Artist Biographies

Natasha Barrett began working seriously with electroacoustic composition during a master's degree in analysis and electroacoustic composition, studying under Jonty Harrison. This study gave her the opportunity to work with BEAST (Birmingham Electroacoustic Sound Theatre), and has greatly influenced her current work. In 1998 she was awarded a doctoral degree in composition, supervised by Denis Smalley. Her compositional output consists of works for instruments and live electronics, sound installations, dance, theatre, and animation projects, but all activity is rooted in her work with acousmatic tape composition, which features most strongly amongst her creations.

Her work has received many awards, including Prix Ars Electronica (Linz, Austria 1998), Noroit-Leonce Petitot (Arras, France 1998 & 2002), first prize in the Trivium section of the Bourges International Electroacoustic Music Awards (France 1998, 2001, and a mention in the same competition in 1995), Concours Scrime, (France 2000), International Electroacoustic Creation Competition of Ciberart (Italy 2000), Concours Luigi Russolo (Italy 1995 and 1998), and selection in the IREM 2002. She has received commissions from institutions and performers in throughout the world, and her work is available on numerous CD labels, including empreintes DIGITALes, Cultures electroniques/Mnemosyne Musique Media, CDCM/Centaur, and two privately produced solo CD productions.

Laura Bianchini was born in Trevi nel Lazio (Italy) in 1954 and completed her studies of Composition, Electroacoustic music at the Conservatory of Music in L'Aquila. Interested in the use of electronic technologies in art, she addressed her musical research in the construction of electronic systems for musical composition (both analog and digital). With other musicians she founded the CRM - Centro Ricerche Musicali, a center for musical research in Rome (1988). She has written and published essays on the contemporary music, especially on the use of computer in art. She carries on both musical research-composition and management of artistic and scientific activities at CRM where she is co-director. She was also president of MUSICA VERTICALE from 1988 - 1992, an institution for computer music diffusion.

She has realized many works for the radio: "Immobile e doppio,""Il cerchio magico", a fairy tale in 21 sections based on texts by Susanna Tamaro, in 1997 for the series "Teatri alla radio" (theaters at the radio) directed by Luca Ronconi; she composed the music for the dramas "Il vento notturno," La rivolta", Il vincolo." She is currently completing the cycle "Il resto è quiete" (The rest is silence), four compositions for voice, choir, tape and live electronics based on texts by W. Shakespeare: Hamlet, Macbeth, King Lear, The Tempest.

Francis Dhomont is an Associate Composer of the Canadian Music Centre, and both a founding and honorary member of the Canadian Electroacoustic Community. Since 1978, composer Francis Dhomont has divided his time between France and Québec, where he has taught at the Université de Montréal from 1980 to 1996. He studied under Ginette Waldmeier, Charles Koechlin and Nadia Boulanger. In the late 40s,in Paris (France), he intuitively discovered with magnetic wire what Schaeffer would later call "musique concrète" and consequently conducted solitary experiments with the musical possibilities of sound recording. Later, leaving behind instrumental writing, he dedicated himself exclusively to electroacoustic composition. An ardent proponent of acousmatics, his work (since 1963) is comprised
exclusively of works for tape bearing witness to his continued interest in morphological interplay and ambiguities between sound and the images it may create.

The Conseil des arts et des lettres du Québec recently awarded Dhomont a prestigious career grant. In 1999, he was awarded five first prizes for four of his recent works at international competition in Brazil, Spain, Italy, Hungary and Czech Republic. In 1997, as the winner of the Canada Council for the Arts' Lynch-Staunton Prize, he was also supported by the DAAD for a residence in Berlin (Germany). He now focuses on composition and theory.

David Eagle composes chamber, orchestral and electroacoustic music and in recent years, has explored computer applications for composition, improvisation and multimedia. He teaches theory and composition and is Director of the Electroacoustic Music Studio at the University of Calgary. Born in Montréal in 1955, he studied music at McGill University the Hochschule für Musik, Freiburg, Germany, and at the University of California, Berkeley (PhD 1992). Eagle's work can be heard on New Concert Discs, Clef, UNICAL and isodart recording labels.

Kathy Kennedy is a sound artist with a background classical singing. Her art practise generally involves the voice and issues of interface with technology, often using telephony or radio. She is also involved in community art, and is a founder of the digital media center for women in Canada, Studio XX, as well as the innovative choral groups
for women, Choeur Maha and Esther. Her large scale sonic installation/performances for up to 100 singers and radio, called "sonic choreographies," have been performed internationally including the inauguration of the Vancouver New Public Library and at the Lincoln Center's Out of Doors Series.

Michelangelo Lupone was born in 1953, and completed his studies in Composition, Electroacoustic and Music Informatics. Since 1979 he has taught Electroacoustic Music at the Conservatory "A. Casella" in L'Aquila. He has published theoretical essays on contemporary music and scientific essays on the use of computers in music. His compositions include both instrumental and electronic works in the field of the most advanced acoustic and Psychoacoustics research; since 1983 he has made use of special computers for research and composition (Fly10, Fly30), for sound synthesis and processing in real time. Among the works utilizing these processes: Ciclo Astrale, Mobile/Locale, Forma del respiro, Varianti di un grano, Controfiato, Corda di metallo, the last one written for the Kronos Quartet.

In 1988 he founded CRM-Centro Ricerche Musicali in Rome with Laura Bianchini and nowadays he leads its artistic activities. Since 1989 he co-operates the artistic-scientific program of Gramma Institute in L'Aquila. He has received international awards from the Sciences Academy in Budapest (1986), from the Japan Foundation, Tokyo (1992).

