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Isadora, Alison (b. 1962, Port Chalmers). New Zealand-born Dutch composer of stage, chamber, vocal, electroacoustic, 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 Canterbury University in 1980 and received a BA in political philosophy at Victoria University 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 from 1982–85, where she earned her BMus. She then studied violin privately with Vera Beths from 1986–89 and composition and music theory with Louis Andriessen, Gilius van Bergeijk, Theo Loevendie, and Klaas de Vries at the Royal Conservatory in Den Haag from 1989–94. She later had post-graduate studies at DasArts, an institution for advanced research in theatre and dance, in 2000 and in 2002–03.
Her 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 of the Royal Conservatory in Den Haag (1994). She later received the Mozart Fellowship from Otago University in Dunedin (2001).
As a violinist, she has performed with many ensembles and orchestras, including the Wellington Regional Orchestra from 1982–86, the Baroque Players in New Zealand from 1982–86, the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra from 1983–86, and the Residentie Bach Orkest from 1991–94. She has played with the Mondriaan Strings since 1987 and performed in the gamelan Gending from 1990–95, the improvisational group Carduelis Carduelis from 1990–97, the HEX Ensemble from 1991–98, the Maarten Altena Ensemble from 1992–2000, the Bashō Ensemble from 1993–95, and the Nieuw Ensemble from 1993–95. As an improviser, she has performed with Derek Bailey, Butch Morris, Roscoe Mitchell, and John Zorn, among others.
Ms. Isadora is also active in other positions. She co-founded with Jan-Bas Bollen the HEX Ensemble in 1991, founded the improvisational quintet Aardvark in 1995 and founded the multimedia group Sync in 1996, of which she has served as artistic director since 1996. In addition, she is a member of the artistic advisory commission of the Nederlands Elektro-Akoestisch Repertoirecentrum (NEAR).
She is married to the composer Jan-Bas Bollen.
She has lived in The Netherlands since 1986.
Donemus publishes her music.
CONTACT INFORMATION
E-mail address: jbali@xs4all.nl
Street address: Ms. Alison Isadora, Swammerdamstr. 18 III, 1091 RT Amsterdam, The Netherlands
Telephone/fax: + 312 0692 8291
E-mail address for consulting scores: info@donemus.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 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, slides, 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 audio-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, cellular phone, electric guitar, violin, 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
ARRANGEMENTS: America Is Waiting (David Byrne-Brian Eno), ensemble, 1995; Fragments (Nerve), orchestra, 1996
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
DISCOGRAPHY (as composer)
En/Of II. Maarten Altena Ensemble (Donemus: CV 69)
En/Of II. Maarten Altena Ensemble (CD: 9596)
The (Mis)adventures of Amy Bock. Jannie Pranger, mezzo-soprano; Tomoko Mukaiyama, piano (Donemus: CV 86)
America Is Waiting. Maarten Altena Ensemble (NM Classics: 92063)
America Is Waiting. Maarten Altena Ensemble (NM Classics: 96001)
America Is Waiting. Maarten Altena Ensemble (Pierrot Lunaire: A1)
MAE Journal. Maarten Altena Ensemble (Stichting X-OR Record Company: X-OR CD 13)
SELECT DISCOGRAPHY (as performer)
Consensus (Splinks). (Kontrans: 1545)
Testament: A conduction collection (Butch Morris). Maarten Altena Ensemble (New World Records: 80485)
Muziekpraktijk. Maarten Altena Ensemble (Donemus: CV 49)
Jaar van de Ensembles. Maarten Altena Ensemble (PolyGram: 454 058)
Sensemayá (Willem Breuker Kollectief). (BVHaast: CD9509)
Psalm 122 (Willem Breuker Kollectief). (BVHaast: CD9803)
De onderste steen (Willem Breuker). (Entr'acte: 2)
Error! Bookmark not defined (Sync/Shed). (Space: CD 001)
(Last updated on December 7, 2002)
