Machover, Tod
Machover, Tod
Machover, Tod, American cellist, conductor, and composer; b. N.Y., Nov. 24, 1953. He studied composition at the Univ. of Calif, at Santa Cruz (1971–73), Columbia Univ. (1973–74), and the Juilliard School in N.Y. (B.M., 1975; M.M., 1977), numbering among his mentors Dallapiccola (1973), Sessions (1973–75), and Carter (1975–78). He also studied computer music at the Mass. Inst. of Technology and at Stanford Univ. He was 1st cellist in the orch. of the National Opera of Canada in Toronto (1975–76), guest composer (1978–79) and director of musical research (1980–85) at IRCAM in Paris, and a teacher at the Mass. Inst. of Technology (from 1985), where he also was director of its Experimental Media Facility (from 1986). In 1986 he engaged in a project to design expanded musical instruments (”hy-perinstruments”) using technology to give extra power to virtuosic performance. From 1992 this project expanded into the development of interactive instruments for amateur musicians. He ed. the books Le Compositeur et l’Ordinateur (Paris, 1981) and Musical Thought at IRCAM (London, 1984), and was the author of Quoi, Quand, Comment? La Recherche Musical (Paris, 1985; Eng. tr., 1988, as The Concept of Musical Research) and Microcomputers and Music (N.Y., 1988). Among his honors were the Koussevitzky Prize (1984) and the Friedheim Award (1987).
Works
dramatic: opera:Valis (Paris, Dec. 2, 1987); Brain Opera (N.Y, July 23, 1996); Resurrection (1999). ORCH.: Concerto for Amplified Guitar and Orch. (1978); Nature’s Breath for Chamber Orch. (1984–85); Desires (1985–89); Hyperstring Trilogy for Hypercello, Hyperviola, Hyperviolin, and Chamber Orch. (1991–93; rev. 1996–97; N.Y, July 25,1996); Forever and Ever, concerto for Hyperviolin and Chamber Orch. (St. Paul, Minn., Sept. 24, 1993). chamber:Fresh Spring for Baritone and 10 Instruments (1977); Ye Gentle Birds for Soprano, Mezzo-soprano, and 6 Instruments (1977); Yoku Mireba for Flute, Cello, and Piano (1977); With Dadaji in Paradise for Cello (1978; rev. 1983); Light for 15 Instruments (1979); Winter Variations for 9 Instruments (1981); String Quartet No. 1 (1981); Hidden Sparks for Violin (1984); Song of Penance for Hyperviola, Computer Voice, and Large Chamber Ensemble (Los Angeles, Feb. 3, 1992); Bounce for Hyperkeyboards (Chicago, Sept. 20, 1992). electronicDéplacements for Guitar and Computer Electronics (1979); Soft Morning, City! for Soprano, Double Bass, and Tape (1980); Fusione Fugace for Live Computer Electronics (1981); Electric Études for Cello and Computer Electronics (1983); Spectres parisiens for Flute, Horn, Cello, Synthesizer, 18 Instruments, and Computer (1984); Flora for Computer Tape (1989); Bug-Mudra for 2 Guitars, Percussion, Conductor with Gesture-tracking “Dataglove,” and Live Computer (1989–90); Epithalamion for Vocal Soloists, 25 Players, and Live and Recorded Computer Electronics (1990); He’s Our Dad for Soprano, Keyboard, and Computer-generated Sound (Boston, April 6, 1997); Meteor Music, electronic and computer interactive music (1998).
—Nicolas Slonimsky/Laura Kuhn/Dennis McIntire