Randall Smith began composing initially with experimental film, working with film-makers living in his hometown of Toronto. In 1987 he composed his first solo tape piece, "Fleeting Wheels of Changes." From this point until 1995 Randall Smith composed purely electroacoustic music. In 1992 he began to study the violin under Eugene Kash. Unknown to him at the time the real direction that this would lead to would be the writing for instruments and tape (mixed electroacoustic music). In 1995, after meeting cellist Daniel Domb, he composed his first mixed piece "Continental Rift," for cello and tape. Since then Randall Smith has composed several other mixed pieces.

Randall Smith has had his works presented in Canada, Europe, Asia, South America and the United States of America. He received 1st Jury prize and Public prize at the Noroit-Léonce Petitot competition (Arras, France, 1996), 1st and 2nd prize at Luigi-Russollo competition (Varese, Italy, 1993, 95), the GMEM prize (Marseilles, France, 1993), and two mentions at the Bourges competition (France, 1993, 97). He has received grants from the Canada Council for the Arts, Ontario Arts Council and Toronto Arts Council. He has received commissions from ACREQ, Canadian Electronic Ensemble, Continuum, percussionist Beverly Johnston, accordionist Joseph Petric and Réseaux, to name a few. Randall Smith's music was released on L'oreille voit (empreintes DIGITALes, IMED 9416), his first solo disc, and on several compilation discs.

In 1998 Randall Smith began studying the tar, an Iranian string instrument, under Ahmad Ashraf-abadi (further combining his musical approach with diverse cultural musical ideas to create new works). Randall Smith is a fulltime composer and produces his music at his own studio in Toronto.

Barry Truax is a Professor in both the School of Communication and the School for the Contemporary Arts at Simon Fraser University where he teaches courses in acoustic communication and electroacoustic music. He has worked with the World Soundscape Project, editing its "Handbook for Acoustic Ecology," and has published a book "Acoustic Communication" dealing with all aspects of sound and technology. As a composer, Truax is best known for his work with the PODX computer music system, which he has used for tape solo works, and those which combine tape with live performers or computer graphics. A selection of these pieces may be heard on the recording"Sequence of Earlier Heaven," and the Compact Discs "Digital Soundscapes," "Pacific Rim," "Song of Songs," "Inside," "Islands," and "Twin Souls," all on the Cambridge Street Records label. In 1991 his work, "Riverrun," was awarded the Magisterium at the International Competition of Electroacoustic Music in Bourges, France, a category open only to electroacoustic composers of 20 or more years experience. He is also the recipient of one of the 1999 Awards for Teaching Excellence at Simon Fraser University. Barry is an Associate Composer of the Canadian Music Centre and a founding member of the Canadian Electroacoustic Community.

Darren Copeland - Artistic Director

Darren Copeland is a soundscape composer, radio artist, sound designer and concert producer. He has studied electroacoustic composition under Barry Truax (Simon Fraser University) and Dr. Jonty Harrison (University of Birmingham). His concert works have received mentions in competitions (Vancouver New Music, Luigi Russolo, Hungarian Radio, La Muse en Circuit, and Phonurgia Nova) and appeared on compilation CD releases (Storm of Drones, Radius #3, DISContact I & II, Lieu - Non Lieu, and Soundscape Vancouver). Rendu Visible, a CD devoted to his work, is available on the empreintes DIGITALes label.

Other works combine his electroacoustic and theatrical backgrounds to break open disciplinary boundaries between electroacoustics, radio art, and theatre. Highlights include the adaptation of August Strindberg's A Dream Play (first radio drama at CBC conceived for broadcast in Surround 5.1), the soundscape documentaries Life Unseen and The Toronto Sound Mosaic, and a DORA nominated soundtrack for Samuel Beckett's That Time.

In addition to composing, he has written articles about listening and environmental sounds for Electronic Cottage, Musicworks, Contact! (CEC), Soundscape: Journal of Acoustic Ecology, and The Journal for Electroacoustic Music (Sonic Arts Network) as well as CD, concert and book reviews for Musicworks, The Whole Note, and Soundscape: The Journal of Acoustic Ecology.

Has a producer and administrator, fond memories lie with Wireless Graffiti, a live-to-air radio extravaganza in 1993 co-produced by Rumble Theatre and Vancouver Pro Musica. After active histories with Vancouver Pro Musica, the Standing Wave Ensemble, and the Communauté électroacoustique Canadienne/Canadian Electroacoustic Community (CEC) from 1990 to 1996, he now serves on the board of the Canadian Association for Sound Ecology (CASE) and is the Artistic Director for New Adventures in Sound Art.

Contact: Nadene Theriault-Copeland at 416-910-7231, 905-454-5714, or nadene@soundtravels.ca.

Sponsors

Charles Street Video is a non-profit, artist-run centre located in downtown Toronto. Its mandate is to provide media artists with opportunities for production and to foster an environment for the advancement of the media arts practise.

NOW Magazine: Toronto's Independent News and Entertainment Weekly Magazine since 1981

Toronto community radio and home to Deep Wireless Radio

Order electroacoustic works by artists from around the world on-line (including works by Natasha Barrett, Francis Dhomont, Randall Smith, Darren Copeland) and keep in touch with Sound paths: new ways to discover electroacoustics in its multiple forms. Regularly, their in-house writers will guide you through a new path which will elicit new listening opportunities for your ears

CIUT 89.5-FM Real Music Real Radio

For all your musical needs

Sound Travels 2002 at eContact!
Sound Travels 2002 webpage
The Sound Travels FAQ