Kurt Isaacson

Composition
Kurt Isaacson-Pic
Kurt Isaacson is a composer whose work stitches together chaotic, unstable sonic textures with fragments of poetry and literature in an effort to create an intangible mixture of sound and letters.  Of late, much of Kurt’s music has focused on animals and their place in our world, which has led to him constructing several large-scale collections that each revolve around seemingly disparate topics — medieval-influenced bestiaries, hybridization, ecology & ecosystems, industry, and meat (yes…meat).  The result has been a labyrinthian menagerie of interconnected specimens — experiments-sometimes-gone-awry — that exemplify Kurt’s enigmatic and unique approach to music-making.

Kurt’s music has been performed both domestically and abroad by a number of respected ensembles and performers, including Ensemble Adapter, Yarn/Wire, JACK Quartet, Talea Ensemble, Oberlin Contemporary Music Ensemble, Ensemble Dal Niente, ELISION, Aperture Duo, and Ensemble Et Cetera.  Pieces of his have also appeared on the wasteLAnd concert series, MicroFest, the Bowling Green New Music Festival, June in Buffalo, SEAMUS, and soundSCAPE New Music Festival.

Kurt holds a Bachelor of Music in composition from Oberlin Conservatory of Music, where he studied primarily under Lewis Nielson, as well as a Master of Arts and a Doctor of Musical Arts in composition from Stanford University, having studied under Brian Ferneyhough and Erik Ulman.

Kurt is originally from Batavia, Illinois.  He currently lives in Santa Fe, New Mexico, where he is Chair of the Music Department at New Mexico School of the Arts.