Role

:

Composer Performer

Country

:

United States of America

Genre

:

Electronic/Computer

 

Tom Hamilton is a renowned American composer, performer, and sound artist who has made significant contributions to the field of contemporary classical music. Born on December 18, 1951, in Colorado Springs, Colorado, Hamilton grew up in a family that valued music and the arts. His father was a jazz pianist, and his mother was a painter, which exposed him to different forms of artistic expression from an early age. Hamilton's interest in music began when he was a child, and he started playing the piano at the age of six. He later learned to play the trumpet and the guitar, which he used to perform in various bands during his teenage years. Hamilton attended the University of Colorado, where he studied music composition and electronic music. He later earned a Master of Fine Arts degree in electronic music from Mills College in Oakland, California. Hamilton's early works were influenced by the minimalist and experimental music of composers such as Terry Riley, Steve Reich, and La Monte Young. He was also inspired by the avant-garde art and performance scene in New York City, where he moved in the early 1980s. Hamilton became involved in the downtown music scene, collaborating with artists such as John Cage, Robert Ashley, and Alvin Lucier. One of Hamilton's most significant works is "Pieces for Kohn," a series of compositions that he created in the late 1970s and early 1980s. The pieces were named after the artist and musician Conrad Kohn, who was a close friend and collaborator of Hamilton's. The "Pieces for Kohn" were performed in various venues in New York City, including The Kitchen and Franklin Furnace, and were praised for their innovative use of electronic and acoustic instruments. Hamilton's work has been performed and exhibited in numerous venues and festivals around the world, including the Venice Biennale, the Whitney Museum of American Art, and the Museum of Modern Art in New York City. He has also received several awards and grants for his work, including a Guggenheim Fellowship, a National Endowment for the Arts grant, and a New York Foundation for the Arts Fellowship. In addition to his work as a composer and performer, Hamilton has also been involved in teaching and mentoring young musicians and artists. He has taught at several institutions, including the California Institute of the Arts, the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, and the Bard College Conservatory of Music. Hamilton's work continues to be influential in the field of contemporary classical music, and he remains an active performer and composer. His innovative use of electronic and acoustic instruments, as well as his collaborations with other artists and musicians, have helped to push the boundaries of what is possible in music and sound art.

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