Nico Muhly
Encyclopedia
Nico Muhly ˈ is a contemporary classical music
composer, who has worked and recorded with classical and pop/rock musicians. He currently lives in the Lower East Side section of Manhattan
in New York City.
As a child, Muhly sang in the choir at Grace Episcopal Church in Providence, and he started to study piano at 10.
Muhly went on to study at The Wheeler School in Providence, then moved on to Columbia University
where he got his undergraduate degree in English and to the Juilliard School
where he graduated with his Master's degree in Music and studied composition with John Corigliano
and Christopher Rouse.
Muhly worked in collaboration with Björk
on the DVD single "Oceania
" in 2004, and he worked with Philip Glass
as an editor, conductor, and keyboardist.
In 2006, he released his first album of works, titled Speaks Volumes. In 2008, he released his second album, titled Mothertongue.
In 2009, Muhly worked on various classical compositions with the Brooklyn-based indie-folk rock band Grizzly Bear
on their third album, Veckatimest, and he worked with Antony and the Johnsons
on the albums The Crying Light
and Swanlights
.
Muhly recently worked on two commissions for UK-based Britten Sinfonia
, performed in January and February 2010.
The Gilmore International Keyboard Festival commissioned "Drones & Piano" for pianist Bruce Brubaker. The piece premiered in May 2010.
Muhly's opera Two Boys
, a collaboration with librettist
Craig Lucas
and directed by Bartlett Sher
, premiered in June 2011 at the English National Opera
and will make its Metropolitan Opera
debut during the 2013/2014 season. According to a New York Times
article, the opera is based on a late-1990s British case involving a 14-year-old boy taking on the online identity
of women to try to get someone to kill him, without success. However, in an interview with The Advocate
, Muhly stated that the opera is based on the story of an online friendship between two male teenagers, one of whom kills the other.
The Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra
, the Minnesota Commissioning Club, Cantus
, the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation
, and Alfred P. and Ann M. Moore commissioned "Luminous Body", also a collaboration with librettist
Craig Lucas
. The piece premiered on September 9, 2011.
, A Good Understanding, released by the Decca
classics label.
Film
Opera
Incidental
Orchestra
Piano
Percussion
Small Ensemble
Solo
Voice
Contemporary classical music
Contemporary classical music can be understood as belonging to the period that started in the mid-1970s with the retreat of modernism. However, the term may also be employed in a broader sense to refer to all post-1945 modern musical forms.-Categorization:...
composer, who has worked and recorded with classical and pop/rock musicians. He currently lives in the Lower East Side section of Manhattan
Manhattan
Manhattan is the oldest and the most densely populated of the five boroughs of New York City. Located primarily on the island of Manhattan at the mouth of the Hudson River, the boundaries of the borough are identical to those of New York County, an original county of the state of New York...
in New York City.
Early years
Muhly was born in Vermont and raised in Providence, Rhode Island. His mother, Bunny Harvey, is a painter and teacher at Wellesley College, and his father, Frank Muhly, is a documentary filmmaker.As a child, Muhly sang in the choir at Grace Episcopal Church in Providence, and he started to study piano at 10.
Muhly went on to study at The Wheeler School in Providence, then moved on to Columbia University
Columbia University
Columbia University in the City of New York is a private, Ivy League university in Manhattan, New York City. Columbia is the oldest institution of higher learning in the state of New York, the fifth oldest in the United States, and one of the country's nine Colonial Colleges founded before the...
where he got his undergraduate degree in English and to the Juilliard School
Juilliard School
The Juilliard School, located at the Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts in New York City, United States, is a performing arts conservatory which was established in 1905...
where he graduated with his Master's degree in Music and studied composition with John Corigliano
John Corigliano
John Corigliano is an American composer of classical music and a teacher of music. He is a distinguished professor of music at Lehman College in the City University of New York.-Biography:...
and Christopher Rouse.
Musical works
In 2005, Muhly was commissioned by Colorado Academy, a private school in Colorado, to write a song for the opening of their new Fine Arts building.Muhly worked in collaboration with Björk
Björk
Björk Guðmundsdóttir , known as Björk , is an Icelandic singer-songwriter. Her eclectic musical style has achieved popular acknowledgement and popularity within many musical genres, such as rock, jazz, electronic dance music, classical and folk...
on the DVD single "Oceania
Oceania (song)
"Oceania" is a song by Icelandic singer Björk. It was formerly planned to be the first single release from Björk's Medúlla album. Later it was just released as a promo. It was written for the 2004 Summer Olympics Opening Ceremony, where she performed immediately following the Parade of Nations...
