SPLICE Institute 2024 Participant Concert 3 Program
Saturday June 29, 2024
3:30pm EDT
Multi Media Room, Western Michigan University
Livestream simulcast on SPLICE YouTube (unique link)
Delilah Smith : Drag Study 9b (2024)
Delilah Smith, synth
Eve Beglarian : Robin Redbreast (2003)
Valerie Beck, voice
Robin Meiksins, piccolo
Alyssa Wixson : Microgeographies I (2024)
Daniel Knapp, cello
Greg Cerveny : From Tape (2024)
Jacob Ottmer, percussion
Lee Hiu Yi Joyce : Trench (2024)
Nik Hooks, bassoon
Carter Crosby : burn//out (2024)
Daniel Knapp, cello
Will Judd : Ambiguous Spaces (2024)
Nik Hooks, bassoon
Indigo Knecht : coral canticle (2024)
Robin Meiksins, flute
Notes
Delilah Smith : Drag Study 9b
a study on hybrid physical/virtual synthesizer improvisation with audio mosaicing
"drag means retracing processes of construction on one’s own body"
- Renate Lorenz in "Queer Art"
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Eve Beglarian : Robin Redbreast
Robin Redbreast was commissioned by the Guggenheim Museum for an evening of songs celebrating the poetry of Stanley Kunitz. Thanks to flutist Margaret Lancaster for her ideas, suggestions, and support while I was writing the piece. Thanks to the Holby family (especially Grethe, Barrett, Robin and Will) for the use of their
house in Vermont, where I wrote it. Robin Redbreast is dedicated to my mother, Joyce, who taught me how to tell the birds.
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Carter Crosby : burn//out
burn//out captures a sense of overwhelm I feel both internally and externally. My thoughts can sometimes feel physically crowded, making it difficult for me to keep a coherent train of thought. The state of my own internal world and the world around me both feel incredibly precarious. I found myself in many loud, overstimulating places as I was trying to write, so I chose to record and incorporate these environments into my piece-intertwining this chaos with simple, organic melody that builds on itself as the performer slowly loses themself in the noise.
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Greg Cerveny : From Tape
Lee Hiu Yi Joyce : Trench
Chaos beneath the waves,
Reality under the ocean,
Life in the trench.
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Alyssa Wixson : Microgeographies I
The title Microgeographies refers to the physical geography of the instrument, the imaginary geography of the electronic sounds spatialized throughout the room, and the psychological geography of how we fit musical utterances together in time, especially within the context of an improvisation (or quasi-improvisation). This is the first in a planned series of pieces which will explore these themes. It was composed for and premiered at SPLICE Institute 2024, in collaboration with cellist Daniel Knapp.
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Will Judd : Ambiguous Spaces
The fundamental characteristic of this piece is its use of the electroacoustic compositional practices of sound-source separation and stereo field placement to create an ambiguity in the identification of where the sounds in the piece come from.
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Indigo Knecht : coral canticle
coral canticle was composed with data from coral larvae settling in their
environment, translated into pitch, musical time, and live processing for the
work. The data comes from Dr. Melissa Ruszczyk’s research at the University of
Miami. Through sonifying her findings, this piece aims to bring awareness to the
endangerment and restoration of coral reefs. The optional video, also supplied
by Dr. Ruszczyk, features the coral larvae themselves.
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Bios
Happy to be back home in Michigan, Valerie attended Grand Valley State University for her Bachelor’s in Music. While there, she worked with Opera Grand Rapids as an Emerging Artist and Chorus Member. Valerie moved to Chicago to earn her Masters in Music from Roosevelt University CCPA. There she joined Nightingale Ensemble, a new music ensembles consisting of voice, harp, flute, and two guitars. The ensemble performs commissioned and existing works by contemporary composers that explore new musical landscapes. Known for her steely brilliance with balanced richness, Valerie enjoys singing contemporary operas, new music, and the collaborative process that comes with it. She competed with a composer-pianist-vocalist team to create and perform a new work for Chicago’s SongSLAM in 2022 and won second place. Recent roles include Dvořák’s “Rusalka”, Jo from Adamo’s “Little Women”, and The Knowledge of God from Hildegard von Bingen’s “Ordo Virtutum” (Upcoming August 2024).
