Kurt Stallmann
Encyclopedia
Stallmann Kurt is an American composer who lives and works in Houston, Texas
.
. In 1987, he received a bachelor's degree in music from Northern Illinois University
. That same year, he reolocated to Boston, Massachusetts where he composed, improvised, and collaborated with modern dance choreographers. In 1990, he was invited by Yasuko Tokunaga to join the Dance Division faculty at The Boston Conservatory to design a course for dancers that developed listening and analysis skills for the purpose of creating new choreography. In 1992, after several years of working with dance, he returned to a concentrated musical environment by entering the PhD program in music composition at Harvard University
where his primary teachers included Bernard Rands
and Mario Davidovsky
. As a student, he also assisted composer Ivan Tcherepnin
with electronic music courses for several years.
where he also served on the music composition faculty. In 2002, Stallmann joined the faculty at the Shepherd School of Music
, Rice University
where he is currently an Associate Professor in the music composition department and Director of the Rice Electroacoustic Music Labs (REMLABS).
in Paris, Stallmann gave a paper titled Auditory Stimulus Design: Musically Informed."
In 2008-2009, Stallmann was Composer-In-Residence at Sharpstown High School
for the Houston Symphony Education and Outreach Program sponsored by the Fidelity FutureStage program. From 2005-2008 he was on the SEAMUS
Board of Directors (Society for Electro-Acoustic Music in the United States
) while he served as editor of the SEAMUS Newsletter. He has also been an active member of two composer’s collectives, Musiqa in Houston (2002–2004), and Composers in Red Sneakers
in Boston (2001–2003).
Recent works include Moon Crossings (commissioned by the Fromm Music Foundation), a 17 minute work for 15 performers, video, and surround sound system; Following Franz, Now, a String Quartet with optional electronics for the Grammy nominated Enso String Quartet (commissioned by Chamber Music America); Breaking Earth Meet the Composer
(Commissioned by Meet the Composer Commissioning Music/USA Program and DiverseWorks ArtSpace), a twenty-two minute multi-disciplinary installation with filmmaker Alfred Guzzetti
for five independent streams of high-definition video with eleven channels of audio; and SONA: Wind, Rain, and Trains (Commissioned by the Houston Arts Alliance), a multi-disciplinary work inspired by the soundscape of Houston for string quartet with real-time digital processing, videos, found sounds, and synthesized sounds.
Stallmann’s work was recently recognized by the American Academy of Arts and Letters with a 2009 Goddard Lieberson Fellowship. In 2008, he was the recipient of a Guggenheim Fellowship
. He is currently composing a new electronic work to celebrate the unveiling of a new skyspace by artist James Turrell
at Rice University
(Winter 2011) and a new interactive electronic work for virtuoso saxophonist Steve Duke
(Spring 2012).
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
.
Education
Kurt Stallmann was born in Rockford, IllinoisRockford, Illinois
Rockford is a mid-sized city located on both banks of the Rock River in far northern Illinois. Often referred to as "The Forest City", Rockford is the county seat of Winnebago County, Illinois, USA. As reported in the 2010 U.S. census, the city was home to 152,871 people, the third most populated...
. In 1987, he received a bachelor's degree in music from Northern Illinois University
Northern Illinois University
Northern Illinois University is a state university and research institution located in DeKalb, Illinois, with satellite centers in Hoffman Estates, Naperville, Rockford, and Oregon. It was originally founded as Northern Illinois State Normal School on May 22, 1895 by Illinois Governor John P...
. That same year, he reolocated to Boston, Massachusetts where he composed, improvised, and collaborated with modern dance choreographers. In 1990, he was invited by Yasuko Tokunaga to join the Dance Division faculty at The Boston Conservatory to design a course for dancers that developed listening and analysis skills for the purpose of creating new choreography. In 1992, after several years of working with dance, he returned to a concentrated musical environment by entering the PhD program in music composition at Harvard University
Harvard University
Harvard University is a private Ivy League university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States, established in 1636 by the Massachusetts legislature. Harvard is the oldest institution of higher learning in the United States and the first corporation chartered in the country...
where his primary teachers included Bernard Rands
Bernard Rands
Bernard Rands is a composer of contemporary classical music.Rands studied music and English literature at the University of Wales, Bangor, and composition with Pierre Boulez and Bruno Maderna in Darmstadt, Germany, and with Luigi Dallapiccola and Luciano Berio in Milan, Italy.He held residencies...
and Mario Davidovsky
Mario Davidovsky
Mario Davidovsky is an Argentine-American composer. Born in Argentina, he emigrated in 1960 to the US, where he lives today...
. As a student, he also assisted composer Ivan Tcherepnin
Ivan Tcherepnin
Ivan Tcherepnin was an experimental, then later modernist/postmodernist, composer. He was born into a highly musical family, his father and grandfather, Alexander and Nikolai, being distinguished Russian composers, and his mother Ming a well-known pianist...
with electronic music courses for several years.
