Chronology of Composition Premieres and Collaborations


10/29/06
9 Episodes for Xun and 2 Computers
  • Bruce Gremo - Xun
  • Musicacoustica Festival, Beijing, China
5/18/06
Choshi Variations for Shakuhachi and 2 Computers, concert length version
  • Bruce Gremo - shakuhachi
  • Black Box, Ashbury Park, NJ
9/10/05
Choshi Variations for Shakuhachi, Sho and 2 Computers
  • Bruce Gremo - shakuhachi
  • Tamami Tono - Sho
  • Tenri Institute, NYC
9/9/05
New Old Song 2 for Shakuhachi and 2 Computers
  • Bruce Gremo - shakuhachi
  • Chelsea Art Museum, NYC
7/16/04
Plateaus for Jane Rigler - flute and computer
  • Jane Rigler - flute
  • Project Issue Space, NYC
11/4/04
Plateaus for Mari Kimura - violin and computer
  • Mari Kimura - violin
  • Symphony Space, NYC
7/16/04
Plateaus for David Cossin - vibraphone and computer
  • David Cossin - vibraphone
  • MassMOCA, Massachusettes
11/28/03
Aura for Shakuhachi and 3 Power Books
  • Bruce Gremo -1.8 and 2.3 Shakuhachi
  • Osaka University of the Arts, Osaka, Japan
11/22/03
Aura for Shakuhachi and 3 Power Books
  • Digital Music Festival 2003
  • Bruce Gremo - 1.8 and 2.3 Shakuhachi
  • Xebec Hall, Kobe, Japan
10/17/03
New Old Song for solo Shakuhachi
  • Fukuoka Gendai Hogaku Festival
  • Christopher Yomei Blasdel - shakuhachi
  • Fukuoka, Japan
6/17/03
Risk Management
  • Bruce Gremo - MaxMSP, Hans Tammen - endangered guitar
  • MaxMSP Surround Sound Performance
  • Harvestworks, NYC
2/3/03
Plateaus 1-4 for Vibraphone and Power Book
  • premiered by David Cossin at Symphony Space, NYC
12/16/02
solo concert at Experimental Intermedia, NYC
  • Bruce Gremo - shakuhachi, flute, 2 Power Books
10/02
improvisation with Anne LaBerge at Kraakgeluiden in Amsterdam
  • all applications written by Bruce Gremo
6/02
16-channel Spatializing Improvisation with Hans Tammen and Dafna Naphtali
  • Engine 27, NYC
1/30/02
Drone and Koan (for solo Computer)
  • a standalone application work, downloadable until 2005
1/15/02
Drone and Koan (for ManYee)
  • Interactive computer application commissioned by composer/pianist ManYee Lam
  • premiered in Hong Kong
9/8/01
Duo improvisation with two interacting computers
  • Bruce Gremo - composer, flute, shakuhachi, Max/MSP
  • David Cossin - percussion, berimbau, amplified tubes, electronics suddensite, NYC
8/25/01
risk management: improvisation with two computers and electronics
  • Bruce Gremo - composer, flute, shakuhachi, Max/MSP
  • Hans Tammen - endangered guitar,Max/MSP
  • suddensite, NYC
8/18/01
Duo improvisation with two interacting computers and electronics
  • Bruce Gremo - composer, flute, shakuhachi, Max/MSP
  • Tom Hamilton - Nord modular synthesis system, computer
  • suddensite, NYC
8/11/01
Duo improvisation with interacting computers and electronics
  • Bruce Gremo - composer, flute, shakuhachi, Max/MSP
  • David First - guitar, electronics
  • suddensite, NYC
8/4/01
Duo improvisation with two interacting computers
  • Bruce Gremo - composer, flute, shakuhachi, Max/MSP
  • Anne LaBerge (Amsterdam) - multiple flutes
  • suddensite, NYC
4/13/01
Duo improvisation for two musicians and interacting computers
  • Christoph Irmer (Wuppertal) - violin
  • Bruce Gremo - composition, Max/MSP, shakuhachi, flute, EWI, M
  • suddensite, NYC
4/4/01
Duo improvisation with interacting computers
  • Bruce Gremo - Max/MSP, shakuhachi, flute, EWI, M
  • Boris Hauf (Vienna) - Max/MSP, electronics
  • suddensite, NYC
3/26-27/01
Trio improvisation with interacting computers
  • Bruce Gremo - Max/MSP, shakuhachi, flute, EWI, M
  • Karlheinz Essl (Vienna) - Max/MSP
  • Tom Hamilton - Max, keyboard, Nord Modular System
  • suddensite, NYC
9/22/2000
Drone & Koan
  • This is a computer interactive work for up to four musicians. The computer tracks them all at once.
  • Bruce Gremo - composer, programmer, flute, shakuhachi
  • David Cossin - vibraphone
  • Lukas Ligeti - balifon
  • Matt Fieldes - double bass
  • Lotus Studios, New York
10/20/2000
Other Flutes with guest flutist Anne LaBerge- improvisation with interactive computers
  • Other Flutes
    • Bruce Gremo - flute, shakuhachi, Max/MSP programming
    • Ricardo Arias - flute
    • Muriel Vergnaud - flute, alto flute
  • guest Anne La Berge - flute
  • suddensite, NYC
Pathos Series