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According to the Los Angeles Times, composer and performer Eve Beglarian is a “humane, idealistic rebel and a musical sensualist.” A 2023 winner of the Arts and Letters Award for “a spectacular body of work that innovates and takes enormous risks,” she is also a 2017 winner of the Alpert Award in the Arts for her “prolific, engaging and surprising body of work,” and has been awarded the 2015 Robert Rauschenberg Prize from the Foundation for Contemporary Arts for her “innovation, risk-taking, and experimentation.”
Her current projects include a solo piano piece about Emily Dickinson responding to Ives’ Concord Sonata for the pianist Donald Berman, a piece about water issues on the Colorado River for the Moab Music Festival, a queer exploration of 14th century composer Guillaume de Machaut’s multimedia love story, Le Voir Dit, with singer/performer Lukas Papenfusscline, and a piece for 24 basses in a grove of trees, composed for Robert Black and friends. Since 2001, she has been creating A Book of Days, “a grand and gradually manifesting work in progress…an eclectic and wide-open series of enticements.” (Los Angeles Times)
In 2009, “Ms. Beglarian kayaked and bicycled the length of the Mississippi River [and] has translated her findings into music of sophisticated rusticity. [Her] new Americana song cycle captures those swift currents as vividly as Mark Twain did. The works waft gracefully on her handsome folk croon and varied folk instrumentation as mysterious as their inspiration.” (New York Times)
Beglarian’s chamber, choral, and orchestral music has been commissioned and widely performed by the Los Angeles Master Chorale, the American Composers Orchestra, the Bang on a Can All-Stars, the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center, the California EAR Unit, the Orchestra of St. Luke’s, loadbang, Newspeak, the Ekmeles Vocal Ensemble and individual performers including Maya Beiser, Lara Downes, Lucy Dhegrae, and Thomas Feng.
Highlights of Beglarian’s work in music theater includes music for Mabou Mines’ Obie-winning Dollhouse, Animal Magnetism, Ecco Porco, Choephorai, and Shalom Shanghai, all directed by Lee Breuer; Forgiveness, a collaboration with Chen Shi-Zheng and Noh master Akira Matsui; and the China National Beijing Opera Theater’s production of The Bacchae, also directed by Chen Shi-Zheng.
She has collaborated with choreographers including Ann Carlson, Robert LaFosse, Victoria Marks, Susan Marshall, David Neumann, Take Ueyama, and Megan Williams, and with visual and video artists including Cory Arcangel, Anne Bray, Vittoria Chierici, Barbara Hammer, Kevork Mourad, Shirin Neshat, Matt Petty, Bradley Wester, and Judson Wright.
Performance projects include Brim, Songs from a Book of Days, The Story of B, Open Secrets, Hildegurls’ Ordo Virtutum, twisted tutu, and typOpera.
Recordings of Eve’s music are available on ECM, Koch, New World, Canteloupe, Innova, Naxos, Kill Rock Stars, CDBaby, and Bandcamp.
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Greg writes music software and electro acoustic music.
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Carter Crosby (b. 2001) is a composer, theorist, and multimedia artist currently based in East Lansing, Michigan. They work to create immersive experiences in both their musical works and installations- combining auditory, visual, and written art forms to create dynamic music on and off the page that engages fluidly with both the performers and audience.
Carter is excited about interdisciplinary work within and beyond the arts, working with writers, visual artists, and programmers. It is also a core tenet of their composing as an individual, frequently producing their own video for installations, creating graphic scores, or utilizing programs like Max/MSP to create dynamic electronic effects for live performance. Carter has had works selected for performance at national festivals such as Electronic Music Midwest, SoundSCAPE composition-performance exchange, Walden Creative Musicians Retreat, and REDNOTE composition workshop.
Carter is currently pursuing a master's in music composition from Michigan State University where they serve as an Academic Achievement Graduate Assistant in Music Technology and a STEAMpower Fellow. This semester, they are directing the MSU Electronic Music Workshop, an eclectic improvisation ensemble. Carter completed their undergraduate studies in composition and music theory at the University of Kansas, where they received many honors for their music and multimedia work including the Harry and Jessie Jacobs Prize in Music, the Matilla Award for Excellence in Electronic Music, and an Undergraduate Research Award for the development of their multimedia installation “How We Are Now”.
