titles on composer's "music" webpage)
Alexandra Gardner @ Art of the States
Alexandra Gardner @ Classical Archives
Alexandra Gardner @ last.fm
Alexandra Gardner @ MySpaceMusic
Alexandra Gardner @ Rhapsody
Recordings
Alexandra Gardner @ composer's website
Alexandra Gardner @ ClassicsOnline
Alexandra Gardner @ Innova Records
Alexandra Gardner @ Music & Vision
Alexandra Gardner @ New Amsterdam Records
Video
Alexandra Gardner @ YouTube
Alexandra Gardner @ Google Video
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