Summary
David Behrman (born August 16, 1937) is an American composer and a pioneer of computer music. In the early 1960s he was the producer of Columbia Records' Music of Our Time series, which included the first recording of Terry Riley's In C.[1] In 1966 Behrman co-founded Sonic Arts Union with fellow composers Robert Ashley, Alvin Lucier and Gordon Mumma. He wrote the music for Merce Cunningham's dances Walkaround Time (1968), Rebus (1975), Pictures (1984) and Eyespace 40 (2007). In 1978, he released his debut album On the Other Ocean, a pioneering work combining computer music with live performance.[2][3]
David Behrman | |
|---|---|
 Behrman circa 2003 | |
| Born | August 16, 1937 |
| Nationality | American |
| Education | Phillips Academy |
| Alma mater | Harvard University (B.A.) Columbia University (M.A.) |
| Occupations |
|
| Years active | 1962–present |
| Employer(s) | Bard College California Institute of the Arts Mills College Ohio State University Rutgers University Technical University of Berlin |
| Known for | Sonic Arts Union |
| Notable work | On the Other Ocean |
| Spouses | |
| Parent |
|
| Relatives | Jascha Heifetz (uncle) |
Biography edit
Early life and education edit
Behrman's father, S. N. Behrman, was a successful playwright and Hollywood screenplay writer. His mother Elza Heifetz Behrman was the sister of violinist Jascha Heifetz.
Behrman attended the Phillips Academy in Andover, Massachusetts, where his classmates included Carl Andre, Hollis Frampton and Frank Stella. There he also developed a lifelong friendship with composer and pianist Frederic Rzewski. While attending summer camp at Indian Hill in 1953 he was taught modern music by Wallingford Riegger.[citation needed] He received a BA from Harvard in 1959.[4] At Harvard, he formed a lifelong friendship with Christian Wolff and where he continued his friendship with Frederic Rzewski.[citation needed] He attended the summer school at Darmstadt in 1959, where he met La Monte Young and Nam June Paik.[citation needed] He received a Master of Arts from Columbia University in 1963.[4]
Teaching edit
He has been a member of the Avery Graduate Arts Program faculty at Bard College since 1998.[5] He was co-director of the Center for Contemporary Music at Mills College in 1975–1980,[5] and has taught also at the California Institute of the Arts, Ohio State University,[1] Rutgers University, and the Technical University of Berlin.[1][5]
Music edit
Behrman is known as a minimalist composer.[6] His music has often involved interactions between live performers and computers, usually with the computer generating sounds triggered by some aspect of the live performance, usually certain pitches, but sometimes other aspects of the live sound, such as volume in QRSL (as recorded by Maggi Payne on The Extended Flute (CRI807). Many of his significant works, such as On the Other Ocean, Interspecies Small Talk, are based on a pitch sensing computer music system.[5]
Personal life edit
Behrman was briefly married to Japanese video artist, sculptor and avant-garde performance artist Shigeko Kubota.[7] The marriage ended in 1969.[8] He has been married since 1979 to media-artist Terri Hanlon.[1]
Behrman lives in New York City.[1]
Awards edit
- 1994, Foundation for Contemporary Arts Grants to Artists Award.
Discography edit
- On the Other Ocean Lovely Music Ltd. (1977)
- Leapday Night Lovely Music Ltd. (1987)
- Unforeseen Events XI Records (1991)
- Wave Train Alga Marghen (1998)
- My Dear Siegfried XI Records (2005)
Films edit
- 1976 - Music With Roots in the Aether: Opera for Television. Tape 1: David Behrman. Produced and directed by Robert Ashley. New York, New York: Lovely Music.
- 2008 - Roulette TV: David Behrman. Roulette Intermedium Inc.
External links edit
- David Behrman Website
- David Behrman interview from Kalvos & Damian New Music Bazaar
- Lovely Music Artist: David Behrman
- David Behrman Interview by Theresa Stern (August 1997)
- David Behrman at UbuWeb
- David Behrman page at WFMU
- David Behrman at the Foundation for Contemporary Arts
- David Behrman at Diapason Gallery
- David Behrman at Bard College
- David Behrman at Arcane Candy
References edit
- ^ a b c d e David Behrman: Foundation for Contemporary Arts. Biography.
- ^ Rockwell, John (March 12, 1978). "Trends in New Music on Disks". The New York Times. Retrieved February 16, 2019.
- ^ Jennie Gottschalk (11 August 2016). Experimental Music Since 1970. Bloomsbury Publishing. pp. 74–. ISBN 978-1-62892-251-6.
- ^ a b "Electronic Music Brandeis Composers". Brandeis University. Retrieved April 6, 2024.
- ^ a b c d "Ultrasounds: David Behrman". dramonline.org. Retrieved 6 April 2024.
- ^ Kenneth Goldsmith. "David Behrman: Composer as Record Executive" from "Don't Quit Your Day Job". 2000. New Music Box / American Music Center.
- ^ Grimes, William (28 July 2015). "Shigeko Kubota, a Creator of Video Sculptures, Dies at 77". The New York Times.
- ^ "Caroline A. Jones on Shigeko Kubota (1937–2015)".