  • Pathos 1 and 2 (1998) developed command and response systems using only midi and external synthesizers, samplers and pitch-to-midi converters.
  • Pathos 3 (1999) introduced strictly digital signal processing, enabling much of the sound generation to take place on the hard drive of the computer.
  • Pathos 4 (2000) relocated the pitch-to-midi conversion on the hard drive, and expanded the interface so that as many as four musicians could play and be read simultaneously by the computer.
8/2000 Pathos 4
  • Bruce Gremo - composer, flute, shakuhachi, programmer on all evenings
  • all performances at suddensite, NYC, with the following performers;
  • 8/17/2000
  • First Avenue
    • Matt Sullivan - oboe, English Horn
    • Bryan C, Rulon - keyboards, classic synthesizers
    • William Kannar - double bass
  • 8/16/2000
  • Matt Sullivan - oboe, English Horn
  • Peter Zummo - trombone
  • Hans Tammen - endangered guitar
  • 8/9 + 15/2000
  • Matt Sullivan - oboe,English Horn
  • 8/8/2000
  • BG, Peter Zummo - trombone
  • 8/2/2000
  • BG, Hans Tammen - endangered guitar
6/1/2000
Skies of America
  • Ornette Coleman Ð composer and director
  • Bruce Gremo - solo flutist
  • Knitting Factory Jazz Festival, NYC
5/26/2000
Quartet improvisation with interacting computers and electronics
  • Bruce Gremo - Max/MSP, shakuhachi, flute, EWI, M
  • Karlheinz Essl - Max/MSP
  • Tom Hamilton - Max, keyboard, Nord Modular System
  • Charles Cohen - Buchla synthesizers
  • suddensite, NYC
5/25/2000
Quartet improvisation with interacting computers
  • Bruce Gremo - Max/MSP, shakuhachi, flute, EWI, M
  • Karlheinz Essl - Max/MSP
  • Hans Tammen - endangered guitar
  • Dafna Naphtali - Max, electronics
  • suddensite, NYC
6/22 - 8/10/1999
Pathos 3
  • Bruce Gremo - composer, flute, shakuhachi, programmer on all evenings.
  • all performances at suddensite, NYC, with the following performers
  • 8/10/99
  • BG, Min Xiao Fen - pipa
  • 7/27/99
  • BG, Blaise Siwula - alto sax
  • 7/13/99
  • BG, David Simons - theremin
  • 7/6/99
  • BG, Charles Cohen - Buchla synthesizers
  • 6/29/99
  • BG, David Cossin - vibraphone
  • 6/22/99
  • BG, Hal Onserud - double bass
  • 5/10/99
  • BG, Daniel Carter - tenor sax
  • 5/4/99
  • BG, Elizabeth Panzer - harp
10/3/94
Conduction #44: Ornithology
  • Butch Morris, conductor
  • Bruce Gremo - solo flutist
  • Charlie Parker Jazz Festival, NYC




Education

1979
Honors Bachelor of Music in Composition - Wilfrid Laurier University
  • I studied composition with Owen Underhill, orchestration with Barrie Cabena.


