Pamelia Kurstin

Pamelia Kurstin (born Pamela Stickney May 28, 1976 in Southern California) is a world-renowned thereminist who has played and recorded with such prestigious artists as David Byrne, Béla Fleck and the Flecktones, and Ulver (on the album Shadows of the Sun) and has performed on the television show Saturday Night Live. Her background as a jazz musician on the upright bass has led to her unique "walking bass" theremin technique. Until recently (late 2005) working out of New York City, she now lives in Vienna, Austria.

She was first introduced to the theremin - and made her recording debut on the instrument - during production of the album "Into the Oh" in 1999 by Luaka Bop duo Geggy Tah – singer/writer Tommy Jordan and keyboardist Greg Kurstin. Pamelia recorded "Gymnopedie" in 2000 as a member of the theremin/keyboard duo called "The Kurstins" with her then-husband, Greg. Pamelia performs solo (live theremin orchestra by using looping pedals), with the New York-based group Barbez, and occasionally with Sebastien Tellier (France) or Otto Lechner (Austria). She can be heard on "Thinking Out Loud" (her first solo album released in April 2007 by Tzadik, the record label of John Zorn), Barbez's second album for Important Records, "Insignificance", Foetus' latest release, "Love", and has also composed music for a CNN special using her theremin orchestra. She appears as herself in the 2004 documentary about legendary electronic instrument pioneer Dr. Robert Moog, entitled "Moog".

External links

* [http://www.myspace.com/pameliakurstin Myspace site]
* [http://www.angelfire.com/freak/pamelia_kurstin/welcome1.htm Official site]
* [http://www.barbez.com/ Barbez's website]
* [http://www.tzadik.com/ Tzadik site]
* [http://www.thereminworld.com/kurstin.asp Pamelia Kurstin links and info at ThereminWorld]
* [http://www.silbermedia.com/qrd/archives/24pamelia.html Pamelia Kurstin interview (march 2003) for QRD]
* [http://www.ted.com/index.php/talks/view/id/218 Performance at TED, 2002]