CCi Artists
JED DISTLER
Little
did composer Jed Distler suspect that his toy piano suite, Three Landscapes
for Peter Wyer, recorded by Margaret Leng Tan, would hit major venues
around the world from Singapore to the
South Bank, and do service for
no less than three films. But his considerable compositional output encompasses
more than just toys, and with no less humor (concert music can be funny,
ask Haydn
and Rossini!).
Two decades ago, Jed¹s evening-length song cycle, The Death of Lottie
Shapiro, for four sopranos and piano, was hailed as "a masterpiece,
a song cycle without parallel in the serious music of contemporary America" (Newark
Star Ledger). Over the years, other notable works spewing from Jed¹s
restless black magic marker
(he hates pencil) include the Violin Sonata
(written for ETHYL¹s Cornelius Duffalo), Assault on Pepper, Loose
Changes
for Two Pianos (recorded for Bridge Records by Quattro Mani),
and, in collaboration with playwright Ed Schmidt, his magnum opus piano
theater work.The Gold Standard, developed on CCi¹s Serial Underground
with direction by Arnold Barkus and lighting design by David Lovett.
A long-awaited grand opera based on John Waters¹ cult film classic
Pink Flamingos will unfold during the 2007/2008 season.
From San Francisco to Switzerland, Jed's piano recitals embrace the widest
gamut of 20th and 21st century works, including premiers by Richard Rodney
Bennett, Wendy Chambers, Alvin Curran, Frederic Rzewski, Lois V Vierk,
and many more. His transcriptions and arrangements of piano solos by
jazz giant Bill Evans were recorded by pianist Jean-Yves Thibaudet for
Decca.
A widely read CD reviewer for ClassicsToday.com and Gramophone, Jed taught
for many years at Sarah Lawrence College, and has participated in guest
composer/teacher residencies across the United States. He has served
as CCi¹s Artistic Director since its inception in 1987.
Affiliation: ASCAP
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Artists
Last Update 03/15/2007