" in 2004, and he worked with Philip Glass
Philip Glass
Philip Glass is an American composer. He is considered to be one of the most influential composers of the late 20th century and is widely acknowledged as a composer who has brought art music to the public .His music is often described as minimalist, along with...
as an editor, conductor, and keyboardist.
In 2006, he released his first album of works, titled Speaks Volumes. In 2008, he released his second album, titled Mothertongue.
In 2009, Muhly worked on various classical compositions with the Brooklyn-based indie-folk rock band Grizzly Bear
Grizzly Bear (band)
Grizzly Bear is a Brooklyn-based indie rock band, composed of Edward Droste , Daniel Rossen , Chris Taylor and Christopher Bear . The band employs traditional and electronic instruments...
on their third album, Veckatimest, and he worked with Antony and the Johnsons
Antony and the Johnsons
Antony and the Johnsons is a music group presenting the work of Antony Hegarty and his collaborators.-Career:British experimental musician David Tibet of Current 93 heard a demo and offered to release Antony's music through his Durtro label. The debut album, Antony and the Johnsons, was released...
on the albums The Crying Light
The Crying Light
The Crying Light is Antony and the Johnsons' third studio album and the follow-up to the band's widely-acclaimed second LP, I Am a Bird Now...
and Swanlights
Swanlights
Swanlights is the fourth studio album by Antony and the Johnsons, released on October 12, 2010 worldwide through Secretly Canadian, and October 11, 2010 in the United Kingdom through Rough Trade...
.
Muhly recently worked on two commissions for UK-based Britten Sinfonia
Britten Sinfonia
Britten Sinfonia is a chamber orchestra ensemble based in Cambridge, UK. It was created in 1992, following an initiative from Eastern Arts and a number of key figures including Nicholas Cleobury, who recognised the need for an orchestra in the East of England. It is a flexible ensemble composed of...
, performed in January and February 2010.
The Gilmore International Keyboard Festival commissioned "Drones & Piano" for pianist Bruce Brubaker. The piece premiered in May 2010.
Muhly's opera Two Boys
Two Boys
Two Boys is an opera in two acts by American composer Nico Muhly, with an English-language libretto by American playwright Craig Lucas. It was first performed by the English National Opera in London on 24 June 2011, directed by Bartlett Sher.. It is then intended to be staged at the Metropolitan...
, a collaboration with librettist
Libretto
A libretto is the text used in an extended musical work such as an opera, operetta, masque, oratorio, cantata, or musical. The term "libretto" is also sometimes used to refer to the text of major liturgical works, such as mass, requiem, and sacred cantata, or even the story line of a...
Craig Lucas
Craig Lucas
Craig Lucas is an American playwright, screenwriter, theatre director, musical actor, and film director.-Biography:...
and directed by Bartlett Sher
Bartlett Sher
Bartlett Sher , is an American theatre director. He received both the 2008 Tony Award and the Drama Desk Award for his direction of the Broadway revival of South Pacific. The New York Times has described him as "one of the most original and exciting directors, not only in the American theater but...
, premiered in June 2011 at the English National Opera
English National Opera
English National Opera is an opera company based in London, resident at the London Coliseum in St. Martin's Lane. It is one of the two principal opera companies in London, along with the Royal Opera, Covent Garden...
and will make its Metropolitan Opera
Metropolitan Opera
The Metropolitan Opera is an opera company, located in New York City. Originally founded in 1880, the company gave its first performance on October 22, 1883. The company is operated by the non-profit Metropolitan Opera Association, with Peter Gelb as general manager...
debut during the 2013/2014 season. According to a New York Times
The New York Times
The New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
article, the opera is based on a late-1990s British case involving a 14-year-old boy taking on the online identity
Online identity
An online identity, internet identity, or internet persona is a social identity that an Internet user establishes in online communities and websites...
of women to try to get someone to kill him, without success. However, in an interview with The Advocate
The Advocate
The Advocate is an American LGBT-interest magazine, printed monthly and available by subscription. The Advocate brand also includes a web site. Both magazine and web site have an editorial focus on news, politics, opinion, and arts and entertainment of interest to LGBT people...
, Muhly stated that the opera is based on the story of an online friendship between two male teenagers, one of whom kills the other.
The Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra
Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra
The Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra , based in Saint Paul, Minnesota, is the United States' only full-time professional chamber orchestra...
, the Minnesota Commissioning Club, Cantus
Cantus (vocal ensemble)
Cantus is a nine-member male vocal a cappella ensemble based in Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA.-Biography:Cantus is a full-time, professional vocal chamber ensemble, made up of nine men singing in a TTBB , changed male voice arrangement. The artists are self-led, with programming and musical direction...