Teaching
In 1999, after graduating, he joined the Harvard Music Department faculty where he served as Assistant Professor of Music. During this time, he bridged together the two studios then at Harvard (HEMS created by Ivan Tcherepnin and HCMC created by Mario Davidovsky) into one entity which he named HUSEAC (Harvard University Studios for Electro-Acoustic Composition). He also encouraged cross-disciplinary collaboration with other departments at Harvard including work with VES and GSD. During this period, he also founded the computer music studio at the Longy School of MusicLongy School of Music
The Longy School of Music of Bard College is a conservatory located near Harvard Square in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Founded in 1915, it was one of the four independent degree-granting music schools in the Boston region along with the New England Conservatory, Berklee College of Music, and Boston...
where he also served on the music composition faculty. In 2002, Stallmann joined the faculty at the Shepherd School of Music
Shepherd School of Music
The Shepherd School of Music is a university school of music located on the campus of Rice University in Houston, Texas. Shepherd School is itself very selective, accepting overall about 10-15% of all graduate applicants and 15% of all undergraduate applicants...
, Rice University
Rice University
William Marsh Rice University, commonly referred to as Rice University or Rice, is a private research university located on a heavily wooded campus in Houston, Texas, United States...
where he is currently an Associate Professor in the music composition department and Director of the Rice Electroacoustic Music Labs (REMLABS).
Composing, Research
As a composer, Stallmann devotes his energy towards synthesizing many of the mediums available to composers today. His compositions are written for acoustic instruments, electroacoustic combinations with interactive elements, environmental sounds, and purely synthetic sounds. He also enjoys improvising with musicians and frequently collaborates with artists from other disciplines. Scholarly interests include a series of psychological studies on how musical sequences can affect time estimation. At the 2008 International Conference on Auditory Displays at IRCAMIRCAM
IRCAM is a European institute for science about music and sound and avant garde electro-acoustical art music. It is situated next to, and is organizationally linked with, the Centre Pompidou in Paris...
in Paris, Stallmann gave a paper titled Auditory Stimulus Design: Musically Informed."
In 2008-2009, Stallmann was Composer-In-Residence at Sharpstown High School
Sharpstown High School
Sharpstown High School is a secondary school located at 7504 Bissonnet Street in Greater Sharpstown, Houston, Texas, United States with a zip code of 77074. It serves grades 9 through 12 and is a part of the Houston Independent School District...
for the Houston Symphony Education and Outreach Program sponsored by the Fidelity FutureStage program. From 2005-2008 he was on the SEAMUS
Seamus
Séamus , is a male first name of Celtic origin. It is the Gaelic equivalent of the name James. The name James is the English New Testament variant for the Hebrew name Jacob...
Board of Directors (Society for Electro-Acoustic Music in the United States
Society for Electro-Acoustic Music in the United States
The Society for Electro-Acoustic Music in the United States is a nonprofit US based organization founded in 1984 which aims to promote electro-acoustic music...
) while he served as editor of the SEAMUS Newsletter. He has also been an active member of two composer’s collectives, Musiqa in Houston (2002–2004), and Composers in Red Sneakers
Composers in Red Sneakers
The Composers in Red Sneakers are a Boston-based composers collective founded in 1981. The founding members were Thomas Oboe Lee, Christopher Stowens, Robert Aldridge, Roger Bourland, Amy Reich, and Gary Philo. Concerts were given in the Old Cambridge Baptist Church and in Harvard University's...
in Boston (2001–2003).
Recent works include Moon Crossings (commissioned by the Fromm Music Foundation), a 17 minute work for 15 performers, video, and surround sound system; Following Franz, Now, a String Quartet with optional electronics for the Grammy nominated Enso String Quartet (commissioned by Chamber Music America); Breaking Earth Meet the Composer
Meet the Composer
Meet the Composer is an American organization founded in 1974 by the composer John Duffy as a project of the New York State Council on the Arts. It seeks to assist composers in making a living through writing music by sponsoring commissioning, residency, education, and audience interaction...
(Commissioned by Meet the Composer Commissioning Music/USA Program and DiverseWorks ArtSpace), a twenty-two minute multi-disciplinary installation with filmmaker Alfred Guzzetti
Alfred Guzzetti
Guzzetti Alfred is a maker of documentary and experimental films and tapes. His work has been shown at the New York Film Festival, the Margaret Mead Festival, and other festivals in London, Rotterdam, Germany, Spain and France, as well as in installation settings in New York, Copenhagen, and...
for five independent streams of high-definition video with eleven channels of audio; and SONA: Wind, Rain, and Trains (Commissioned by the Houston Arts Alliance), a multi-disciplinary work inspired by the soundscape of Houston for string quartet with real-time digital processing, videos, found sounds, and synthesized sounds.
Stallmann’s work was recently recognized by the American Academy of Arts and Letters with a 2009 Goddard Lieberson Fellowship. In 2008, he was the recipient of a Guggenheim Fellowship
Guggenheim Fellowship
Guggenheim Fellowships are American grants that have been awarded annually since 1925 by the John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation to those "who have demonstrated exceptional capacity for productive scholarship or exceptional creative ability in the arts." Each year, the foundation makes...
. He is currently composing a new electronic work to celebrate the unveiling of a new skyspace by artist James Turrell
James Turrell
James Turrell is an American artist primarily concerned with light and space. Turrell was a MacArthur Fellow in 1984. He is represented by The Pace Gallery in New York...
at Rice University
Rice University
William Marsh Rice University, commonly referred to as Rice University or Rice, is a private research university located on a heavily wooded campus in Houston, Texas, United States...
(Winter 2011) and a new interactive electronic work for virtuoso saxophonist Steve Duke
Steve Duke
Steve Duke is an American classical and jazz saxophonist noted for his performance of contemporary classical music, particularly computer music.-Education and teaching career:...
(Spring 2012).