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Happy 85th Birthday, Morton Subotnick!

Apr. 04, 2018

Happy 85th Birthday, Morton Subotnick!

We are delighted to celebrate Morton Subotnick's 85th birthday on April 14th. Morton Subotnick has been at the forefront of musical innovation for decades, establishing himself as a master of electronic music with the 1967 release of Silver Apples of the Moon and the creation of a 'ghost' box, which allowed for dramatic control over electronic processing. Subotnick’s notable works for ghost and live instruments include Liquid Strata for piano, The Wild Beasts for trombone and piano, Axolotl for solo cello, and A Fluttering of Wings for string quartet. The subtlety, sophistication and control over real-time electronic processing that Subotnick demonstrated in these innovative works secured his reputation as one of the world’s most important electronic music composers. Morton Subotnick was named a Pulitzer Prize finalist in 1980 for his work, After the Butterfly. He has written extensively for symphony orchestra, chamber ensembles, soloists, and composed a monodrama, Jacob's Room, for the Kronos Quartet and Joan La Barbara, which he subsequently developed into a full evening opera of the same name on commission from the Bregenz Festival in Austria. This season, Morton Subotnick and Lillevan have been on a world tour with "Silver Apples of the Moon Revisited." Upcoming performances take place in Norway in May, and in Germany and at Dartmouth College in June. For more information about tour dates and locations, please visit mortonsubotnick.com

With Ramon Sender, Subotnick co-founded the San Francisco Tape Music Center and along with Mel Powell, is responsible for the creation of the California Institute of the Arts. In addition, Subotnick has made his mark on technology-driven music pedagogy for young children, establishing Morton Subotnick's Music Academy with the aim of "building a solid musical foundation...teach[ing] listening skills and encourag[ing] creativity for students in grades K-6. The goal of the ear training in the 'academy' is to empower each student to hear and recognize the richness of musical expression. Now students of every ability level can experience the joy of hearing and creating music!"

For more information about Morton Subotnick, please visit schott-music.com.

Morton Subotnick
A Fluttering of Wings (1981)
for string quartet and electronic ghost
25'

After the Butterfly (1979)
for solo trumpet with chamber ensemble and ghost electronics
2 clarinets, 2 trombones, percussion, and 2 cellos
18’

Axolotl(1982)
for solo cello and electronic ghost
17'

Liquid Strata 
(1977)
for piano and electronic ghost
27’

Monodrama, from Jacob's Room (2012)
for voice, 2 violins, viola, cello and keyboard
ca. 25’

The Wild Beasts (1978)
for trombone, piano, and electronic ghost score
23’


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