School of Music Visiting Artist
A presentation and discussion on a number of recent works related to the topic of language desemanticization. Together these compositions explore how technology can utilize the human body as an acoustical space, with live performers modifying the playback environment while philosophizing on the most profound tenets of humanism.
Andrew Watts’ works, from chamber and symphonic to multimedia and electro-acoustic, are actively performed throughout the US and Europe. He researches the compositional applications of language desemanticization, focusing on the ability to convey expression through the voice even when specific meaning is lost, augmented, or otherwise unintelligible. His writing also actively explores musical extremes through gradients of freedom and restriction, ambiguity and detail, purity and distortion, along with sound and noise. Often he includes invented instruments to broaden the palette of what a performer can do.
In the past few years Mr. Watts has written for top musicians and ensembles including Ekmeles, Proton Bern, Distractfold, RAGE Thormbones, Splinter Reeds, Quince, Line Upon Line, Tony Arnold, Séverine Ballon, and LAPQ. In 2018-2019 he will be writing a new chamber orchestra with dual soprano soloist piece for Dal Niente.