Bunita Marcus
Encyclopedia
Bunita Marcus, born May 5, 1952 in Madison, Wisconsin
, began studying composition at the age of sixteen and worked in both electronic and instrumental mediums while at the University of Wisconsin. In 1981 she received a Ph.D. in Composition from the University at Buffalo, The State University of New York
where she held the Edgard Varèse
Fellowship in Composition and studied with Morton Feldman
. Marcus' music has been consistently praised for its beauty and rare sensitivity. Kyle Gann of the Village Voice has called her one of his favorite female composers of all time. He applauds her piano work Julia for its "touching and unassuming depth," which "had the audience hushed under the impact of deeply communicated feeling." Los Angeles critic Alan Rich says her work Adam and Eve "states an eloquent case for the persistence of pure beauty in contemporary composition."
Bunita met Morton Feldman in 1976, beginning a long association that lasted until his death in 1987. For seven years they were inseparable. Feldman and Marcus composed side by side, sharing musical thoughts and ideas. In 1985 Feldman dedicated to her his new piano composition: "For Bunita Marcus." Today, Dr. Marcus lectures, coaches and writes regularly on Morton Feldman's music.
Bunita Marcus has written commissions for Bang on a Can
All-Stars (Meet the Composers/Reader's Digest Consortium Commission), the Kronos Quartet, Aki Takahashi, NYSCA & the Gageego Ensemble, Morton Feldman and Soloists, Tokyo's "Sound-Space ARK" ensemble, and others. Her music has received awards from the National Endowment of the Arts (Composer's Fellowship), International Society of Contemporary Music, the League of Composers' National Competition, New York State Council on the Arts and the coveted Kranichsteiner Musikpreis at Darmstadt. From 1985-1990 Ms. Marcus produced the Salon Concert Series with painter Francesco Clemente in New York City. Today she is active as a composer and conductor, appearing in concerts and festivals around the world.
Madison, Wisconsin
Madison is the capital of the U.S. state of Wisconsin and the county seat of Dane County. It is also home to the University of Wisconsin–Madison....
, began studying composition at the age of sixteen and worked in both electronic and instrumental mediums while at the University of Wisconsin. In 1981 she received a Ph.D. in Composition from the University at Buffalo, The State University of New York
University at Buffalo, The State University of New York
University at Buffalo, The State University of New York, also commonly known as the University at Buffalo or UB, is a public research university and a "University Center" in the State University of New York system. The university was founded by Millard Fillmore in 1846. UB has multiple campuses...
where she held the Edgard Varèse
Edgard Varèse
Edgard Victor Achille Charles Varèse, , whose name was also spelled Edgar Varèse , was an innovative French-born composer who spent the greater part of his career in the United States....
Fellowship in Composition and studied with Morton Feldman
Morton Feldman
Morton Feldman was an American composer, born in New York City.A major figure in 20th century music, Feldman was a pioneer of indeterminate music, a development associated with the experimental New York School of composers also including John Cage, Christian Wolff, and Earle Brown...
. Marcus' music has been consistently praised for its beauty and rare sensitivity. Kyle Gann of the Village Voice has called her one of his favorite female composers of all time. He applauds her piano work Julia for its "touching and unassuming depth," which "had the audience hushed under the impact of deeply communicated feeling." Los Angeles critic Alan Rich says her work Adam and Eve "states an eloquent case for the persistence of pure beauty in contemporary composition."
Bunita met Morton Feldman in 1976, beginning a long association that lasted until his death in 1987. For seven years they were inseparable. Feldman and Marcus composed side by side, sharing musical thoughts and ideas. In 1985 Feldman dedicated to her his new piano composition: "For Bunita Marcus." Today, Dr. Marcus lectures, coaches and writes regularly on Morton Feldman's music.
Bunita Marcus has written commissions for Bang on a Can
Bang on a Can
Bang on a Can is a multi-faceted classical music organization based in New York City. It was founded in 1987 by three American composers who remain its artistic directors: Julia Wolfe, David Lang, and Michael Gordon...
All-Stars (Meet the Composers/Reader's Digest Consortium Commission), the Kronos Quartet, Aki Takahashi, NYSCA & the Gageego Ensemble, Morton Feldman and Soloists, Tokyo's "Sound-Space ARK" ensemble, and others. Her music has received awards from the National Endowment of the Arts (Composer's Fellowship), International Society of Contemporary Music, the League of Composers' National Competition, New York State Council on the Arts and the coveted Kranichsteiner Musikpreis at Darmstadt. From 1985-1990 Ms. Marcus produced the Salon Concert Series with painter Francesco Clemente in New York City. Today she is active as a composer and conductor, appearing in concerts and festivals around the world.