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SAMHENGI // Composition & Improvisation: the works of John McCowenIn this first Samhengi lecture John McCowen will give an overview of his work, connecting composition and improvisation.
As always, the lunch-hour lecture is open to everyone!
John McCowen’s work has become an obsession with discovering a polyphonic language on a historically monophonic instrument - the clarinet. This has led him to a unique acoustic vocabulary that is similar to a shifting soundscape of electronic feedback. John's multiphonic approach is based in drones, difference tones, and beating harmonics as a means to showcase the compositional potential within a single, acoustic sound source. His work has been described by The New Yorker (Steve Smith) as “the sonic equivalent of microscopic life viewed on a slide” and “an astonishing demonstration of pure sound and human will” by The Wire (Phil Freeman). He began playing in punk, hardcore, and experimental bands in the US DIY circuit. These years led to international rock tours as a saxophone & flute player in his early 20’s. After reaching burnout, he decided to pursue classical clarinet performance with contemporary clarinet pioneer, Eric P. Mandat. He holds a BA in Clarinet Performance/Music Composition from Southern Illinois University-Carbondale and an MA in Music Composition from Mills College in Oakland, CA.
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 transcribed 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 clarinetist 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 utilize amplifier feedback or electronically-generated sounds unless specified.
https://www.lhi.is/vidburdur/samhengi-composition-improvisation-the-works-of-john-mccowen/
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Event Venue & Nearby Stays
Skipholti 31, 105 Reykjavík, Iceland, Skipholt 31, 105 Reykjavíkurborg, Ísland, Reykjavík, Iceland
