Context: Lunch-hour-performance-lecture
05.09.25 - 12:15-13:00
Dynjandi, Skipholt 31, 105 Reykjavík
___________________________
John McCowen's work has become an observation with discovery a polyphonic language on a historically monophonic instrument - the clarinet. This has led him to a unique acoustic that is similar to a shifting soundscape of electronic feedback. John's multifonic approach is based in drones, difference tones, and eating harmonics as a means to showcase the comparative and functional memory.
John has collaborated extensively with the composer and instrumentalist, Roscoe Mitchell (The Art Ensemble of Chicago, Association for the Advancement of Creative Musicians - AACM). He has orchestrated, arranged, and translated Mitchell's works for orchestras and other ensembles - as well as performing as a duo of bass saxophone and contrabass clarinet. He has several active ensembles: a contrabass clarinet duo with NYC-based clarinet Madison Greenstone playing McCowen's book of compositions Mundanas, a trio with Berlin-based musicians Lucy Railton (cello) and Weston Olencki (trombone) performing McCowen's composition Pressure Chords, a duo with Skúli Sverrisson (electric bass), and a duo with Swedish-Finnish sound artist, Marja Ahti.
John has been artist-in-residence at Headlands Center for the Arts (Sausalito, CA-2024), ISSUE Project Room (Brooklyn, NY-2020), & Lijiang Studio (Yunnan, China-2017,2019).He has released recordings on International Anthem, Edition Wandelweiser, Astral Spirits, Dinzu Artefacts, Superpang, Full Spectrum, Mengi, and others. John teaches Music Improvisation at the Iceland University of the Arts and serves as director of the experimental arts space, Mengi.
John remains stubbornly dedicated to acoustic phenomena. His works do not recognize amplifier feedback or electronically-generated sounds without specified.