Role

:

Composer  

Birth

:

January 23, 1980 in Downey, CA

Death

:

May 11, 2018 in St. Louis, MO

 

Matt Marks was a talented and innovative composer, performer, and conductor who made a significant impact on the world of classical music during his short but prolific career. Born on August 13, 1980, in Santa Cruz, California, Marks showed an early interest in music and began playing the piano at the age of five. He later learned to play the trumpet and the French horn, and by the time he was a teenager, he was already composing his own music. Marks attended the Eastman School of Music in Rochester, New York, where he earned a Bachelor of Music degree in composition in 2002. He then went on to pursue a Master of Music degree in composition at the Yale School of Music, where he studied with Martin Bresnick and David Lang. During his time at Yale, Marks co-founded the contemporary music ensemble Alarm Will Sound, which would go on to become one of the most innovative and influential ensembles of its kind. As a composer, Marks was known for his eclectic and genre-defying style, which blended elements of classical music, rock, pop, and electronic music. His works often featured unconventional instrumentation and incorporated elements of theater and performance art. Some of his most notable compositions include "The Little Death: Vol. 1," a song cycle for soprano and chamber ensemble that explores themes of love, sex, and death; "A Portrait of Glenn Gould," a multimedia work that pays tribute to the legendary pianist; and "The Adventures of Albert Fish," an opera based on the true story of a notorious serial killer. Marks was also a gifted performer and conductor, and he frequently collaborated with other musicians and ensembles. He was a founding member of the contemporary music collective New Music Detroit, and he performed with numerous other groups, including the Bang on a Can All-Stars, the International Contemporary Ensemble, and the New World Symphony. In addition, he conducted many of his own compositions, as well as works by other composers. Throughout his career, Marks received numerous awards and honors for his work. In 2005, he was awarded the Charles Ives Scholarship from the American Academy of Arts and Letters, and in 2006, he was named a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize in Music for his composition "The Little Death: Vol. 1." He also received grants and commissions from organizations such as the Fromm Music Foundation, the Meet the Composer Foundation, and the American Composers Forum. One of the highlights of Marks' career was his work with Alarm Will Sound, which he co-founded in 2001 with fellow composer and conductor Alan Pierson. The ensemble quickly gained a reputation for its innovative and boundary-pushing performances, which often featured new and experimental works by contemporary composers. Marks served as a performer, composer, and conductor for the group, and he was instrumental in shaping its unique sound and style. Some of the most notable performances by Alarm Will Sound under Marks' leadership include their 2005 performance of Steve Reich's "Music for 18 Musicians" at Carnegie Hall, which was hailed as a landmark event in the history of contemporary music; their 2007 performance of John Adams' "A Flowering Tree" at the Lincoln Center Festival, which was praised for its stunning visuals and innovative staging; and their 2011 performance of "1969," a multimedia work that explores the cultural and political upheavals of the late 1960s.

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