Role

:

Composer  

Birth

:

in San Diego, CA

Genre

:

Avant-Garde

 

Erik Griswold is a contemporary classical music composer and pianist who was born on October 18, 1959, in San Diego, California. He grew up in a musical family, with his father being a jazz pianist and his mother a classical pianist. Griswold began playing the piano at a young age and showed a natural talent for music. Griswold attended the University of California, San Diego, where he studied composition with Roger Reynolds and received his Bachelor of Arts degree in 1982. He then went on to earn his Master of Music degree in composition from the University of Michigan in 1984, where he studied with William Albright. After completing his studies, Griswold moved to Australia in 1986 and has since become a prominent figure in the Australian contemporary classical music scene. He has composed works for a variety of ensembles, including orchestras, chamber groups, and solo performers. His music is known for its unique blend of Western classical music and non-Western musical traditions, particularly those of Asia. One of Griswold's most notable works is "Old MacDonald's Yellow Submarine," a piece for toy piano and electronics. The piece was commissioned by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation and premiered in 2005. It has since become one of Griswold's most popular works and has been performed around the world. Another notable work by Griswold is "Wallpaper Music," a piece for prepared piano and electronics. The piece was commissioned by the Australian Art Orchestra and premiered in 2010. It features a unique sound world created by the use of prepared piano, which involves placing objects on the strings of the piano to alter its sound. Griswold has also composed several works for gamelan, a traditional Indonesian ensemble consisting of percussion instruments. His interest in gamelan music began in the 1990s when he traveled to Indonesia to study the music. Since then, he has incorporated gamelan elements into many of his compositions, including "The Pleasure Garden," a piece for gamelan and string quartet that was commissioned by the Australian String Quartet and premiered in 2013. In addition to his work as a composer, Griswold is also an accomplished pianist. He has performed his own works as well as the works of other composers around the world. He has also collaborated with a variety of musicians, including the Australian Art Orchestra, the Australian String Quartet, and the percussion ensemble Speak Percussion. Griswold has received numerous awards and honors for his work as a composer, including the APRA Art Music Award for Instrumental Work of the Year in 2014 for "The Pleasure Garden." He has also been a finalist for the same award several times, as well as for the Melbourne Prize for Music. Overall, Erik Griswold is a highly respected composer and pianist who has made significant contributions to the contemporary classical music scene in Australia and around the world. His unique blend of Western classical music and non-Western musical traditions has created a sound world that is both innovative and captivating.

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