Dashow, James (Hilyer)

Dashow, James (Hilyer) , American composer;b. Chicago, Nov. 7, 1944. After studies with Babbitt, Cone, Kim, and Randall at Princeton Univ. (B.A., 1966), with Berger, Boykan, and Shifrin at Brandeis Univ. (M.F.A., 1969), and with Petrassi at the Accademia di Santa Cecilia in Rome (diploma, 1971), he founded the Forum Players (1971–75), a contemporary chamber music group. He served as director of the Studio di Musica Elettronica Sciadoni in Rome (from 1975). From 1982 to 1989 he taught computer music at the Centre di Sonologia Computazionale at the Univ. of Padua, and also was guest lecturer in various European and U.S. cities. He was a producer of contemporary music programs for the RAI from 1985 to 1992. He held a Fulbright fellowship (1969), grant from he NEA (1976, 1981) and the Rockefeller Foundation (1982), an award from the American Academy and Inst. of Arts and Letters (1984), a Guggenheim fellowship (1989), commissions from the Fromm (1992) and Koussevitzky (1998) foundations, and won the Prize of Distinction at the Linz Ars Electronica Festival (1996). He wrote the MUSIC30 computer language for digital sound synthesis (1991–93). As a composer, Dashow finds his role far more interesting, challenging, and culturally relevant to continue deepening the musical tradition of the 20^th century rather than that of the Baroque, Classical, and Romantic eras.

Works

Songs of Despair for Soprano and 11 Instruments (1968–69); Transformations for Dance and Electronics (1969); Astrazioni Pomeridiane for Orch. (1970–71); BURST! for Soprano and Electronics (1971); Maximus for Soprano, 3 Wind Players, Piano, and Percussion (1972–73); At Delphi for Soprano and Electronics (1975); Whispers out of Time for Electronics (1975–76); Effetti collaterali for Clarinet and Computer-generated Electronics (1976); //piccolo principe, opera (1981–82); Songs from a Spiral Tree for Mezzo-soprano, Flute, and Harp (1984–86); Oro, argento, and legno for Flute and Computer (1987); Archimede, theater piece (1988); Disclosures for Cello and Computer (1988–89); 4/3, trio for Violin, Cello, and Piano (1989–91); Ritorno a Delfi for Alto Flute and Electronics (1990); Reconstructions for Harp and Computer (1992); A Sheaf of Times, septet for Flute, Clarinet, Harp, Percussion, Piano, Violin, and Cello (1992–94); Morfologie for Trumpet and Computer (1993); Le Tracce di Kronos, i Passi for Clarinet, Dancer, and Computer (1995); Media Survival Kit, lyric satire for Electrified Voices, Electrified Instruments, and Electronic Sounds (1995–96); First Tangent to the Given Curve for Piano and Computer (1995–97); Personnagi ed Interpreti for Flute, Clarinet, Violin, and Piano (1997); Far Sounds, Broken Cries for 12 Instruments and Quadraphonic Sounds (1998–99); ”…at other times, the distances,” quadraphonic electronic piece for Tape (1999; reworking of the electronic sounds from Far Sounds, Broken Cries)-, Sul Filo del Tramonti for Soprano, Piano, and Electronic Sounds (1999–2000); Archimedes, opera (1999–2000).

—Nicolas Slonimsky/Laura Kuhn/Dennis McIntire