, the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation
Andrew W. Mellon Foundation
The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation of New York City and Princeton, New Jersey in the United States, is a private foundation with five core areas of interest, endowed with wealth accumulated by the late Andrew W. Mellon of the Mellon family of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. It is the product of the 1969...
, and Alfred P. and Ann M. Moore commissioned "Luminous Body", also a collaboration with librettist
Libretto
A libretto is the text used in an extended musical work such as an opera, operetta, masque, oratorio, cantata, or musical. The term "libretto" is also sometimes used to refer to the text of major liturgical works, such as mass, requiem, and sacred cantata, or even the story line of a...
Craig Lucas
Craig Lucas
Craig Lucas is an American playwright, screenwriter, theatre director, musical actor, and film director.-Biography:...
. The piece premiered on September 9, 2011.
Upcoming projects
Six of Muhly's choral works are featured on a CD recorded by the Los Angeles Master ChoraleLos Angeles Master Chorale
The Los Angeles Master Chorale is a professional chorus in Los Angeles, California. It was founded in 1964 by Roger Wagner to be one of the three original resident companies of the Music Center of Los Angeles County...
, A Good Understanding, released by the Decca
Decca Records
Decca Records began as a British record label established in 1929 by Edward Lewis. Its U.S. label was established in late 1934; however, owing to World War II, the link with the British company was broken for several decades....
classics label.
Projects
Choral- 2003 Set Me as a Seal
- 2004 First Service
- 2004 Like as the Hart
- 2005 A Good Understanding
- 2005 Bright Mass With Canons
- 2005 Expecting the Main Things from You
- 2005 I Cannot Attain Unto It
- 2006 The Sweets of Evening
- 2007 Syllables
- 2008 Pater Noster
- 2008 Senex Puerum Portabat
- 2009 I Drink the Air Before Me
- 2011 Luminous Body
- 2011 Grief is the Price We Pay for Love
Film
- 2006 Choking Man
- 2006 Cricket Head
- 2007 Joshua
- 2006 Wonder Showzen, Clarence Special Report
- 2008 The Reader
- 2009 Felicitas
- 2011 Margaret
- 2011 Extremely Loud and Incredibly CloseExtremely Loud and Incredibly Close (film)Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close is an upcoming 2011 American drama film adaptation of the novel of the same name by Jonathan Safran Foer, directed by Stephen Daldry and written by Eric Roth. It stars Tom Hanks, Sandra Bullock, Thomas Horn, Max von Sydow, Viola Davis, John Goodman, Jeffrey...
Opera
- 2010 Dark Sisters
- 2011 Two BoysTwo BoysTwo Boys is an opera in two acts by American composer Nico Muhly, with an English-language libretto by American playwright Craig Lucas. It was first performed by the English National Opera in London on 24 June 2011, directed by Bartlett Sher.. It is then intended to be staged at the Metropolitan...
Incidental
- 2005 Iphegenia at Aulis (”Gweek Project”)
- 2007 The Magnificent Cuckold
- 2008 Prayer for My Enemy
Orchestra
- 2001–2002 Fits & Bursts
- 2003 Out of the Loop
- 2004 By All Means
- 2004 So to Speak
- 2006 It Remains to be Seen
- 2006 Wish You Were Here
- 2007 From Here on Out
- 2007 Seeing is Believing
- 2008 Step Team
- 2009 The Only Tune
- 2009 Drones on O Lord, Whose Mercies Numberless
- 2009 Vocalise on Al lampo dell' armi
- 2009 Impossible Things
- 2010 Detailed Instructions
- 2011 Luminous Body
Piano
- 2003 Three Études for Piano
- 2005 A Hudson Cycle
- 2005 Pillaging Music
- 2007 Skip Town
- ? Booklet
Percussion
- 2002 Beaming Music
- 2003 Time after Time
- 2004 It’s About Time
- 2005 Pillaging Music
- 2005 Ta & Clap
- 2008 I Shudder to Think
Small Ensemble
- 2002 Beaming Music
- 2003 Clear Music
- 2003 Flexible Music
- 2003 Duet No 1: Chorale Pointing Downwards
- 2003 Reading into it
- 2004 By All Means
- 2004 You Could Have Asked Me
- 2004 Ta and Clap
- 2005 The Elements of Style
- 2005 Stride
- 2005 Pillaging Music
- 2006 How About Now
- 2007 I Know Where Everything Is
- 2007 Principles of Uncertainty
- 2008 Triade
- 2008 Mothertongue
- 2008 Wonders
- 2008 The Only Tune
- 2008 Common Ground
- 2009 I Drink the Air Before Me
- 2009 Motion
- 2009 Farewell Photography
- 2010 Drones & Piano
- ? Fast Music with Folk Songs
Solo
- 2002 Radiant Music
- 2003 Honest Music
- 2003 A Long Line
- 2004 It’s About Time
- 2005 Keep in Touch
- 2005 Pillaging Music
- 2005 It Goes without Saying
Voice
- 2003 Employment
- 2005 The Elements of Style
- 2007 Mothertongue
- 2007 Wonders
- 2007 The Only Tune
- 2008 The Adulteress
- 2009 Drones on "O Lord, Whose Mercies Numberless"
- 2009 Vocalise on "Al lampo dell' armi"
- 2009 Impossible Things
Arrangements and orchestrations
- 2006 Letting Go by Bonnie 'Prince' BillyWill OldhamWill Oldham , better known by the stage name Bonnie 'Prince' Billy, is an American singer-songwriter and actor. From 1993 to 1997, he performed and recorded under variations of the Palace name, including the Palace Brothers, Palace Songs, and Palace Music...
