Role

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Composer Performer

Birth

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November 21, 1955 in Dallas, TX

Genre

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Chamber

 

Kyle Gann is a contemporary American composer, music critic, and professor of music at Bard College. He was born on November 21, 1955, in Dallas, Texas, and grew up in rural East Texas. Gann's interest in music began at an early age, and he started playing the piano when he was six years old. He was also interested in literature and writing, and he wrote his first novel when he was only 12 years old. Gann attended the University of Texas at Austin, where he studied composition with Joseph Schwantner and received his Bachelor of Music degree in 1977. He then went on to study at Northwestern University, where he earned his Master of Music degree in 1978 and his Doctor of Music degree in 1983. While at Northwestern, Gann studied composition with M. William Karlins and computer music with Amnon Wolman. Gann's early compositions were influenced by minimalism, and he was particularly interested in the music of composers such as Steve Reich and Philip Glass. However, he soon began to develop his own unique style, which incorporated elements of minimalism, post-minimalism, and microtonality. Gann's music is often characterized by its rhythmic complexity, use of unconventional scales and tunings, and incorporation of non-Western musical traditions. One of Gann's most significant works is his opera "Custer and Sitting Bull," which was premiered in 1996 by the American Music Theater Festival in Philadelphia. The opera tells the story of the Battle of Little Bighorn from the perspectives of both General George Armstrong Custer and the Lakota Sioux leader Sitting Bull. The opera features a libretto by Gann, which draws on historical sources as well as Lakota and Cheyenne oral traditions. The music of the opera is characterized by its use of microtonality and unconventional scales, as well as its incorporation of Lakota and Cheyenne melodies. Another notable work by Gann is his "Hyperchromatica," a set of 24 preludes for piano that explore various microtonal tunings. The work was premiered in 1999 by pianist Sarah Cahill, who has since become a champion of Gann's music. "Hyperchromatica" is notable for its use of just intonation, a tuning system that is based on the ratios of small whole numbers and is believed to be more consonant than the equal-tempered tuning system used in Western music. Gann has also written extensively about music, both as a critic and as a scholar. He has been a music critic for the Village Voice since 1986, and his writing has also appeared in publications such as the New York Times, the Chicago Tribune, and the Los Angeles Times. Gann has written several books on music, including "The Music of Conlon Nancarrow," a study of the music of the American composer who is known for his use of player pianos and complex rhythmic structures. In addition to his work as a composer and writer, Gann is also a respected educator. He has taught at Bard College since 1997, where he is currently the Taylor Hawver and Frances Bortle Hawver Professor of Music. Gann has also taught at other institutions, including the University of California, Berkeley, and the Manhattan School of Music. Overall, Kyle Gann is a significant figure in contemporary American music. His compositions are characterized by their rhythmic complexity, use of unconventional scales and tunings, and incorporation of non-Western musical traditions.

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