Episode 4: Nicolas Bizub

This episode features my dear friend, Nicolas Bizub. Over the course of the episode, we cover a lot of ground, including what it means to be a 21st century composer, the possible future of CD's, and issues of equity in the orchestra. Read below for his bio; resources mentioned in the podcast are listed below as well. 

Award-winning composer Nicolas Bizub writes music which is dark, striving, and yearning, which also points towards radiance and light. Inspired by both the natural world and the human interaction with it, Nicolas often uses nature within his music as metaphors for more human topics, including emotion, politics, creation, and destruction. His musical language blends bittersweet melodic sensibilities with a richly dark harmonic language and volatile driving rhythms to forge a visceral, audible connection with these light and dark sides of humanity.

His music has received prizes and awards from the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, The American Prize, the McKnight Foundation, New York Youth Symphony First Music, Sewanee Summer Music Festival, the Wisconsin Cello Society, Lawrence University, and the College-Conservatory of Music. He has been praised for his “ability to weave musical textures, sonorities, and skillfully change pacing” within his works as an element which “truly shines” (Helena Michelson, American Prize). 

Nicolas’ music has been written for and performed by numerous leading new music ensembles and artists, including, British violinist Madeleine Mitchell, American violist Michael Hall, loadbang, NOW Ensemble, Hypercube, Zodiac Trio, F-PLUS, Unheard-of//Ensemble, and American violist Bailey Poesnecker, among others. His music has been performed throughout the United States and Europe and may be heard on Ablaze Records and Centaur Records.

Article: https://theconversation.com/music-education-has-a-race-problem-and-universities-must-address-it-143719?fbclid=IwAR3W8xUbP0vMmxqZXu_AURcB2K03KGxymamxqNdTVIB8lrzaCTIjDeL2Xv8

DeCoda ensemble: https://decodamusic.org/ 

Lutoslwaski: https://www.britannica.com/biography/Witold-Lutoslawski 

Pauline Oliveros: https://paulineoliveros.us/ 

IGLU (Improvisation Group of Lawrence University): https://www.lawrence.edu/conservatory/areas_of_study/iglu 

Kenji Bunch, the piece mentioned is entitled “The 3 G’s,” not “The 3 C’s”: https://www.kenjibunch.net/ 

Rushad Eggleston: http://facebook.com/rushad.eggleston 

Casey Driessen and the Chop Notation Project: https://caseydriessen.com, https://www.caseydriessen.com/chop-notation-project