Catherine Lamb
Catherine Lamb(born 1982 in Olympia, Washington) is an American composer and violist, and a winner of the 2020Ernst von Siemens Composer Prize.[1]
Career
[edit]Lamb describes her music as exploring "the interaction of tone, summations of shapes and shadows, phenomenological expansions, the architecture of the liminal (states in between outside/inside), and the long introduction form".[2]Most of her works explore extended harmonic spaces injust intonation.[3]Lamb explained her compositional philosophy inThe Wire:"I follow the philosophy that the most intense sound is not the most intensive... I don’t agree with those who believe that sounds need to be pushed in order to be physical, or that they need to be loud in order to hear difference or summation tones. Particularly when working with particular tonal colourations and shadings, the more the tones are played in a plain and relaxed manner with room to blossom, the more expressive and generative they might become.”[4]
Lamb was also the film score composer forAnhe Ghore Da Daan.She has collaborated withEliane Radigue,Marc Sabat,andJohnny Chang;received commissions from theBBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra,Ensemble Dedalus,Ensemble Musikfabrik,Ensemble Resonanz,Ghost Ensemble,EXAUDI, Konzert Minimal, theLondon Contemporary Orchestra,NeoN,Plus Minus Ensemble,Explore Ensemble,Yarn/Wire;and awards and grants from theErnst von Siemens Composer Prize,Foundation for Contemporary Arts,Henry Cowell Foundation,andAkademie Schloss Solitude,among others.[5][1]
Lamb studied atCalArtswithJames TenneyandMichael Pisaroand independently withMani Kaul,and received her MFA fromBard College.[6]
Works
[edit]Lamb's notable works includedivisio spiralis(2019),curvo totalitas,Parallaxis Forma(2016),muto infinitas(2016),Point/Wave(2015),Matter/Moving(2012), and thePrisma Interiusseries (2015–present).[7]Lamb was commissioned by theBBCfor Portions Transparent/Opaque, which premiered as the 13th performance of the 2023BBC Proms.[8]
Discography
[edit]Lamb's music has been featured several times on the British experimental music labelAnother Timbre,with releases including, among other labels:
- three bodies (moving)(at53)[9]
- Viola Torros- Catherine Lamb & Johnny Chang (at131)[10]
- point/wave(at142)[11]
- Atmospheres Transparent/OpaquefeaturingEnsemble Dedalus(New World Records)[12]
- Muto Infinitas(at173)[13]
- String Quartets with theJACK Quartet(Kairos)[14]
- parallaxis forma(at215) featuringExplore Ensemble,Exaudi Vocal Ensemble,andLotte Betts-Dean[15]
- Prisma Interius VIII(at218)[16]
- Curva Triangulus(at227) featuringEnsemble Proton[17]
References
[edit]- ^ab"Catherine Lamb".evs-musikstiftung.ch.
- ^"Cat Lamb".sacredrealism.org.
- ^"Interacting Spectra: A Conversation with Cat Lamb".Sound American.
- ^Mann, Zaph."Listen: Catherine Lamb compositions".The Wire.
- ^"Catherine Lamb".Foundation for Contemporary Arts.
- ^"Catherine Lamb".indexical.org.
- ^Meyer, Bill (5 December 2019)."Catherine Lamb and Rebecca Lane explore liminal musical experiences with precision".Chicago Reader.
- ^"Prom 13: Tchaikovsky's 'Pathétique' Symphony".
- ^"Another Timbre, 'three bodies (moving)', at53".
- ^"Another Timbre, 'Viola Torros', at131".
- ^"Another Timbre, 'point/wave', at142".
- ^"Atmospheres Transparent/Opaque".
- ^"Another Timbre, 'Muto Infinitas', at215".
- ^"CATHERINE LAMB: String Quartets, 0018010KAI".
- ^"Another Timbre, 'parallaxis forma', at215".
- ^"Another Timbre, 'Translucent Harmonies', at218".
- ^"Another Timbre, 'Curva Triangulus', at227".
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
| Artists | |
- Living people
- 1982 births
- American experimental composers
- American violists
- American women violists
- 21st-century American composers
- 21st-century classical composers
- American classical composers
- American women classical composers
- Bard College alumni
- California Institute of the Arts alumni
- Musicians from Olympia, Washington
- Classical musicians from Washington (state)
- 21st-century American women composers
- 20th-century violists
- 21st-century violists