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Lainie Fefferman is a contemporary classical music composer who was born in 1980 in New York City. She grew up in a family of musicians, with her mother being a pianist and her father a composer. Fefferman started playing the piano at a young age and later learned to play the guitar and the bass. Fefferman attended the Oberlin Conservatory of Music, where she studied composition with Lewis Nielson and Randolph Coleman. She also studied electronic music with Tom Lopez and improvisation with Pauline Oliveros. After graduating from Oberlin in 2002, Fefferman went on to earn a Master of Music degree in composition from the Yale School of Music, where she studied with Martin Bresnick and David Lang. Fefferman's music is characterized by its eclectic style, which draws on a wide range of influences, including rock, jazz, and electronic music. Her compositions often feature unconventional instrumentation, such as electric guitars, synthesizers, and drum machines, and incorporate elements of improvisation and live electronics. One of Fefferman's most notable works is her 2011 composition "Here I Am," which was commissioned by the New York Philharmonic for their CONTACT! new music series. The piece is scored for electric guitar, bass, drums, and electronics, and features a soloist who improvises over a series of repeating patterns. The piece was praised for its innovative use of rock instrumentation in a classical context and was performed by the New York Philharmonic at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Fefferman has also written several works for chamber ensembles, including "Tongue of Thorns," which was commissioned by the American Composers Orchestra and premiered at Carnegie Hall in 2014. The piece is scored for string quartet, electric guitar, and percussion and features a complex rhythmic structure that draws on Fefferman's interest in African and Latin American music. In addition to her work as a composer, Fefferman is also an active performer and collaborator. She is a founding member of the contemporary music ensemble thingNY and has performed with a variety of other groups, including the International Contemporary Ensemble and the Wet Ink Ensemble. Fefferman's music has been performed at venues and festivals around the world, including the Bang on a Can Marathon, the MATA Festival, and the Venice Biennale. She has received numerous awards and honors for her work, including a Charles Ives Scholarship from the American Academy of Arts and Letters and a grant from the New York Foundation for the Arts. Overall, Lainie Fefferman is a talented and innovative composer who has made significant contributions to the contemporary classical music scene. Her eclectic style and unconventional instrumentation have helped to push the boundaries of what is possible in classical music, and her work continues to inspire and challenge audiences around the world.

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