Karlheinz Essl

Karlheinz Essl (born August 15, 1960 in Vienna) is an Austrian composer, performer, sound artist, improviser and composition teacher.

Biography

Karlheinz Essl was born in Vienna in 1960. Studies at the University of Music in Vienna: composition (Friedrich Cerha), electro-acoustic music (Dieter Kaufmann) and double bass. Studies at the University of Vienna: musicology (1989 doctoral thesis on "Das Synthese-Denken bei Anton Webern"). 1990-94 „composer in residence” at the Darmstädter Ferienkurse für Neue Musik. 1992-93 work on a commission at IRCAM in Paris. Since 1994 [http://www.essl.at/bibliogr/felber-musikkurator_e.html music curator of the Essl Collection] in Klosterneuburg/Vienna. Between 1995-2006 he was teaching Algorithmic composition at the "Studio for Advanced Music & Media Technology" at the Anton Bruckner Private University for Music, Drama, and Dance in Linz, Austria. As of 2007, professor of composition for electro-acoustic and experimental music at the University of Music and Performing Arts, Vienna.

Characterisation

Karlheinz Essl's work with computers (with emphasis on algorithmic composition and generative music) and a prolonged occupation with the poetics of serial music have been a formative influence on his compositional thinking. Besides writing instrumental music, Karlheinz Essl also works in the field of electronic music, interactive realtime compositions and sound installations. Since the early 90's he has developed various [http://www.essl.at/software.html software environments for realtime composition] which he uses himself for his own live performances and also in collaboration with artists from other fields (choreographers, dancers, visual artists and poets).

Projects

Since the 1990s, Karlheinz Essl carried out a number of projects for the Internet and became increasingly involved with improvisation. In 1997, Karlheinz Essl was featured at the Salzburg Festival with portrait concerts and sound installations. In 2003, he was artist-in-residence of the festival "musik aktuell", and in 2004 he was presented with a series of portrait concerts at the Brucknerhaus Linz. 2008-2009 he is composer-in-residence of the Belgium ensemble Champ d'Action.

elected Works

* "Helix 1.0" for string quartet (1986)
* "met him pike trousers" for large orchestra (1987)
* "Rudiments" for 4 snare drums (1989)
* "Close the Gap" for 3 tenor saxophones (1989
* "...et consumimur igni" for 3 ensemble groups (1990)
* "In's Offene!" flute, bass clarinet, violin and cello (1991)
* "Entsagung" for ensemble and electronics (1993)
* "Lexikon-Sonate" infinite realtime composition for computer-controlled piano (1992-2007)
* "Déviation" for ensemble (1993)
* "absence" for violin solo (1996)
* "à trois/seul" for string trio (1998)
* "mise en scène" for 10 instruments (1998)
* "more or less" realtime composition for soloists and electronics (1999-2002)
* "upward, behind the onstreaming it mooned" for string quartet (2001)
* "blur" for flute, cello and vibraphone (2003)
* "Faites vos jeux!" a musical card game for cellos and/or trombones (2004)
* "Kalimba" for toy piano and CD (2005)
* "colorado" for saxophone quartet and live-electronics (2005-2008)
* "Von Hirschen und Röhren" sound installation for Beat Zoderer (2006-2007)
* "7x7" for 4 clarinets or 4 saxophines (2006)
* "AIRBORNE" open-air sound environment (2006)
* "Cinq" for woodwind quintet (2007)
* "FRÄULEIN ATLANTIS" generative sound and video environment for Jonathan Meese (2007)
* "Sequitur" for various solo instruments and live-electronics (2008)
* "while my guitars gently whip" for 4 electric guitars (2008)

Music Software

* [http://www.essl.at/works/amazing.html Amazing Maze] : interactive realtime composition for sampled sound particles
* [http://www.essl.at/works/Lexikon-Sonate.html Lexikon-Sonate] : algorithmic music generator
* [http://www.essl.at/works/flow/download.html fLOW] : ambient soundscape generator
* [http://www.essl.at/works/replay.html REplay PLAYer] : generative sound file shredder
* [http://www.essl.at/works/seelewaschen/download.html SEELEWASCHEN] : ambient sound environment based on the sound of a bell
* [http://www.essl.at/works/fontana-mixer/download.html FontanaMixer] : generative sound environment based on John Cage's "Fontana Mix"
* [http://www.essl.at/works/webernuhrwerk/download.html WebernUhrWerk] : generative music generator in memory of Anton Webern

Records

* [http://www.essl.at/records/goldbergwerk.html Gold.Berg.Werk] : interpretation of J.S. Bach's "Goldberg Variations" for string trio and electronics (Preiser Records 2008)
* [http://www.essl.at/records/sndtrx.html SNDT®X] : electronic music #3 (tlhotra #23 2008) - free download from archive.org
* [http://www.essl.at/records/crude.html ©RUDE] : electronic music #2 (Lotus Records 2001)
* [http://www.essl.at/records/maze.html m@ze°2] : electronic music #1 (KHE 1999) - free download as mp3 from last.fm
* [http://www.essl.at/records/rudiments.html Rudiments] : instrumental compositions 1986-1993 (TONOS 1995)

External links

* [http://www.essl.at www.essl.at] : official website
* [http://myspace.com/karlheinzessl myspace.com/karlheinzessl] : presentation at MySpace
* [http://www.bruceduffie.com/essl2.html Karlheinz Essl interview] by Bruce Duffie