DARMSTADT presents an evening of original compositions by Mikael Karlsson

Darmstadt "Classics of the Avant Garde," presented by Nick Hallett and Zach Layton is proud to present an evening featuring the original compositions of Mikael Karlsson. Karlsson has composed scores for filmmakers Barbara Hammer and Christopher Young, in addition to commissions performed by the International Contemporary Ensemble and the New York Miniaturist Ensemble. He is joined by an ensemble of wonderful instrumentalists familiar to Darmstadt regulars. The concert will feature a mix of acoustic chamber works with some pieces that use electronic effects, including selections from his cd "dog", composed with Rob Stephenson.

Darmstadt presents Mikael Karlsson
DJ sets by Nick Hallett and Zach Layton
Wednesday, January 31, 2007
8:00 PM
Galapagos Art Space
70 N 6th Street
FREE
L to Bedford

PROGRAM

NASTY FUCKER
3 mvm
Clarinet (and electronic effects) Joshua Rubin

NILON
Violin, Chern Hwei Fung
Viola, Maiya Papach

CUSTOM HYBRID*
Voice, Rob Stephenson
Distorted piano, Mikael Karlsson

SCHWEET* (solo arrangement by Josh)
Clarinet, Joshua Rubin

IN CASE OF BRAHMS
3 mvm
Piano, Emily Manzo

CIVILIANS*
Samples, Broken instruments, Mikael Karlsson, Rob Stephenson
Cello, Jason Wingate

*) composed with Rob Stephenson

Sound Engineer: Tobias Wagner

All audience members will receive a free cd with all the above tracks.

Artist Bio

Mikael was born in Sweden in 1975, and moved to New York in 2000 after abandoning a halting career in liquor retail in Stockholm. In New York he pursued his true passion and tormentor - music.

Mikael holds a masters degree in composition from the Aaron Copland School of Music and graduated Summa Cum Laude with departmental honors in June of 2005 and received the faculty’s finest award, the Karol Rathaus Memorial Award, for display of superior musicianship in the fields of composition, music theory and performance that year.

He has studied composition with Dr. Edward Smaldone (2001-2002), Bruce Saylor (2002-2005) and Jeff Nichols (2004). His music is in high demand from performers in New York, the rest of the US, Sweden and increasingly throughout the world, and he enjoys composing only upon commissions. His music has been performed at Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center and many other lovely venues in New York.

His music is on the soundtrack of films by acclaimed experimental filmmakers Barbara Hammer (History Lessons, 2001 - an Official Sundance Selection that year) and Christopher Young (Orpheus and Eurydice 2001 - released by Please Records as a separate soundtrack cd). He is currently working on three major soundtracks for 2 films and the next installment of the xbox game Battlefield - Bad Company, for Electronic Arts.

Mikael is the personal representative of celebrated composer Tobias Picker and was recently awarded an Extraordinary Talent Visa for the US.

Mikael is the recipient of the Verdandi Cultural Achievement award (1996), The Aaron Copland School of Music Award to and Outstanding Student (twice - 2001, 2002), The Gabriel Fontrier Award in Composition (three times - 2001, 2002 and 2004), The Anna Whitlock Culture Award (2002), The Karol Rathaus Memorial Award (the Faculty's finest award at the Aaron Copland School of Music) in Composition (2003, 2005) and the Mark Kyrkostas Award in Composition (2003). In 2003, he was selected to become a member of the national honor society Phi Beta Kappa.
In 2005 he received the Jack Barham Creativity Prize.

Mikael is a professor of music theory, sight-singing and dictation at the Aaron Copland School of Music (CUNY) in New York. Privately, he teaches piano, composition, music theory, analysis and ear training. He is the creative director and a producer at Siblings Music, where he directs a group of 12 composers.

In 2003, he co-founded film scoring collective Please MusicWorks LLC, which has grown to include 5 composers and more than 100 of New York’s best performers. PMW are currently looking for more composers in a pop vein. www.pleasemusicworks.com.

The cd “dog” - written collaboratively with composer Rob Stephenson - was released on October 2, 2006 and has since been featured on a multitude of radio shows for experimental music in the US and Europe. www.dog-cd.com

In the summer of 2007, a cd named Excommunities, with Mikael’s recent concert works will be released.

For more information about Mikael, please visit his website at www.mikaelkarlsson.info.

In 2006, Mikael was interviewed by Jim Gladstone for usedwigs.com. His piece Nasty Fucker was published in Butt Magazine earlier that year.