Alexander Sigman | composer: front page

Curriculum Vitae

Name: Alexander Theodore SIGMAN          

E-mail: lx.sigman@gmail.com

Age: 28

Level of Study:  D.M.A. candidate in Composition at Stanford University 

Degrees: B.A. (2003), Cognitive Sciences; B.M. (2003), Music-composition, Magna cum Laude, Rice University; M.A. (2004), Music-composition, Stanford University

Qualifying Exam Topic: External Models, Modes of Mediation and Cognitive Validity in Works of Stockhausen, Xenakis, Grisey, Globokar, and Holliger

Doctoral Dissertation Project: Nominal and Noumenal: Two Cycles of Works for Various Chamber Ensembles and Electronics (to be completed June 2010)

Post-graduate 1-year Course, Institute of Sonology, Royal Conservatory, The Hague (2007-2008)

Doctoral Studies in Music Composition at Stanford University (2003-2009); composition studies with Brian Ferneyhough, Mark Applebaum, and Chris Chafe.

Undergraduate Studies in Music Composition and Cognitive Sciences at Rice University (B.M and B.A. programs, 1999-2003); composition studies with Anthony Brandt, David Soley, Richard Lavenda, and Kurt Stallmann

Studies in piano with Jeanne Kierman Fischer (1999-2003) and Thomas Schultz (2003-2006)

Studies in conducting with Jindong Cai at Stanford University (2004-2006)

Music theory at Princeton University (Autumn 1998)

Private lessons in piano, composition, theory, music history, and conducting at Westminster Choir College (1995-99)

Positions:

Artist-in-Residence, Akademie Schloss Solitude (Stuttgart, Germany) (2008-2009)

Co-founder/Managing Director, Ensemble Modelo62  (The Hague, Netherlands) (2007-present)

Co-editor, SEARCH Journal for New Music and Culture (2007-present)

Student Composer Representative, SCI Executive Committee (2007-present)

Artistic Co-director/Composer-in-Residence, Musiques Démesurées 2007 (Clermont-Ferrand, France, June 2007)

—organized two concert-programs, selected composers and performers, coordinated rehearsals, held administrative responsibilities

Graduate Student Representative, Composition Advisory Committee, Stanford University (2004-present)

Graduate Student Representative, Performance Committee, Stanford University (2004-2005)

Teaching Experience: 

Workshop Director, Maria Montessori Grundschule (Stuttgart, Germany), May 2009

Music Teacher, Eastside Preparatory School (East Palo Alto, CA), May-June 2006

Teaching Associate, Stanford University, 2004-2006:

    Beginning, Intermediate, and Advanced Music Theory—led ear-training and analysis sections, presented lectures

    Introduction to 20^th-century Composition—wrote syllabus, presented lectures, led composition workshops

   Compositional Algorithms, Psychoacoustics, and Spatial Processing (CCRMA)

   Psychophysics and Cognitive Psychology for Musicians (CCRMA)

Selected Commissions:

detritus I  for counter-tenor, trombone, cello, electric guitar, harpsichord/piano, 2 percussion, electronics; and video-projection requested by Ensemble Ascolta, 2008

the shining pillar (CW2) for saxophone and piano (in progress); commissioned by The Kenners (Eliot Gattegno and Eric Wubbels), 2008

blo(o)t [int-1 x V,[3] (version I) ]  for 9 performers (2008); commissioned by Ensemble Modelo62 (Den Haag), 2008

V, [3] (2007-2008) for voice, Eb clarinet, 10-string guitar, microtonal percussion, and piano: commissioned by Asamisimasa (Oslo), 2007

mi(e)S(e)-En-abîMe I (2006-2007) for bass clarinet, cello, piano, percussion: commissioned by Festival Musiques Démesurées , Clermont-Ferrand, France 2007

the shining pillar of anti-beauty (int-0) (2006) for cello and electronics: commissioned by Festival Musiques Démesurées

st.wl.-1 (2005) for solo guitar: requested by Magnus Andersson, 2005

il y va d’un certain pas (2004-2005) for bass flute, bass clarinet, violin, cello, piano, percussion: requested by the Ruckus Ensemble, 2005

Reflets/Reflexions/Implosions (2002/2006) for solo alto saxophone: requested by Philippe Caillot, 2002; commissioned by Eliot Gattegno, 2006 

Awards and Fellowships

Residency Fellowship, Akademie Schloss Solitude (2008-2009)

Julius F. Jezek Prize nomination (2008)

ICMA Student Scholarship (August 2008) 

Fulbright Scholarship for study in The Hague, Netherlands (2007-2008)

ASCAPLUS Awards (2007, 2008)

Wellesley Composers Conference Bursary (July 2007)

Bearns Prize, Columbia University (2006)

American Composers Forum Encore Grant (March 2006)      

Stanford University research stipend to Schönberg-Center, Vienna (October 2005)

Full Scholarship, Stanford University (2003-2007; 2009-2010)

Honor Societies/Other Affiliations:

ASCAP (Member, 2006-present)

