Symposium of Contemporary Music to Feature Guest Composer

BLOOMINGTON, Ill. — As part of its New Music Series, Illinois Wesleyan University’s annual Symposium of Contemporary Music will feature guest composer, performer and media artist Pamela Z on Friday, Sept. 21 and Saturday, Sept. 22.

Z will present a concert on Sept. 21 at 7:30 p.m., and on Sept. 22, she will give a talk titled "The Extended Performer," at 10:30 a.m. Both events will take place in Presser Hall’s Westbrook Auditorium and are free and open to the public.

A pioneer of live digital looping techniques, Z works primarily with voice, live electronic processing, sampled sound and video. She processes her voice in real time to create complex sonic layers and creates solo works by combining a wide range of vocal techniques with electronic processing and video. Her Sept. 21 concert will feature original compositions for voice, electronics and video.

In addition to her solo work, Z has been commissioned to compose scores for dance, film and chamber ensembles including Kronos Quartet. Her work has been presented at venues and exhibitions across the nation including The Kitchen in New York and REDCAT in Los Angeles, and she has toured and performed at numerous festivals throughout the U.S., Europe and Japan. She is the recipient of numerous awards including the Doris Duke Artist Impact Award, a Guggenheim Fellowship and the NEA Japan/US Friendship Commission Fellowship. Z earned a degree in music from the University of Colorado Boulder.

Established in 1952, The Symposium of Contemporary Music brings prominent guest composers or performers to campus each year for a two-to-three-day residency. IWU faculty and students participate in the performance of works by guest composers and in discussions. Guests also give master classes and presentations to composition and performance students.

By Vi Kakares ’20