1981 Master of Music in Composition - University of Victoria
  • I studied composition with Martin Bartlet and John Celona, theory with Rudolph Komorous.

1991
Master of Arts in Philosophy - New School for Social Research
Thesis title: The Topology of Music - Advisor: Reiner Schurmann
  • The thesis argued that the creation of music is a discursive form, and that its discursivity is ontologically interested, this latter attribute developing from Heidegger's premise of the basic ontological orientation of Dasein. The thesis attempts to articulate the basic categories of this interest, and to anticipate their systematic elaboration. The argument derived from readings of Heidegger's Being and Time, On the Origin of the work of Art, and The Principle of Identity, and from one primary musical text, Beethoven's Grosse Fuge.

Spring 1993
Eugene Lang Fellowship - Eugene Lang College at the New School for Social Research
  • This teaching scholarship was awarded for the course design summarized below. It gave me the opportunity to conduct the course as a seminar for senior undergraduate students.
    Course title: Truth and Music
    Truth is a property of language. Language happens in discourse. Music is discursive. Therefore, music can be characterized in terms of the truthfulness of its 'assertions'. Four claims, four problems. The first is well articulated; the middle two, progressively less so. The last one, not at all, even though it is a cliche to speak of "the language of music or of a composer." These problems oriented the course in its task of articulating two parallel paths that belong to the same onto-theologically interested history of thought (following from Heidegger's conception). It touched on Parmenides, Aristotle, Liebniz, Adorno, and Heidegger on the one hand, and on fragments of ancient Greek music informed by the theories of Aristoxinus, Gesualdo, Bach, Mozart, Varese, and Webern on the other.


Sustained Shakuhachi Study
  • Kinko style Honkyoku with Ralph Samuelson in NYC since 1995, and in Japan with Kinya Sogawa from 6/03 until 2/04.


1988 to 92
Assistant Editor
  • Graduate Faculty Philosophy Journal, New School for Social Research, NYC
  • My duties here consisted primarily of proofreading. The Chicago Manual of Style was the main reference book. During this time period, six volumes were published.


2006
Oxford Certificate in Teaching English as a Foreign Language (TEFL)
  • Specialization in Business English
  • Oxford Seminars, NYC, USA




Awards

2004 - Interactive Technology Artist in Residence Award at Harvestworks, NYC.
2003/04 -  Creative Artist Exchange Fellowship, a Japan/US Friendship Commission and NEA sponsored award that enables Fellows to study and work in Japan for six months.
May and June 2003 -  Composer in Residence at Civitella Rainieri Foundation in Italy.
2002 - NYFA Fellowship in Music Composition.
9/02 -  Artist in Residence at Steim in Amsterdam
5-6/02 -  Artist in Residence at Engine 27, NYC
2000 - Artist in Residence Award at Harvest Works, NYC
1991, 1995 and 1996 - Meet the Composer grants.

CDrs and CDs

CDrs
A new series of CDrs are soon about to be released.  They will go hand in hand with the applications soon to be found on the 'interactive' page of this site.

Ensemble CDs
Talking Harp is Elizabeth Panzer on harp, Ed Ware on drums, and Bruce Gremo on multiple flutes.  The CD is "You Are Here" published by White Tigers.

Group composer CDs
'Pathos 3,' Brue Gremo. On "Tangled Roots."  Salablu Records.