Society of Composers, Inc. (Member and Officer, 2006-present) 

Phi Beta Kappa (Member, 2003-present)

American Music Center (Member, 2003-present)

Selected Festival Performances:

Musica Nova, Helsinki, FI, 2009

Klangraum Festival, Stuttgart, DE, 2008

In-Sonora Muestra IV, Madrid, ES, 2008

Sonorities Festival/ICMC,  Queen's University, Belfast, UK, 2008

Society of Composers (SCI) National Conference, Altanta, GA, 2008

Wellesley Composers Conference, Wellesley College, Mass., 2007

Musiques Démesurées, Clermont-Ferrand, France, 2007

Royaumont Session de Composition, Asnières-sur-Oise, France, 2006

Darmstädter-Ferienkurse, Darmstadt, Germany, 2006, 2008

Sommerakademie Schloss Solitude, Stuttgart, Germany, 2005

June in Buffalo, SUNY Buffalo, NY, 2005

Centre Acanthes 2002, Villeneuve-les-Avignon, France, 2002

Lectures/Papers/Presentations:

Stuttgart Musikhochschule Composition Seminar, Stuttgart, Germany, 2009

Aristotle University/University of Edinburgh 2nd International Conference for PhD Music Students, Thessaloniki, Greece, 2009

Stuttgart Staatsgalerie, 2009

Harvard University Graduate Composition Seminar, 2007

Festival Musiques Démésurées, Clermont-Ferrand, France, 2007: panel discussion with Makis Solomos

“Focus on Composition” Seminar,  University of California, San Diego, 2006

Schönberg-Center, Vienna, 2005

Published Articles/Research Projects:

"The Procrustean Bed: Text, Transcription, Transients, and Typography in detritus I " (to be published in first annual print edition of SEARCH Journal for New Music and Culture, December 2009)

"On Intermittent Annihilation: Reflections upon Recent Compositions" (pending publication)

"Darmstadt 2008: The Negation of Gesture and/or Vice Versa"  (published in SEARCH Journal for New Music and Culture, Spring  2009)

"External Models and Modes of Mediation in the Works of Six Composers" (published in SEARCH Journal for New Music and Culture, Winter 2008)

“il y va d’un certain pas: a ‘constructed’ ruin?” (pending publication)

“The Work in a State of ‘Sloshed Solitude:’ Importation,Filtration, Palimpsest, and an ‘Aesthetic of the Noumenal’” to be published as a book chapter (Steven Takasugi, ed.; to be published 2009-2010)

"The Influence of Schönberg upon Boulez, Cage, and Ferneyhough" (program notes for concert at Schönberg-Center, Vienna, October 2005)

“Motion, Masks, and Modes: A Concert of New Music at the Shepherd School” (Living Music, Fall 2002)

Discography: 

Music from Stanford <541>, Volume 4 (to be released Summer 2009 on innova records)

Music from Stanford <541>, Volume 2 (released 12 June 2007 on innova records [innova 658])    

Radio/Television:

Television interview for France 3, Region Alpes-Rhône-Auvergne (June 2007)

Radio France broadcast (September 2006)

Interview for Mitteldeutsch Rundfunk (Summer 2004)

Compositions featured on KTRU (Spring 2003) and WMUH (Fall 2008)

Technical/Studio Experience:

Editing/Mixing: ProTools, Peak, Deck, Audacity, etc.

Analysis/Synthesis:  AudioSculpt, Spear, CLM, SuperCollider

Live Electronics: Max/MSP, Pd

Algorithmic Composition: CM (Common Music), AC Toolbox, OpenMusic

Programming Languages:  Lisp, Scheme, some C/C++

Analog Experience:  analog studio, Institute of Sonology, The Hague (NL) 

Spatialisation: wavefield synthesis space, Scheltema Leiden (NL)

Languages: 

detritus I  (2009) for counter-tenor, ensemble, electronics, and video-projection (ca. 12'30-13')

--premiered May 2009 by Ensemble Ascolta (featuring Daniel Gloger, counter-tenor)  at Akademie Schloss Solitude, Stuttgart, DE

the shining pillar (CW2) (2008-2009) for soprano saxophone, piano, and electronics (ca. 8')

--to be premiered 2009 by The Kenners (Eliot Gattegno, saxophone; Eric Wubbels, piano); to be recorded January 2010 on Spektral Records

--to be performed 2010 by Ensemble Adapter (Berlin) 

l'écume des jours (int-1), version II (2008) for bass flute and percussion (ca. 4')

--to be premiered July 2009 by Ensemble Echoi, Black Box Theatre, UC San Diego, CA

blo(o)t [int-1 x V, [3]  (version I)] (2008) for 9 performers (ca. 10'30)

--premiered June 2008 by Ensemble Modelo62 at Scheltema Complex, Leiden, NL

--performed June 2008 by Ensemble Modelo62 at Barthkapel, The Hague, NL

terminal_expansion (2008) for 4-channel electronics (7'45)