- 2007 Miserere Mei (orchestration of William ByrdWilliam ByrdWilliam Byrd was an English composer of the Renaissance. He wrote in many of the forms current in England at the time, including various types of sacred and secular polyphony, keyboard and consort music.-Provenance:Knowledge of Byrd's biography expanded in the late 20th century, thanks largely...
's Miserere Mei) - 2007 Deus and Bow Thine Ear (orchestration of William ByrdWilliam ByrdWilliam Byrd was an English composer of the Renaissance. He wrote in many of the forms current in England at the time, including various types of sacred and secular polyphony, keyboard and consort music.-Provenance:Knowledge of Byrd's biography expanded in the late 20th century, thanks largely...
's Deus and Bow Thine Ear) - 2008 All Is WellAll Is Well (Sam Amidon album)All Is Well is the second album by Sam Amidon. It is a collection of re-arranged traditional folk songs .- Track listing :# "Sugar Baby" - 5:24# "Little Johnny Brown" - 4:30# "Saro" - 3:23# "Wild Bill Jones" - 5:28...
by Sam AmidonSam AmidonSam Amidon is an American independent folk artist born in Brattleboro, Vermont, June 3, 1981. His parents are folk artists Peter and Mary Alice Amidon. His younger brother, Stefan Amidon, is a professional drummer who performs with The Sweetback Sisters among other groups. Sam attended The Putney... - 2008 "Með þér" and "Á meðan vatnið velgist" on Bestu kveðjur by Sprengjuhöllin
- 2009 Confessions, a multimedia collaboration with Teitur LassenTeitur LassenTeitur is a Faroese singer-songwriter. On 3 March 2007, he was awarded Best Male Singer at the Danish Music Awards.The word teitur is Old Norse and means happy. In Modern Faroese, it is archaic but used as a male given name....
. - 2009 Various songs on Antony and the JohnsonsAntony and the JohnsonsAntony and the Johnsons is a music group presenting the work of Antony Hegarty and his collaborators.-Career:British experimental musician David Tibet of Current 93 heard a demo and offered to release Antony's music through his Durtro label. The debut album, Antony and the Johnsons, was released...
' album The Crying LightThe Crying LightThe Crying Light is Antony and the Johnsons' third studio album and the follow-up to the band's widely-acclaimed second LP, I Am a Bird Now... - 2009 Various songs on Grizzly BearGrizzly Bear (band)Grizzly Bear is a Brooklyn-based indie rock band, composed of Edward Droste , Daniel Rossen , Chris Taylor and Christopher Bear . The band employs traditional and electronic instruments...
's album Veckatimest - 2009 Tricks of the Trade on MewMew (band)Mew is a Danish alternative music band consisting of Jonas Bjerre, Bo Madsen, and Silas Utke Graae Jørgensen. Bassist Johan Wohlert was also a founding member of the band, but left in 2006...
's album No More Stories...No More Stories...No More Stories Are Told Today, I'm Sorry They Washed Away // No More Stories, The World Is Grey, I'm Tired, Let's Wash Away is the fifth studio album by the Danish band Mew. It was released in Scandinavia on 17 August, the UK on 24 August, the U.S... - 2009 Year of the Dragon on Run Rabbit RunRun Rabbit RunRun Rabbit Run is a song written by Noel Gay and Ralph Butler. The music was by Noel Gay and the song was originally sung by Flanagan and Allen....
- 2010 Various songs on Antony and the JohnsonsAntony and the JohnsonsAntony and the Johnsons is a music group presenting the work of Antony Hegarty and his collaborators.-Career:British experimental musician David Tibet of Current 93 heard a demo and offered to release Antony's music through his Durtro label. The debut album, Antony and the Johnsons, was released...