Outside of music, Carter enjoys writing poetry, baking, and exploring their local farmer’s market.
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Bassoonist Nik Hooks enjoys a varied career as a chamber, orchestra, and solo per-former. As an orchestral bassoonist, Mr. Hooks has performed with such ensembles as Fort Worth Symphony, American Symphony Orchestra, The Knights and the Princeton Symphony, throughout renowned venues such as Los Angeles’s Walt Disney Concert Hall, Dublin’s National Concert Hall, and Boston’s Symphony Hall. Comfortable per-forming a wide range of genres, he has been proud to share the stage with artists such as Sandeep Das, Anthony Roth Constanza, Steven Banks, and The Afield.
Mr. Hooks has had opportunities to train with esteemed pedagogues at major orches-tras, most recently Gina Cuffari, Principal Bassoonist of Orpheus Chamber Orchestra. He holds a performer’s certificate from the Colburn School and a bachelor’s degree from the New England Conservatory where his teachers included Richards Beene, Ranti, and Svoboda. Additional training from Tom Novak, Ashley Heintzen, and Randy Doo.
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My name is Lee Hiu Yi Joyce (b.1998), a year 1 student, who is currently studying towards a Master of Music (Composition) at University of Western Ontario. I am studying composition and electroacoustic composition & performance under the guidance of Dr. Frehner. During my studies, besides my focus on music composition on different medium and platforms, I have paid my efforts into academic results as well, in order to achieve the above results and even obtain several scholarships to continue my studies.
As a composer and sound designer, I am always looking for opportunities to develop my technical skills and collaborate with creative professionals from other artistic disciplines. I have worked on several projects within different music realms, including contemporary solo & chamber music, electro-acoustic music, Pop music and DJing. I can also handle multi-disciplinary art technologies, such as recording & mixing, and programming and Installation making. I enjoy trying many other new ways of expression in my music composition, with the use of today’s technology. Most of my self-developed works are mainly showing my reflections on the state of the world, true-self and interpersonal relationships in today’s society.
I am always willing and hoping to exchange ideas and collaborate with artists and musicians. Even if the opportunities are limited for composers, I will definitely seize the chances to participate in different music conferences, call for scores and composition courses.
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Will Judd is a 20 year old multimedia artist and composer from Los Angeles, California. He is currently attending Oberlin Conservatory of music, where he studies Technology in Music and Related Arts. His work ranges from “plunderphonic” collage fixed media, to contemporary choral and string chamber works. His compositional aesthetics often incorporate sampling / quotational practices, and are largely influenced by the constantly evolving presence of technology and media consumption in our modern world.
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Originally from Minnesota, Daniel is a Cellist and Arts Manager studying at Oberlin College and Conservatory of Music. His musical training started with renowned cellist and Alexander teacher Käthe Jarka and has led him to Oberlin, where he currently studies with Dmitry Kouzov. Also at Oberlin, Daniel has developed his own Major in Arts Administration & Concert Design and is the Founder of The Musikos Collective, a student-led presenting organization working to expand Oberlin’s involvement in its larger community.
Daniel strives to perform and constantly explore the world of new music, collaborating frequently with composers at Oberlin, NEC, and BOCO at Berklee, as well as being a frequent member of The Cello Seminar with Rhonda Rider. Daniel has premiered works by Joan Tower, Nicole Lizée, and Courtney Brian and has had the pleasure of working alongside Eighth Blackbird, Wendy Eisenberg, and Viet Cuong in his recent performances.
While performance has given Daniel his passion for music, he is also excited to be pursuing a career in Arts Management. In his studies, he has worked alongside The Orpheus Chamber Orchestra, Pink Noise Agency, and Bang on a Can to explore and learn about eclectic programming, concert production, and artistic direction.
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Indigo is a composer, tubist, and educator fascinated with the challenges people face as they navigate this world. Through a synthesis of contemporary classical music and rock & roll, Indigo explores themes such as environmentalism, mental illness, self-realization, and advocacy for diversity, equity, and inclusion.
