Role

:

Composer  

Birth

:

1973

Period

:

Contemporary

 

 

Modern

Genre

:

Chamber

 

 

Concerto

 

Kenji Bunch is a contemporary classical music composer who was born on March 27, 1973, in Portland, Oregon. He grew up in a family of musicians, with his mother being a pianist and his father a violinist. Bunch started playing the violin at the age of four and showed a natural talent for music. He went on to study at the Juilliard School in New York City, where he earned his Bachelor of Music degree in violin performance. Bunch's early career was focused on performing as a violinist, and he played with several prestigious orchestras, including the New York City Ballet Orchestra and the Orpheus Chamber Orchestra. However, he soon realized that his true passion was composing music. He began studying composition with John Corigliano and Robert Beaser at the Juilliard School, and later with David Diamond at the Manhattan School of Music. Bunch's compositions are known for their eclectic style, blending elements of classical, jazz, and folk music. He has written works for a variety of ensembles, including orchestras, chamber groups, and solo instruments. Some of his most notable works include "Supermaximum" for orchestra, "String Circle" for string quartet, and "Concerto for Piano and Orchestra." One of Bunch's most significant works is his "Aspects of an Elephant" suite for string quartet. The piece was inspired by the ancient Indian parable of the blind men and the elephant, in which each man touches a different part of the elephant and describes it differently. Bunch's composition explores the idea of perception and interpretation through music, with each movement representing a different aspect of the elephant. The piece has been performed by numerous string quartets around the world and has received critical acclaim for its innovative approach to storytelling through music. Another notable work by Bunch is his "Concerto for Viola and Orchestra," which was commissioned by the Oregon Symphony in 2008. The piece was written for violist Roberto Diaz and is known for its virtuosic solo passages and lush orchestration. The concerto has been performed by orchestras around the world and has become a staple of the viola repertoire. Bunch's music has been performed by some of the world's leading orchestras and ensembles, including the New York Philharmonic, the Los Angeles Philharmonic, and the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center. He has also collaborated with a variety of artists outside of the classical music world, including jazz pianist Marcus Roberts and singer-songwriter Pink Martini. In addition to his work as a composer, Bunch is also an accomplished violist and has performed as a soloist and chamber musician around the world. He is a founding member of the Flux Quartet, a contemporary music ensemble known for their innovative performances and recordings. Bunch has received numerous awards and honors for his work as a composer, including a Guggenheim Fellowship, a Rockefeller Foundation Fellowship, and the American Academy of Arts and Letters' Goddard Lieberson Fellowship. He has also been recognized for his contributions to the classical music community, receiving the Young Concert Artists Composer Award and the ASCAP Morton Gould Young Composer Award. Overall, Kenji Bunch is a highly respected and innovative composer whose work has pushed the boundaries of classical music.

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