' album SwanlightsSwanlightsSwanlights is the fourth studio album by Antony and the Johnsons, released on October 12, 2010 worldwide through Secretly Canadian, and October 11, 2010 in the United Kingdom through Rough Trade... - 2010 GoGo (Jónsi album)Go is the debut studio album by Icelandic musician Jónsi, frontman of the band Sigur Rós. The album was released on April 5, 2010, through XL Recordings, as reported by a downloadable track from the official site...
by JónsiJón Þór BirgissonJón “Jónsi” Þór Birgisson is the guitarist and vocalist for the Icelandic post-rock band Sigur Rós. He is known for his use of a cello bow on guitar and his falsetto voice. He is also blind in his right eye and is openly gay. His boyfriend Alex Somers has done much of the graphic design for... - 2010 I See the Sign by Sam AmidonSam AmidonSam Amidon is an American independent folk artist born in Brattleboro, Vermont, June 3, 1981. His parents are folk artists Peter and Mary Alice Amidon. His younger brother, Stefan Amidon, is a professional drummer who performs with The Sweetback Sisters among other groups. Sam attended The Putney...
Recordings
- 2007 – Speaks Volumes (Bedroom Community HVALUR1CD) (Includes Clear Music; It Goes without Saying; Honest Music; Quiet Music; Pillaging Music; A Hudson Cycle and Keep in Touch)
- 2008 – Joshua (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) by various artists (Moviescore Media)
- 2008 – Mothertongue (Bedroom Community HVALUR5CD) (Includes Mothertongue I: Archive; Mothertongue II: Shower; Mothertongue III: Hress; Mothertongue IV: Monster; Wonders: I. New Things & New Tidings; Wonders: II. The Devil Appear’d in the Shape of a Man; Wonders: III. A Complaint against Thomas Weelkes; The Only Tune: I. The Two Sisters; The Only Tune: II. The Old Mill Pond; and The Only Tune: III. The Only Tune)
- 2009 – The Reader (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) by various artists (Lakeshore Records)
- 2009 – So Far Around the Bend by the National
- 2010 – I Drink the Air Before Me (Bedroom Community HVALUR10, Decca/Universal Classics 478 257)
- 2010 – A Good Understanding by Los Angeles Master ChoraleLos Angeles Master ChoraleThe Los Angeles Master Chorale is a professional chorus in Los Angeles, California. It was founded in 1964 by Roger Wagner to be one of the three original resident companies of the Music Center of Los Angeles County...
(Includes many choral works) (Decca/Universal Classics 478 250) - 2011 – Seeing is Believing by the Aurora OrchestraAurora OrchestraAurora Orchestra is a British chamber orchestra founded in 2005 by conductors Nicholas Collon and Robin Ticciati.It is based in Kings Place, London and at LSO St Luke's....
(Decca/Universal Classics 478 273. Released 10th June 2011.
External links
- Tim PageTim Page (music critic)Tim Page is a writer, editor, music critic, producer and professor. He is a Pulitzer Prize-winning music critic for the Washington Post and also played an essential role in the revival of American author Dawn Powell.-Career:Page grew up in Storrs, Connecticut, where his father, Ellis B...
, "High Scorer," Smithsonian MagazineSmithsonian (magazine)Smithsonian is the official journal published by the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C. The first issue was published in 1970.-History:...
, October 2007. Retrieved on 2 March 2008. - Andy Beta, "Of Transgendered Violas and Transatlanic Collaborators," City Pages, Issue: September 26, 2007, retrieved on 2 March 2008.
- Rebecca Mead, "Eerily Composed: Nico Muhly’s sonic magic," The New YorkerThe New YorkerThe New Yorker is an American magazine of reportage, commentary, criticism, essays, fiction, satire, cartoons and poetry published by Condé Nast...
, February 11, 2008, retrieved on 2 March 2008. - Molly Sheridan, "Composer on Fire: Defining Nico Muhly" (includes video), NewMusicBoxNewMusicBoxNewMusicBox is an e-zine launched by the American Music Center on May 1, 1999. The magazine includes interviews and articles concerning American Contemporary Music, composers, improvisers, and musicians....
, March 1, 2007, retrieved on 2 March 2008. - Nico Muhly, 'Walls come tumbling down," The Guardian, October 5, 2007. Retrieved from Guardian.co.uk on 2 March 2008.
- List of published scores, Chester Music and Novello & Company, retrieved on 2 March 2008.
- Official Web Site
- Myspace Page
- Nico Muhly on Brassland Records
- Nico Muhly at Now magazine
- Nico Muhly Bio