Indigo has a BM in Music Composition from Bowling Green State University and a MM in Composition from University of Michigan. They are currently in their second year at University of Miami pursuing a D.M.A. in Composition under the guidance of Dr. Charles Norman Mason. After graduating in May 2025, Indigo intends on teaching music theory, composition, and technology at the university level while continuing to develop expansive compositions that bring awareness to issues in our world with groundbreaking technology.
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Robin Meiksins is a flutist and improviser focused on collaboration with living composers and music performance through the internet. Chicago-based, she uses online media to support and create collaboration, as well as more traditional means of performance. Robin’s biggest creative platform is YouTube. On her channel she is most known for her long term collaborative projects, the first being 365 Days of Flute in 2016-2017. Robin has since completed 5 more long term Youtube projects. Most recently, Robin completed two projects highlighting improvisation and Chicago beer and breweries. Robin has premiered over 200 works written by living composers. In September 2022, she premiered two works for woodwind trio for Arc Project’s “Three Winds” project. She has performed at the SEAMUS national conference, EMM, SPLICE Institute and Festival, and Oh My Ears festival, among others.
Robin holds a masters degree from Indiana University’s Jacobs School of Music where she studied with Kate Lukas and Thomas Robertello. Robin received a Bachelors of Music with Distinction from University of Toronto, having studied with Leslie Newman.
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Jacob Ottmer, percussionist, features a multi-faceted career that includes composing, arranging, performing, and educating. His current projects include revitalizing the percussion repertory’s chamber music and exploring live electronics, while in his off time he enjoys baking desserts.
Jacob has a special interest in writing chamber music that explores textures with classical instruments, but in ways not traditionally pursued in the past. While he writes in ways that can be demanding of the instruments, performers have often said his writing is, “very idiomatic to play.” Jacob frequently pursues collaboration with performers and composers, this has even led him to become the Director of Cincinnati New Music, a new music collective.
As an educator, Jacob has taught at CCM, Raiders Drum & Bugle Corps, and other schools throughout Ohio. Now, he teaches percussion at Xavier University in Cincinnati, Ohio. As part of his work teaching the marching arts, he also composes and arranges for groups across the country.
Jacob’s performance opportunities include marching percussion, percussion ensemble, orchestras, and salsa bands. As part of his chamber music projects, he has premiered new works at festivals in Texas and Michigan, some of which were commissions that won awards at SEAMUS. Jacob is now serving as Principal Percussionist for the Lima Symphony Orchestra.
This year, Jacob will be completing his work on a DMA at the Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music studying with Jim Culley and Rusty Burge. His final projects are related to a passion of his, live electronics and audiovisuals. In this medium he both performs others’ works and creates some of his own. Prior to this, he received his Master’s degree there at CCM and his Bachelor’s degree at Kent State University with Dr. Matt Holm and Cameron Leach.
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Delilah Smith is a composer, improviser and multimedia artist currently based in Chicago (with roots in Kansas and Texas). Smith primarily plays with guitar(s), synthesizer(s), and computer(s?). In addition to playing her own music, she has helped premiere works by students and teachers, as well as playing in solo/group free improvised settings. In 2021, she served as artistic director of the Oberlin Synthesizer Ensemble, leading to a call for works concert featured in the 2021 virtual SEAMUS conference. Her recent work has been focused on developing strategies for live performance and composition with audio mosaicing, utilizing the Max/MSP MuBu library made by IRCAM. Smith graduated from Oberlin Conservatory in 2021 with a BM in Technology in Music and Related Arts, and was awarded the TIMARA Founders Fund John Clough Prize for distinctive work within the department.
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Described as "mesmerizing" by Classical Voice North America, Alyssa Wixson’s music is a curiosity-fueled exploration of the sonic potential inherent in objects and environments. Employing technology, improvisation, field recordings, and found objects, they construct evocative and immersive pieces that are often informed by the sounds and processes of the natural world. Their music challenges the listener to attend deeply to sonic detail, and to find interest and beauty in sounds that are often otherwise overlooked.
They hold a Master of Arts in composition from Stony Brook University, and a Bachelor of Music degree with a composition emphasis from Texas Tech University. They are currently pursuing a PhD in Integrated Composition, Improvisation, and Technology at UC Irvine.
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