(b. 1962, Port Chalmers).

New Zealand composer, now resident in the Netherlands, of mostly stage, chamber, vocal, and multimedia works that have been performed in Asia, Europe and North America; she is also active as a violinist.

Ms. Isadora studied arts subjects at the University of Canterbury in New Zealand in 1980 and received her BA in political philosophy at Victoria University of Wellington in 1984. She studied violin privately with Elsa Jenkins in 1981 and studied composition with Jack Body, David Farquhar and Ross Harris and violin performance with Gavin Saunders at Victoria University of Wellington from 1982–85, where she earned her BMus. She then studied violin privately with Vera Beths in Amsterdam from 1986–89 and composition and music theory with Louis Andriessen, Gilius van Bergeijk, Theo Loevendie, and Klaas de Vries at the Koninklijk Conservatorium in Den Haag from 1989–94.

Among her honours are the Roy Jack Prize for string players from Victoria University of Wellington (1984), the Marian Rayward Memorial Scholarship from Victoria University of Wellington (1985), the Music Study Grant from Creative New Zealand (1992), the Compositieprijs from the Koninklijk Conservatorium in Den Haag (1994), and the Mozart Fellowship from the University of Otago in Dunedin (2001).

As a violinist, she has played with the Mondriaan Strings in Amsterdam since 1987 and was a member of the gamelan Gending in Amsterdam from 1990–95; the improvisational group Carduelis Carduelis in Amsterdam from 1990–97; the HEX Ensemble in Amsterdam from 1991–98, which she co-founded with her husband, the composer Jan-Bas Bollen, in 1991; Ensemble MAE in Amsterdam from 1992–2000; the Bashō Ensemble in Amsterdam from 1993–95; and the Nieuw Ensemble in Amsterdam from 1993–95.

She is also active in other positions. She founded the improvisational quintet Aardvark in 1995 and the multimedia group Sync in 1996, of which she has served as artistic director since 1996. She has been a member of the artistic advisory commission of the Nederlands Elektro-Akoestisch Repertoirecentrum (NEAR) in Amsterdam.

She has lived in the Netherlands since 1986.

Her publisher is Donemus.

SELECT LIST OF WORKS

STAGE:

Hoofdwas (music-theatre work), mezzo-soprano, MIDI-washing machine, live electronics, 1995

De Kleine Was (music-theatre work), 2 players, live electronics, 1996

Nachtvlinders (music-theatre work), mezzo-soprano, alto, recorder, clarinet (+ baritone saxophone), trombone, electric guitar, violin, double bass, piano, percussion, film (by Sher Doruff), 1999

The Pristine Chapel (music-theatre work), any player, live electronics, film, slide projections, 2000

Het Land der Klaarheid (music-theatre work), 5 voices, 11 players, 2000

Native Tongue (music-theatre work), flute, live electronics, live image-processing (by Sher Doruff), 2001

Born and Bred (music-theatre work), live electronics, live image-processing, 2001 (collaboration with Jan-Bas Bollen)

The Deep South (music-theatre work), live electronics, live image-processing, 2002 (collaboration with Jan-Bas Bollen)

ORCHESTRAL:

Wedding Dance, small orchestra (17 players), 1995–97

Cramp – A Lullaby, gamelan, 1997

CHAMBER MUSIC:

Letter to Liz, cello, 1990

Sun Dance – A Summoning, violin, 1991

Untitled, violin, piano, 1991

Sgraffito, ensemble, 1991

The Fire within, ensemble, 1992

Namasté, string quartet, 1993

Melody, improvisational ensemble, 1994

For Wiek, electric guitar, 1994

Te Moana Nui A Kiwa II, ensemble, 1994

Alternate/Altercate, flute, violin, double bass, piano, 1995

Morph, improvisational ensemble, 1995

En/Of II, recorder, bass clarinet, trombone, electric guitar, violin, double bass, piano, percussion, 1995

A Thought for Margaret, flute, violin, double bass, piano (+ harmonium, melodica), 1997

Germ, violin, piano, 1999

Nos. 1 and 4, flute, violin, double bass, synthesizer, percussion, live electronics, 1999

Speak, for Steve Sweet 17 and Domestic Rant (Part I), flute, violin, double bass, synthesizer, percussion, live electronics, 1999

Give Me a Sine, electric guitar, violin, cell phone, 2001

Pusher, Tacker, MIDI-violin, synthesizers (1 player), sampler, 2001 (collaboration with Jan-Bas Bollen)

VOCAL:

The (Mis)adventures of Amy Bock, mezzo-soprano, piano, 1996

Condensation, mezzo-soprano, recorder, bass clarinet, trombone, violin, double bass, piano, synthesizer, percussion, DJ, live electronics, 1997

Dancing on Hot Coals, alto, recorder, clarinet (+ baritone saxophone), trombone, electric guitar, violin, double bass, piano, percussion, 1999

Fabel van de Bijen (de Mopperkorf), male voice, harmonium, 1999

Ah, Sweet Mysteries of Life (text by Richard Huber), voice, synthesizers (1 player), sampler, 2001 (collaboration with Jan-Bas Bollen)

Sweet Nothings, voice, clarinet, bassoon, violin, cello, piano, percussion, 2002

MULTIMEDIA/PERFORMANCE:

The Big Shop, 1998 (collaboration with Jan-Bas Bollen)

It Was a Sunday (text by the composer), MIDI-violin, synthesizers (1 player), sampler, live electronics, film, 2001 (collaboration with Jan-Bas Bollen)

Kokako, live electronics, film, 2001 (collaboration with Jan-Bas Bollen)

Isabelle, MIDI-violin, LiSa, 2001

Le Rêve, alto, recorder, clarinet, trombone, electric guitar, violin, double bass, piano, percussion, film, 2001

In the Wake of the Argo, MIDI-violin, live electronics, film, 2002

ARRANGEMENTS:

America Is Waiting (David Byrne–Brian Eno), ensemble, 1995

Fragments (Nerve), orchestra, 1996

DISCOGRAPHY (as arranger)

America Is Waiting (David Byrne–Brian Eno). Ensemble MAE (NM Classics: 92063)

America Is Waiting (David Byrne–Brian Eno). Ensemble MAE (NM Classics: 96001)

America Is Waiting (David Byrne–Brian Eno). Ensemble MAE (Pierrot Lunaire: A1)

DISCOGRAPHY (as composer)

En/Of II. Ensemble MAE (Donemus: CV 69, 1998)

The (Mis)adventures of Amy Bock. Jannie Pranger, mezzo-soprano; Tomoko Mukaiyama, piano (Donemus: CV 86, 2000)

En/Of II. Ensemble MAE (CD: 9596)

MAE Journal. Ensemble MAE (Stichting X-OR Record Company: X-OR CD 13)

DISCOGRAPHY (as performer; selection)

Sensemayá (Willem Breuker Kollektief). (BVHaast: CD9509, 1995)

Psalm 122 (Willem Breuker Kollektief). (BVHaast: CD9803, 1998)

Muziekpraktijk. Ensemble MAE (Donemus: CV 49)

De Onderste Steen (Willem Breuker). (Entr'acte: 2)

Consensus (Splinks). (Kontrans: 1545)

Testament: A conduction collection (Butch Morris). Ensemble MAE (New World Records: 80485-2)

Jaar van de Ensembles. Ensemble MAE (PolyGram: 454 058-2)

Error! Bookmark not defined (Sync/Shed). (Space: CD 001)