Soloist on CDs
"On Taoism," Tan Dun.  KOCH International GmbH SCHWANN / 3-1298-2
"2000 Today," Tan Dun. BBC under exclusive license to Sony Classical SK 89149
"Bitter Love," Tan Dun. Sony Music Entertainment Inc. / SK 61658
"Paper Music," Tan Dun.   1994  Parnassus Productions.

I have had the pleasure to collaborate with so many fantastic improvisers in acoustic/ad hoc electronic and/or computer performances, as well as orchestral performances. Allow me to list just a few some of whom I have ongoing projects, and others with whom I have had a memorable relationship.

Risk Management
Free improv max/msp-ing duo with Hans Tammen, master of the endangered guitar.
http://www.tammen.org/

David Cossin
The hippest and saviest percussionist I know. Too many projects over too long a time to list.
http://www.davidcossin.com/

Tom Hamilton
One of the finest synthesists I know.
http://www.kalvos.org/hamilto.html

Rene Beekman
Rene and I have collaborated several times performing video and sound.   A really fantastic experience playing music and creating images as though I was a real time abstract expressionist painter, using my flutes rather than a brush!
http://www.xs4all.nl/~rbeekman/

Other Flutes
Ricardo Arias, flute, and Muriel Vergnaud, flute and alto fl. Extended technique maestro Robert Dick coined the expression, the other flute.  I hope we managed to up the ante on the definition.

Talking Harp
Harpist Elizabeth Panzer brought Ed Ware (drums), and myself together for this trio. A great musical learning experience.

Tibeten Singing Bowl Ensemble
Raphael Mostel, is the composer, founder and director.  This goes back some time and the ensemble is unfortunately no longer active.  There were only two performances while I was part of the ensemble; at Alice Tully Hall, Lincoln Center 6/13/94 and Florence Gould Hall, 10/28/90.  It introduced me to a new way of listening and performing, and was unexpectedly formative.


Some Personal Highlights

Ornette Coleman is an icon.  I learned a great deal listening and watching him direct his piece.  And then on the same bill was the reunion set of his trio with Charlie Haden and  Billy Higgins.  Great bonus.

Skies of America
Ornette Coleman -composer, director
Bruce Gremo - flute soloist
Knitting Factory Jazz Festival
6/1/2000

I never realized I lived almost next to Charlie Parker's old home on Avenue B until I found my way into one of Butch Morris' Conduction pieces, and then played across the street in Thompkins Sq. Park.  Really a lot of fun.  Only regret was that there was  not more.

Conduction #44:Ornithology
Butch Morris, conductor-composer
Bruce Gremo - flute soloist
Charlie Parker Jazz Festival, NYC
8/28/94

From 1990 until April of 2000, I worked regularly with composer Tan Dun. Everything I did for him drew on my abilities as an improviser and composer. There were numerous fantastic opportunities in this time working as orchestra and chamber soloist, conductor, music director, and synthesizer programmer to name a few. I am grateful to him for those opportunities. They were great learning experiences. There are far too many occasions to warrant listing. Some of the personal highlights for me were the following.


The Peony Pavilion - Peter Sellars, director
- runs internationally throughout 1998 until March of 1999, in Vienna, London, Paris, Rome, and Berkeley CA
Bruce Gremo - synthesizer programmer, ensemble musician

Wien Modern - Xun soloist in Orchestra Theater 1: Xun
Conductor 2 in Orchestra Theater 2: Re
Austrian Radio Symphony Orchestra
11/15/99

Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center
- flutist in 7 new works by Asian composers
Tan Dun and the New Generation East
7/27/96

The Pink - Muna Tseng, Choreographer
- productions running from 9/1993 to 10/23-26/95, in Yellow Springs PA, Henry St. Settlement, DIA Foundation, The Kitchen and LaMamma in NYC, Haverford PA, Chicago IL, Hong Kong, Lexington KY, and Tallin Estonia

Proms Concerts at the Royal Albert Hall
- Xun soloist in Orchestra Theater 1: Xun
BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra
8/8/95