--premiered April 2008 at the Royal Conservatory, The Hague, NL

--presented May 2008 at DNK-Amsterdam, NL

--presented March 2009 during SoundLAB VI,  Köln

--to be presented August 2009 during FILE Hipersonica Festival, Sao Paolo

(W)reflets/reFlexions/implosionS (2008) for solo saxophone and WFS (ca. 12')

--premiered April 2009 by Eliot Gattegno at Scheltema Complex, Leiden Wavefield Synthesis space, NL

int-1 x V, [3] (version II) (2008) for solo bass recorder (ca. 4'30-5')

--to be premiered 2010 by Ensemble Adapter in Berlin

Music for the film custody (Tariq Tapa, dir.) (2005/2008) (ca. 10')

--premiered February 2008 at the Royal Conservatory, The Hague, NL

--presented August 2008 at the Sonorities Festival/ICMC, Sonic Arts Research Center (SARC), Belfast, UK

--presented 14-26 October at the In-Sonora Muestra IV in Madrid, ES

V, [3]  for voice, E-flat clarinet, 10-string guitar, microtonal percussion and piano (ca. 10'30-11')

--to be premiered 2009-2010  by Ensemble Asamisimasa 

Mi(e)s(e)-En-abîMe II (2007) for bass clarinet, violin, cello, piano, percussion (ca. 7')

--to be premiered Spring 2010 by Ensemble SurPlus

l’écume des jours (int-1) (2007)  for bass clarinet and percussion (ca. 3'30-4')

--premiered February 2009 at Musica Nova Helsinki

--to be performed 2009-2010 by Rolf Borch and Håkon Stene of Ensemble Asamisimasa

--to be performed 2010 by Ensemble Adapter in Berlin 

Mi(e)s(e)-En-abîMe I (2006-2007)  for bass clarinet, cello, piano, percussion (ca. 7')

--premiered April 2007 by sfSound at Stanford University

--performed August 2007 by members of the New York New Music Ensemble at the Wellesley Composers Conference

--performed July 2008 at the Darmstädter-Ferienkurse

the shining pillar of anti-beauty (int-0) (2006) for cello and optional electronics (ca. 6-7')

--premiered  June 2007 at the Musiques Démésurées festival, Clermont-Ferrand, FR by Séverine Ballon

--performed November 2008 at the Klangraum-Festival, Stuttgart, DE by Séverine Ballon

xy xy I II III for cimbalom and percussion trio (2006) (ca. 10')

--premiered September 2006 by Françoise Rivalland and les Percussions de Strasbourg at the Royaumont Voix Nouvelles festival, FR

--to be performed September 2009 by TimeTable Percussion trio on the Moving Sounds Festival, Austrian Cultural Forum, NY  

En[M]paS(s[e]ant) (2006) for string trio (ca. 9-10')

--premiered December 2006 by Graeme Jennings, Ellen Rose and Leighton Fong at Stanford University

entartete musik 2 (2005) for viola and percussion (ca. 8'30)

--premiered May 2007 by Mark Menzies and Nick Terry of Ensemble Inauthentica at Stanford University

st.wl.-1 (2005) for guitar solo (ca. 4'30)

--premiered May 2005 by Magnus Andersson at Stanford University

 il y va d’un certain pas (2004-2005) for bass flute, bass clarinet, violin, cello, piano and percussion (ca.10'30)

--premiered April 2005 by the Ruckus Ensemble at Stanford University

--performed June 2005 by Ensemble SurPlus at June in Buffalo

--performed July 2005 by Ensemble SurPlus at Schloss Solitude, Stuttgart      

c.é. iii  (2005) for percussion solo (ca. 7')

--premiered May 2006 by Matthew Jenkins at Oberlin Conservatory

--performed September 2006 by Matthew Jenkins in Minneapolis, San Francisco, UC San Diego, etc.

Cabanes Eclatées (i/ii) (2004) for piano solo  (ca. 15-17')

--premiered June 2007 by Pierre Courthiade at Musiques Démesurées

“Dauer, aus Ablauf gepreßt…” (2003-2004) for 4 voices and cello (ca. 10')

Reflets/Reflexions/Implosions (2002/2006) for solo alto saxophone (ca. 12')

--premiered August 2006 by Eliot Gattegno at the Darmstädter-Ferienkurse

--performed 2006-2007 by Eliot Gattegno at The Stone,New York, as well as Stanford, Berkeley, Miami, Michigan, etc.

 --performed June 2007 by Philippe Caillot at the Musiques Démésurées 2007 festival

--performed February 2008 by Eliot Gattegno  at the Eyedrum, Atlanta, GA

--performed February 2008 by Eliot Gattegno at the SCI National Conference, Georgia State University, Atlanta, GA

--performed April 2009 by Eliot Gattegno at Akademie Schloss Solitude

Through a glass darkly (2002), for string quartet (ca. 9-10')

--rehearsed/recorded July 2002 at Centre Acanthes by the Arditti Quartet

--performed May 2004 by Mark Menzies and members of Ensemble Inauthentica at Stanford University