Primavera

Festival of Contemporary Arts
and Digital Media

April 26–30, 2010, UCSB

April 30 — Electric Catfish

Electric Catfish is an African whiskered fish that can produce a 350-volt electric shock; it is also multifaceted concert of pieces written by UCSB student composers for the musical enjoyment of humans.  Works by Katherine Saxon, Luke Thomas Taylor, Salman Bakht, Brian Hansen, Joel Hunt, Barak Perelman, and Joann Cho.

Image on left by Luke Thomas Taylor; images on right by Salman Bakht.

Contributors

Salman Bakht is a new media artist and composer currently studying in the Media Arts and Technology Program at UC Santa Barbara. Salman's work focuses on the reproduction and transformation of recorded audio through algorithmic and natural processes. Combining the fields of media ecology, information theory, soundscape composition, and sound installation art, his dissertation research explores an artistic approach to the representation of media types as sonic environments.

Joann Cho (b. 1985) is active as a composer, performer and improviser in Santa Barbara, CA.  She received her B.M. at Northwestern University in 2007 and currently continuing on with graduate studies in composition at UC Santa Barbara, working mainly with composer Clarence Barlow.

Originally from Minnesota, Brian Hansen holds a Bachelors degree in Mathematics and Music from the University of Saint Thomas, Saint Paul. Mr. Hansen’s interests presently lie in the exploration of structural representation and sonic expansion through the use of electronics. Mr. Hansen has received awards, grants, publications, and commissions for his work and has subsequently held lectures in various cities and universities nationwide. Currently, Brian is pursuing a Ph.D. in composition at the University of California Santa Barbara, where he is studying with Clarence Barlow.

Joel Hunt is a composer and saxophonist currently studying music theory at the University of California, Santa Barbara.  He holds degrees in saxophone performance and composition from the State University of New York at Fredonia.  While at Fredonia, Joel served as vice president of the Ethos New Music Society and directed the Fredonia Jazz Ensemble.  Joel has studied composition with Donald Bohlen and Rob Deemer, electronic music with Keith Peterson, classical saxophone with Wildy Zumwalt, and jazz saxophone with Bruce Johnstone. 

Barak Perelman's influences include graduate composition meetings with Alvin Curran who continues to be a mentor and friend, and all of Glenn Gould's recordings and writings. Barak composes in a unique musical language consisting of only rest marks and very few notes. He completed studies in computer science before coming to Santa Barbara to work on a doctorate in music composition with Clarence Barlow

Charlie Roberts is pursuing a PhD in Media Arts and Technology from UCSB after earning his MA in Education from Columbia and studying music as an undergrad at James Madison University. His current research focuses on interactive interfaces for electronic performance and scientific visualization.

Katherine Saxon is a composer in Santa Barbara, California, who writes music influenced by her interests in vocal performance and early music. Raised in Los Angeles, Katherine received her bachelor of arts degree from Williams College in Massachusetts where she studied composition with Ileana Perez Valezquez and David Kechley and voice with Brad Wells. She earned her Masters of Music in Composition at the University of Oregon, studying with Robert Kyr and David Crumb. While at the University of Oregon, she co-founded Sospiro, an ensemble dedicated to the performance of vocal music composed by students and faculty members. She also performed in the premieres of several new compositions as a vocal soloist. Katherine currently studies composition with Joel Feigin at the University of California - Santa Barbara. She is also the director of the UCSB New Century Voices, a choral group dedicated to the performance of new music. Visit her website at: www.katherinesaxon.com

Luke Thomas Taylor is currently studying for a Ph.D. in music composition at University of California, Santa Barbara. He received his B.A. in music at University of California, San Diego summa cum laude and his M.F.A. in composition at California Institute of the Arts. He has had the privilege to study composition with Steven Kazuo Takasugi, Sean Franz Griffin, Rand Steiger, Chinary Ung, James Tenney, Morton Subotnick, Stephen "Lucky" Mosko, Mark Trayle, and is currently studying with Clarence Barlow. He is interested artistically in many things including: continuous change, self-similarity, homemade electronics, circuit bending, and absurdity.