Dance

3/4-7/04
ahha - CD
  • with Sally Gross, choreographer
  • Joyce Soho, NYC
1/30,31/2003
X(Angels)Reconsidered
  • Electronic music for dance by Richard Siegal at the Bockenheimer Depot, Frankfurt
12/1999
Angels you may not have considered
  • commission from Hamburg based dance group Labor Gras 8 to write a 10-channel computer music work in collaboration with Frankfurt Ballet choreographer, Richard Siegal.
  • numerous performances in Hamburg, Frankfurt, Heidelburg, Basel, Zurich, and London from Dec. 1999 on
residency in Hamburg for December of 1999

4/23-26/1998
Attractions Etranges
  • Cecile Proust, dancer/choreographer. Composer, Tan Dun. Improvisor, Bruce Gremo xun, voice and percussion.  St. Mark's Church, NYC.
12/13/1997
Thirteen and Quicksilver
  • Laura Shapiro, dancer/choreographer. Improvisation by Bruce Gremo, multiple flutist, Paul Guerguerian, percussion and Victor Rice, doublebass.  At the Merce Cunnigham Studio, NYC.
5/22-23/1997
Improvisation
  • Simone Forti, dancer/choreographer. Bruce Gremo, flutist.  At the Intermedia Arts Festival, Ceres Gallery, NYC.
3/22/1996
Clouds of the 19th century
  • Muna Tseng, dancer/choreographer. Composer and performer, Bruce Gremo, flute and electronics.  At the Kohler Arts Center, WI.
1/2to1/9/1996, 3/31 to 5/6/1996, 6/16 to 7/2/1996
Attractions Etranges
  • Cecile Proust, dancer/choreographer. Tan Dun, composer.  Improvisor, Bruce Gremo xun, voice and percussion.  In Paris, Douai and Montpellier, France.
7/22-23/1995
Shadows
  • Sham Mosher, dancer/choreographer. Bruce Gremo, composer and performer.  Commissioned by and performed at The Rushmore Festival, NY.
10/3/1994
Jo Ha Kyu
  • Yoshiko Chuma, choreographer. Bruce Gremo and Paul Guerguerian improvising musicians.  Sponsored by Movement Research and performed at the Judson Church, NY.
9/1993 to 10/23-26/94
The Pink
Muna Tseng, choreographer. Tan Dun , composer.  Bruce Gremo, music director,multiple flutist and instrumentalist.  Productions ran in Yellow Springs PA, Henry St. Settlement, DIA Foundation, The Kitchen and LaMamma in NYC, Haverford PA, Chicago IL, Hong Kong, Lexington KY, and Tallin Estonia

5/8-9/1993
Improvisation
  • Susan Osberg, dancer/choreographer. Bruce Gremo, flute and electronics.  DIA Foundation, NYC.
5/8-9/1993
Improvisation
  • Muna Tseng, dancer/choreographer. Bruce Gremo, flute.  DIA Foundation, NYC.
4/1992-8/25/94
Jo Ha Kyu
  • Yoshiko Chuma, choreographer. Tan Dun, composer.  Bruce Gremo, music director,improvising multi-instrumetnalist.  Performed at; Damrosch Park, Lincoln Center, NYC 8/24-25/94; St.Mark's Church, NYC 2/12-21/93; La Mama E.T.C. NYC 4/92.





Theater

9/20/2003
Butterfly Dreams - CD International Festival of Puppetry
  • with Chinese puppeteer HuaHua Zhang
  • Charleville-Mezireres, France
1/2003
Butterfly Dreams - CD
  • Puppet Theater work with Chinese puppeteer HuaHua Zhang
  • Boston, MA
9/28-30/2001
Butterfly Dreams
  • Commissioned interactive work for shakuhachi, xun, percussion and Max/MSP. Butterfly Dreams is the creation of Chinese Experimental Puppeteer, HuaHua Zhang. (CD version).
International Puppetry Festival, U.Conn at Storrs

8/31-9/3/2001
Butterfly Dreams
  • as above
Philadephia Fringe Festival

13-16/12/2000
Talkative Gods

Talkative Gods is a text based, multi-media, four computer work which in performance, uses the softwares Max/MSP and nato. It interfaces an acoustic musician, a computer video (nato) artist, and an actress. As Artist in Residence 2000 at Harvest Works, NYC, several recordings of it were made (Dec. 2000). There were also four NYC performances at suddensite in the same month, NYC. This project was the first implementation of the Route project.

