David Simons
composer/performer/writer/educator
Chestnut ridge, ny cv 2018
Education
California Institute of the Arts, Valencia CA. BFA 1974 Music Composition
The New School, New York City. MA 2013 Media Studies
Installations & recent performances
2017- Activating Electro Magnetic Life Forms, work in progress showing of NYSCA commission for theremin, webcam, voice, keyboard, video and dancer, Harvestworks, NYC
2015 - NewMedia Art & Sound Summit, interactive webcam with Ballet Austin dancers, Austin TX
- InnaGadda Detective, Dark Circuits Festival, Hans Tammen curator, Spectrum, NYC
2014 - Chen Zhen big drum sculpture, sound and video projections triggered by live performance with
vocalist Lisa Karrer, Hudson Valley Center for Contemporary Art, Peekskill, NY
- Mixed Messages, interactive sound and video with motion sensing camera, collaboration with
John Morton, Hudson River Museum Yonkers NY
2013 - SIMONS @60 composer's retrospective, Roulette, NYC
2012 - Occupational Therapy, for interactive Theremin, Reno Museum of Art, Nevada
2010 - My Musical DNA, interactive web art http://simons-karrer.com/DNA/dna10.html
2003 - surround sound installation, Bad Company, Zagreb
2000 - Music for Homemade Instruments, Sternberg Museum, Hays Kansas
1993 - CHAIN OF INCIDENT, surround sound environment, TransHudson Gallery, Jersey City, NJ 1992
- Eight Emperor Penguins Sang a Dirge, multimedia, Art Metropole, Toronto Canada
World Tours, composer/performer:
Seoul Korea: JinHi Kim Digital Buddha 2008;
SinCha Hong, Jason Hwang and Samul Nori drumming collective 1992;
SinCha Hong Laughing Stone dance company 1986
Bali : Sacred Rhythm Millennial Percussion Festival Jan 1, 2000 , Ubud "Music for Theremin and Gamelan" and "Virtual Percussion Trio";
Java: Tuk Theater Jakarta 2000;
International Gamelan Festivals with Gamelan Son of Lion: Yogyakarta, Borubodur, Bandung, 1996 ;
Vancouver Canada - Expo '86
Munich, Vienna, Berlin: "The Passions" Shelley Hirsch and Barbara Bloom collaboration 1994-95 with Anthony Coleman, David Shea, Denman Maroney, Hannah Hurtzig, director
Mainz, Germany: Experimenta Festival, duets with Lisa Karrer 1995
Tallinn, Estonia: Puhamu (Sanctuary) collaboration with Lisa Karrer, Setu Women's choir,
“Perception Unit” jazz ensemble and artist Peter Laurits 1997
Zagreb, Croatia: new music on personal microtransmitters for Bad Company theater/dance 2003
New York: Birth of George chamber opera at LaMama with Lisa Karrer and 20 performers 1997
Recordings
2010 "CIPHER" for string quartet, The NYFA Collection 5 CD set INNOVA
2009 FUNG SHA NOON for Harry Partch instruments, string quartet, “Music for Theremin and
Gamelan”, and “Chain of Incidents” for sampled bottles and cans, CD on TZADIK
2008 SONOGRAM "Naked We Stand", "9-11 Suite" Gamelan Son of Lion double CD on INNOVA
2004 PRISMATIC HEARING works for Theremin, sampler, Gamelan and Homemade Instruments
ensembles CD on TZADIK
2003 THE BIRTH OF GEORGE an opera for 20 players, with Lisa Karrer, Harvestworks CD
2002 BENDING THE GENDING Gamelan Son Of Lion CD
2000 PICK OF THE LITTER Music For Homemade Instruments CD
1995 NEW GAMELAN / NEW YORK Gamelan Son Of Lion - , CD GSOL
1994 HOW TO BE God is My Co-Pilot , The Making of Americans
1989 A DECADE OF DEBRIS Music For Homemade Instruments , MFHI cassette
1980 "Floating Worlds" for Zheng (Chinese zither), flute and harp. Self produced cassette
Awards and Grants
2017 NYSCA/Harvestworks commision for "Movement Activated Sound in Liminal Space"
2013 NYSCA Electronic Media grant with Lisa Karrer for "Meeting ChenZhen: Drum as a Doorway
Between Worlds" HVCCA, Peekskill NY
2011-12 NYSCA/ACOR Arts in Education residency in Rockland County schools, student
workshops in Indonesian Gamelan music and shadow puppet performances
2009 NYC Dept of Cultural Affairs to curate and produce the INTERACTIVE MUSIC FESTIVAL
on the Coney Island Boardwalk
2009 Arts Council of Rockland to compose and premiere the GONG-HUMPING CEREMONY
2005 Meet the Composer to premiere UNCLE VENUS for gamelan and string quartet
2005 The Mid Atlantic Arts Foundation for instrument building workshops and concert Avampato
Museum Charleston, West Virginia
2003 Rockefeller Foundation residency at Bellagio, Italy to write ODENTITY for the Harry Partch
instruments
2000 Arts International and Asian Cultural Council funds for performance in Bali
2000 NY Foundation for the Arts Composition Fellowship
1998 American Composers Forum commisssion for MUSIC FOR THEREMIN and GAMELAN
1998 Aaron Copland Recording grant for THE BIRTH OF GEORGE
1997 Jerome Foundation and Greenwall Foundation production funds for THE BIRTH OF GEORGE
1996 Mary Flagler Cary Commissioning Grant for THE BIRTH OF GEORGE opera
1995-2003 Arts International travel awards for collaborative projects in Estonia
1992 Gaudeamus Foundation tour of Holland with Denman Maroney, duets for digital samplers
1992 Canada Council Visiting Foreign Artist for sound installation at Art Metropole in Toronto
1991 Composer-in-Residence at American Dance Festival
1990 NY Foundation for the Arts Composition Fellowship
Publications
2010 - "The Tappan Zee Bridge" by Roger Panetta, Historical Society of Rockland County, oral history sound assemblage CD by David Simons
2009 - "Sitting at the Feet of Gurus" by Deena Burton, Xlibris Press, David Simons, editor. Claire Holt, Asian Dance ethnographer
1994 - "Radio Galaxy" radio waves in outer space, Radiotexte, Semiotext(e) , Neil Strauss, ed.
1986-91 - Articles, reviews, critical essays, contributing editor, EAR Magazine, NY
1973 - "Whether or not to die in love" for mixed ensemble, Soundings , Peter Garland, ed.
Online essays: http://fdu.academia.edu/DavidJSimons
Teaching
2010-17 Fairleigh Dickinson University, Teaneck NJ. Adjunct Professor, Cross Cultural Perspectives
2015 Marquis Studios, World Percussion workshops for Special Needs students, NYC schools
2012 Ramapo College, NJ. Guest lecturer music fundamentals; improvisation workshops
2011-2012 The New School, NY. Graduate Teaching Assistant, Media Studies
2010 SUNY Binghamton, lecture/concert, for music composition and Evolutionary Studies
2009-2011 Kripalu Yoga Center, Stockbridge MA, childrens music workshop
2007-2008 Brooklyn Philharmonic, percussion workshops in city schools
2006-2010 Young Audiences NYC, instrument building and basic musical skills
1983-93 music for dance classes: NYU, Marymount Manhattan, Fieldston, CUNY, Jose Limon Studio
Instruments - theremin, sampler, percussion, zheng, khaen, jaw harp, gamelan, laptop, homemades, motion activated interactive sound and image, recording engineer, producer