Role

:

Composer Performer

Birth

:

1944 in Chicago, IL

Genre

:

Avant-Garde

 

 

Chamber

 

 

Vocal

 

James Dashow is an American composer of contemporary classical music, known for his innovative use of electronic and computer-generated sounds. Born on March 24, 1944, in Chicago, Illinois, Dashow grew up in a musical family. His father was a jazz pianist, and his mother was a singer. From a young age, Dashow showed a keen interest in music, and he began studying the piano and composition at the age of six. Dashow's early musical education was primarily focused on classical music, and he studied with several prominent composers, including Milton Babbitt and Luigi Nono. He also studied electronic music with G.M. Koenig at the Institute of Sonology in Utrecht, Netherlands. Dashow's early works were primarily for traditional instruments, but he soon began incorporating electronic sounds into his compositions. One of Dashow's early works, "Synchronisms No. 6" (1970), is a notable example of his use of electronic sounds. The piece features a solo piano accompanied by electronic sounds generated by a computer. The electronic sounds are not simply background noise, but rather an integral part of the composition, interacting with the piano in a complex and dynamic way. Dashow's use of electronic sounds continued to evolve throughout his career, and he became known for his innovative use of computer-generated sounds. One of his most famous works, "Labyrinth: A Computer Music Concerto" (1987), is a concerto for computer-generated sounds and orchestra. The piece was commissioned by the Boston Symphony Orchestra and was premiered at the Tanglewood Music Festival. In addition to his work as a composer, Dashow has also been a prominent educator and advocate for contemporary classical music. He has taught at several universities, including the University of California, San Diego, and the University of Florence in Italy. He has also served as the president of the International Computer Music Association and has been a frequent speaker and panelist at conferences and festivals around the world. Dashow's contributions to contemporary classical music have been recognized with numerous awards and honors. He has received grants and fellowships from the National Endowment for the Arts, the Rockefeller Foundation, and the Fulbright Program. He has also been awarded the Prix Ars Electronica, the Guggenheim Fellowship, and the Rome Prize. Despite his many accomplishments, Dashow remains committed to pushing the boundaries of contemporary classical music. He continues to experiment with new sounds and techniques, and his work remains influential to a new generation of composers and musicians.

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