Bruce Gremo - composer, performer, programmer
Rene Beekman - computer video operator, programmer
Kyle deCamp - actress
suddensite, NYC

1/1998 - 3/1999
The Peony Pavilion

Peter Sellars, director - Tan Dun, composer
There were runs in Vienna, London, Paris, Rome, and Berkeley CA.  I was synthesizer programmer, dizi and EWI player.

12/1994 - 1/1995
America Dreaming

Michael Mayers, director - Chiori Miyagawa, playwright
Produced by the Vineyard Theater, NYC.  I was co-composer with Tan Dun, as well as music director and multi-instrumentalist.


3/9/1995 - 10/11/1995
NYC site specific music theater work 

conceived and directed by Lee Ellickson, at:
the Hudson Grill, Angel Orantz Foundation, United Nations Chapel, 10 Greeen St., Knitting Factory, and The General Society Library of Mechanics and Tradesmen.






Installation

6/15/04-7/10/04
Release Remaining - live performance and CD installation
  • installation with Yosuke Ito, sculptor
  • 55 Mercer Gallery, NY
6/2003
Cistern Chapel
computer sound installation with installation artist Charles Goldman
  • Civitella Ranieri Castle, Umbertide, Italy

Interactive Video

10/2002
performances of Route (see below) at Steim and Kraakgeluiden in Amsterdam, Worm in Rotterdam, Nadines in Brussels
  • Gremo on flutes and computers with Rene Beekman on visuals

5/5/2001
Mutable Surface,

This was an instrument, which enabled real time performance of images as well as audio, and enabled the inter-routing of control so that the musician could move and process images at will using only musical means, and the video operator could do something similar in reverse. It was a development of Route, described below.
Bruce Gremo - composer, performer, programmer
Rene Beekman (Amsterdam) - computer video operator, programmer
Roulette, NYC

9/ 8-9/2000
Route

Bruce Gremo and Rene Beekman have created a multiple computer instrument, 'route,' on which they improvise with concrete and synthetic audio and projected video materials, using many digital-processing strategies. They control these processes using shakuhachi and flute, EWI (electronic wind instrument), and wacom tablet.

The audio and the visual computers require and generate streams of control data. A third computer allows the two performers to route their respective data streams back and forth to each other, e.g., pitch from the flute to chroma in the image. The theme of this duo could be , 'computer video as musical instrument,' or 'how to play the surface of a sound.' From another angle, the players improvise with the sources and destinations of their control data. Imagine a fantastic air traffic controller who improvises with the design of runways and approaches in real time.

sponsored and presented by the World Wide Video Festival
Bruce Gremo - musician, programmer
Rene Beekman - computer video operator, programmer
Melkveg, Amsterdam


Patent Pending

4/2006
Cilia: a flute controller driven dynamic synthesis system
  • The Cilia is a new musical instrument with two parts; a physical ‘flute controller’ and software application. Its performance gestures are modeled after the Shakuhachi, but it sounds experimentally ‘orchestral’, using complex synthesis and re-synthesis techniques. A flute controller splits the air column produced by the blowing of a musician, and derives complex control from the analysis of this split column's dynamics.  Especially in this regard, the Cilia is unprecedented.  It is both an 'event controller' and 'process controller.' The Cilia endeavours to surpass the acoustic instrument model in generating complexity and nuance in event generation, but at the same time retains process control and manipulation which is typically the provenance of electronic controller. The Cilia achieves this complexity by developing control along several lines; simple and continuous control, dynamic control (controllers directly controlling controllers), and control networks (mediated and indirect control of controllers by controllers).