he Living Composers Project

Isadora, Alison (b. 1962, Port Chalmers). New Zealand-born Dutch-based composer of stage, chamber, vocal, and electroacoustic works that have received successful performances in Europe, New Zealand and North America; she is also a multimedia artist and a violinist.

She began her musical studies in 1981, studying violin with Elsa Jenkins, and then studied composition under Jack Body, David Farqhar and Ross Harris and violin performance under Gavin Saunders from 1982-85 at Victoria University, earning a BMus. She then studied violin from 1986-89 (with Vera Beths) and composition and theory from 1989-94 (with Louis Andriessen, Gilius van Bergeijk, Theo Loevendie, and Klaas de Vries) at the Royal Conservatory, Den Haag.

For the year 2001, she is a Mozart Fellow at Otago University, Dunedin (New Zealand). Previous honors include the Roy Jack Prize for string players (1984) and the Marian Rayward Memorial Scholarship (1985, both from Victoria University), the Music Study Grant from the QEII Arts Council (1992), and the Composition Prize from the Royal Conservatory, Den Haag (1994).

She is a member of the artistic advisory commission for NEAR (the division of Donemus dealing with electroacoustic music), a co-founder and organizer for the multimedia group Sync and the artistic advisor, founder and organizer for the electroacoustic quintet Aardvark, a group specializing in aleatoric and improvised music. She also co-founded the HEX Ensemble in 1991.

She has performed with many ensembles and orchestras, including the Wellington Regional Orchestra (1982-86), the Baroque Players (New Zealand, 1982-86), the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra (1983-86), the Mondriaan Strings (since 1987), and the Residentie Bach Orchestra (1991-94). She has also performed with new music groups, including Gending (1990-95), the improvisation group Carduelis Carduelis (1990-97), the HEX Ensemble (1991-98), the Maarten Altena Ensemble (1992-2000), the Basho Ensemble (1993-95), the Nieuw Ensemble (1993-95), and with her own groups Sync and Aardvark.

As an improviser, she has performed with Derek Bailey, Butch Morris, Roscoe Mitchell, and John Zorn, among others, and as an interpreter, she has worked with many composers, including John Cage, Luca Francesconi, Jonathan Harvey, and Olivier Messiaen.

Her works have been featured at the International Gaudeamus Music Week, the International Youth Music Forum (Kyiv) and the New Zealand Composing Women's Festival, and elsewhere.

Most of Ms. Isadora's works have been commissioned by the Fonds voor de Scheppende Toonkunst and are published by MuziekGroep Nederland (Donemus). Aardvark, Arraymusic, pianist Gerard Bouwhuis, Gending, the HEX Ensemble, electric guitarist Wiek Hijmans, cellist Janet Holborow, the Maarten Altena Ensemble, the Metropole Orchestra, pianist Tomoko Mukaiyama, mezzo-soprano Jannie Pranger, and the Utrecht String Quartet, among others have performed her works.

She is married to the composer-sound artist Jan-Bas Bollen.

CONTACT INFORMATION

E-mail address: jbali@xs4all.nl

Street address: Ms. Alison Isadora, Swammerdamstraat 18³, 1091 RT Amsterdam, Holland

Telephone/fax: + 312 0692 8291

Address for consulting scores: MuziekGroep Nederland, vestiging Amsterdam, Paulus Potterstraat 16, 1071 CZ Amsterdam, Holland

E-mail address: info@muziekgroep.nl

Telephone: + 020 305 8900

Fax: + 020 673 3588

Website: www.muziekgroep.nl

SELECT LIST OF WORKS

STAGE: Hoofdwas (music theatre work), mezzo-soprano, MIDI-washing machine, live electronics, 1995; De kleine Was (music theatre work), 2 performers, live electronics, 1996; Nachtvlinders (music theatre work, video by Sher Doruff), mezzo-soprano, alto, recorder, clarinet (+ baritone saxophone), trombone, electric guitar, violin, double bass, piano, percussion, video, 1999; The Pristine Chapel (music theatre work), performer, live electronics, video, slides, 2000; Het Land der Klaarheid (music theatre work), 5 voices, ensemble (11 players), 2000; Native Tongue (music theatre work, live image processing by Sher Doruff), flute, live electronics, 2001

CHAMBER MUSIC: Letter to Liz, cello, 1990; Sun Dance - A Summoning, violin, 1991 (imposed work, International Gaudeamus Performers Competition, Rotterdam, 1999); Untitled, violin, piano, 1991; Sgraffito, ensemble, 1991; The Fire Within, ensemble, 1992; Namasté, string quartet, 1993; Melody, improvisation ensemble, 1994; For Wiek, electric guitar, 1994; Te Moana Nui A Kiwa II, ensemble, 1994; Alternate/Altercate, flute, violin, double bass, piano, 1995; Morph, improvisation ensemble, 1995; En/Of II, recorder, bass clarinet, trombone, electric guitar, violin, double bass, piano, percussion, 1995; Wedding Dance, ensemble (17 players), 1995-97; A Thought for Margaret, flute, violin, double bass, piano (+ harmonium, melodica), 1997; Cramp - A Lullaby, small gamelan ensemble, 1997; Germ, violin, piano, 1999

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

ELECTROACOUSTIC: Condensation, mezzo-soprano, recorder, bass clarinet, trombone, violin, double bass, piano, synthesizer, percussion, DJ, live electronics, 1997; Nos. 1 and 4, flute, violin, double bass, keyboards, percussion, live electronics, 1999; Speak, for Steve Sweet 17 and Domestic Rant (Part I), flute, violin, double bass, keyboards, percussion, live electronics, 1999

ARRANGEMENTS: America is Waiting (David Byrne/Brian Eno), ensemble, 1995; Fragments (Nerve), orchestra, 1996

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

DISCOGRAPHY (as composer)

En/Of II - Muziekpraktijk. Maarten Altena Ensemble (Donemus: CV 69)

-, - Rumori 1995-1996. Maarten Altena Ensemble (CD: 9596)

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

America is Waiting - Working on Time. Maarten Altena Ensemble (NM Classics: 92063)

-, - Vintage 1996. Music from Holland (NM Classics: 96001)

-, - AngelicA 1995 - Festival Internazionale di Musica, Bologna. (Pierrot Lunaire: A1)

SELECT DISCOGRAPHY (as performer)

Consensus (Splinks). (Kontrans: 1545)

Testament: A conduction collection (Butch Morris). Maarten Altena Ensemble (New World: 80485)

Muziekpraktijk. Maarten Altena Ensemble (Donemus: CV 49)

Jaar van de Ensembles. Maarten Altena Ensemble (Polygram: 454 058)

Sensemayá (Willem Breuker Kollectief). (BVHaast: 9509)

Psalm 122 (Willem Breuker Kollectief). (BVHaast: 9803)

De onderste steen (Willem Breuker). (Entr'acte: 2)

(Last updated on January 26, 2002)