Gosfield, Annie

Gosfield, Annie (actually, Anne), American composer, instrumentalist, improviser, and sampling specialist; b. Philadelphia, Sept. 11, 1960. She studied piano with Bernard Peiffer (1972-76) and Alexander Fiorillo (1976) and composition at North Tex. State Univ. (B.M., 1981) and at the Univ. of Southern Calif. (M.A., 1983). Gosfield is active in N.Y/s downtown music scene, composing both acoustic and electronic music and frequently working with detuned, prepared, and electronically altered pianos. Her detuned sounds, microtonal scordatura, approximated micro-intervals, and almost-unisons combine to create chamber works of distinct (and quite evocative) harmonic richness. In some of her compositions, she recreates and incorporates the sounds of machines and mechanical instruments, while in still others she musically encapsulates idiosyncratic stories and experiences of her family through past generations. Her music has been widely performed, and she herself as appeared throughout the U.S. and Europe with her own ensemble in programs featuring her own works. She often collaborates with the guitarist Roger Kleier. Recent projects include a site-specific work performed at a factory in Nuremberg (EWA7, 1999), and an octet for strings and percussion inspired by industrial sounds (Flying Sparks and Heavy Machinery, 2000). She also presents composition work-shops at conservatories and colleges across the U.S. and in Europe, most recently at the Calif. Inst. of the Arts (1999) and at Hartt Coll. in Hartford (2000). She has received grants and commissions from the NEA, the Rockefeller Foundation, Meet the Composer, the Siemens Corporation, the Jerome Foundation, The American Music Center, and NYFA, among others.

Works

Nickolaievski Soldat for Sampler, Electric Guitar, and Percussion (N.Y., Sept. 21, 1993); Second Avenue Junkman for Piano, Guitar, and Percussion (or Any Combination of Instruments) (NY., Sept. 21, 1993); Sound of the Independent Speaker for Sampler, Electric Guitar, and Percussion (N.Y., April 9, 1993); Of Dice and Men for Sampler, Electric Guitar, and Percussion (N.Y, Oct. 28, 1994); Lost Night for Trumpet, Trombone, Multiple Percussion, Sampling Keyboard, 2 Violins, Viola, Cello, and Contrabass (N.Y, Dec. 8, 1995); The Manufacture of Tangled Ivory for Percussion, Keyboards, Cello, Contrabass, and Electric Guitar (N.Y, May 1, 1995); Across Town for Sampler (Geneva, May 10, 1996); Blue Serge for Sampler (Lucerne, May 5, 1996); Combustion Chamber for Sampler, Electric Guitar, and Percussion (Ulm, Germany, May 20, 1996; in collaboration with R. Kleier); Freud for Sampler or Bowed Vibraphone and Electric Guitar (Krakow, Nov. 15, 1996; in collaboration with R. Kleier); Geisten for Sampler and Electric Guitar (Krakow, Nov. 15, 1996; in collaboration with R. Kleier); In Rides the Dust for Flute, Tenor Saxophone, Trumpet, Trombone, 2 Percussion, 2 Pianists (at 1 Piano), and Strings (Prague, Nov. 10, 1996; also for Flute, Tenor Saxophone, Trumpet, Trombone, Percussion, 2 Pianists (at 1 Piano), Electric Guitar, Cello, and Contrabass, N.Y, May 11, 1997); Marble Hunt for Sampler (Lucerne, May 5, 1996); Bottom of the Barrelhouse for Disklavier (N.Y, April 27, 1997); Brooklyn, October 5,1941 for Piano, Baseballs, and Catcher’s Mitt (Dec. 13, 1997); Cram Jin Quotient for Electronically altered String Quartet(N.Y, Sept. 19, 1997); Four Roses for Sampler and Cello (N.Y, May 10, 1997); Tone Bender for 4 Pianists at 2 Prepared Pianos(N.Y, April 6, 1997); Swell for Piano, Guitar, Sampler, Violin, and Cello (or Any Combination of Instruments) (N.Y, May 2, 1997); Tempi di Hangover for Sampler (Venice, Nov. 11, 1997); Bimini Place for Piano and Electric Guitar (or Any Combination of Instruments) (Alburquerque, May 2, 1998); Bones for Sampler, Electric Guitar, and Percussion (N.Y, Oct. 29, 1998; in collaboration with R. Kleier); Brawl for Saxophone Quartet (San Francisco, June 21, 1998); Chivas for Sampler and Electric Guitar (Albuquerque, May 2, 1998; in collaboration with R. Kleier); Djerassi Suite for Sampler and Electric Guitar (Albuquerque, May 2, 1998; in collaboration with R. Kleier); Friday, Three A.M. for Sampler (N.Y, Oct. 29, 1998); EWA7 for Sampler, Electric Guitar, and 2 Percussion (Nuremberg, July 20, 1999); It Almost Passed in a Dream for Flute, Bass Marimba, Harmonic Canon, Adapted Guitar, and Cello (Harry Partch/Newband Instruments) (N.Y, Feb. 12, 1999); Mentryville for Prepared Piano (Valencia, Calif., March 21, 1999); Shoot the Player Piano for Video and Music (Minneapolis, Nov. 4, 1999); Cranks and Cactus Needles for Flute, Piano, Violin, and Cello (Luxembourg, Oct. 6, 2000); Flying Sparks and Heavy Machinery for String Quartet and Percussion Quartet (San Francisco, March 16, 2000); also various works for dance (1996-99).

—Laura Kuhn/Dennis McIntire