about GENE

 
Gene Carl (1953 Burbank, California) pianist/composer received awards as a pianist, playing solo, with orchestra, in pop bands, and jazz combos, finishing his BA cum laude at Pomona College in ’75 under Karl Kohn, composition and John Steele Ritter, piano. At Pomona he organized a Carter Sonata concert where he performed the Piano Sonata, Cello Sonata and Sonata for harpsichord, oboe, flute and cello. He was in two ensembles that were finalists in the Coleman Chamber Music Competition with music of Rorem, Crumb, Brahms and Beethoven.. In Holland the Carl Piano Trio won the Music live now award including aN Offer To perform with the Rotterdam Philharmonic Orchestra for the Beethoven “Triple Concerto” for TV, unfortunately the cellist was replaced before this could take place. He was awarded the Thomas J. Watson Fellowship for electronic music studies in Holland where he attended Institute of Sonology, University of Utrecht and Royal Conservatory in The Hague where he was awarded the Prize of Composition in ’83 and in the same year got an award from ElectroMusic Competition in Bourges, France. The Residentie Orkest (aka Hague Philharmonic) played his piece “Premonition” based on a poem of Slauerhoff, recorded for radio. He was substitute/additional keyboard player for Schoenberg Ensemble, Netherlands Wind Ensemble, and other Dutch groups for which he also recorded. He toured extensively in Europe in Andriessen’s group Hoketus, for which he wrote “Gray Matter”. He’s had solo tours with his own and others’ works as well a Cages “Sonatas and Interludes”. His interest in pop music brought him work as producer/arranger for projects around Brian Wilson and Joni Mitchell. He’s maintained his contact in LA with performers around Motor Totemist Guild, was at Djerassi Artists’ Colony in ’99, and worked with Ligorano/Reese in NY, Reese wrote the text to the solo cantata, “Pink Chinese Restaurants”. He’s had some 25 commissions for solo, ensemble, and orchestral pieces. Also, he was pianist in the 4-piano piece, “Canto Ostinato” which toured for 10 years. His own groups, Byte and Gene Carl Band toured with Fred Frith, amongst others, and are recorded on CD’s. He’s written music for dance including for Scapino, NND, Holland Dance Festival and independent productions including the 7-piano piece, played by dancers who he had to teach piano to, called “Chronocracy”. His last project was with Robert Woodruff and Toneelgroep Amsterdam for “Iphigeneia in Aulis” for 5 sopranos (sung in Greek!), 4 synths, 2 cellos and electric guitar and played on stage himself. As well, he wrote many articles about Dutch music most notably about the composer/philosopher Dick Raaijmakers his mentor for 6 years. He was also guest editor for the double issue on Schoenberg in The Netherlands from the Schoenberg Institute. A biography was published about Gene by Marte van der Loop in 2008. At the moment he’s working with the choreographer Marijke de Vos, and Theremin player/composer/programmer, Wilco botermans on an Electronic Music/Dance piece including residency at steim. He has 7 CD’s and 2 LP’s out with his own work and is pianist/synthesizer player on others’ LP’s/CD’s. The most recent addition was his arrangement of Godar’s “Ground” for Matangi String Quartet on their CD CAndybox. Carel alphenaar presented his CD: Pink chinese restaurants in 2012 in BIMhuis Amsterdam. In the same year he had a new work with the choreographer, marijke de vos based on his piece “What the River Said” for 4-track tape. He gave a lecture about sound Poetry and presented a new vocal piece in worm Theater, rotterdam and gave a solo concert with music from films about war including premiere of richard rodgers’ victory at sea for piano solo, in pulchri studio, the hague. in december 2012 he performed a part of his insect opera, using insect samples modified by max with electric autoharp in Amsterdam in the last concert series of Karnatic Labs. In 2013 he played concerts including with Electric Storks, and received a Composition Work-grant from the Foundation for New Music. In 2014-15 he was engaged as teacher, giving electronic music lessons at the Pleysier College, Den Haag, piano lessons at the Vrije Akademie Kunsten, Delft & in Leiden, private lessons in Music theory (Boulez, Thcaikovsky, Beethoven, Bach analyses and advanced harmony. He received again a Work Grant for Insect sounds with Autoharp and MAX for Live. He was given a recording contract from Ninety and Nine Records and did sessions for these pieces with Serbian guitarist/Composer Alan Ilijic.