Role

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Composer

Genre

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Avant-Garde

 

 

Chamber

 

Dan Becker is a contemporary classical music composer who was born in San Francisco, California in 1954. He grew up in a musical family, with his father being a jazz pianist and his mother a classical pianist. Becker began playing the piano at a young age and later learned to play the guitar and bass. Becker attended the University of California, Santa Cruz, where he studied music composition with David Cope and electronic music with Larry Polansky. He later earned a Master of Fine Arts degree in music composition from Mills College in Oakland, California, where he studied with Lou Harrison and Terry Riley. Becker's music is known for its eclectic style, blending elements of classical, jazz, rock, and world music. He has composed works for a variety of ensembles, including chamber groups, orchestras, and choirs. Some of his most notable works include "Gridlock," a piece for string quartet and electronics, "Revolutions," a concerto for electric guitar and orchestra, and "The Singing Tree," an opera for children. One of Becker's early works, "The Myth of the First Three Years," was written for the Kronos Quartet and premiered in 1985. The piece is based on the idea that the first three years of a child's life are the most important in terms of shaping their personality and development. The music is characterized by its use of extended techniques, such as glissandi and harmonics, and its unconventional rhythms. In 1990, Becker composed "The Heavenly Theatre," a piece for chamber orchestra that was inspired by the writings of the 17th-century philosopher Giordano Bruno. The music is characterized by its use of modal harmonies and its incorporation of Renaissance and Baroque dance forms. Becker's "Revolutions" concerto for electric guitar and orchestra was premiered in 2005 by the Oakland East Bay Symphony. The piece is divided into three movements, each of which explores a different aspect of the guitar's sound and technique. The first movement is characterized by its use of distortion and feedback, while the second movement features a more lyrical and melodic style. The final movement is a fast and energetic piece that showcases the guitar's virtuosity. In 2010, Becker composed "The Singing Tree," an opera for children that was commissioned by the San Francisco Opera. The opera tells the story of a young girl who discovers a magical tree that can sing. The music is characterized by its use of folk melodies and its incorporation of children's voices. Becker's "Gridlock" for string quartet and electronics was premiered in 2014 by the Del Sol String Quartet. The piece is inspired by the traffic congestion in Becker's hometown of San Francisco and features a combination of live and pre-recorded sounds. The music is characterized by its use of repetitive patterns and its incorporation of electronic effects. In addition to his work as a composer, Becker is also a co-founder of the Common Sense Composers' Collective, a group of composers who collaborate on new music projects. He has also served as the artistic director of the San Francisco Composers Chamber Orchestra and has taught music composition at the University of California, Santa Cruz. Overall, Dan Becker's music is characterized by its eclectic style, its use of unconventional techniques and rhythms, and its incorporation of diverse musical influences.

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