Wes York: Background

BIOGRAPHY

Wes York is an award-winning American composer who studied at the New England Conservatory of Music and at MIT.

York has earned distinction through awards and fellowships from, among others, the National Endowment for the Arts Composer's Fellowship, the Jerome Foundation, the MacDowell Colony and the Massachusetts Artists Foundation. He has composed for dance, theater, television and film as well as for the concert stage and is a respected writer on contemporary music.

York's music has been performed throughout the US at venues including the Bang on a Can Festival and Danspace Project in New York City, the North American New Music Festival, Monadnock Music Festival, Skaneateles Festival and the Seattle Spring Festival. Among those who have performed his work are Susan Botti, soprano, Sanford Sylvan, baritone, and Kathleen Supove, piano. Commissions have included works for Mr. Sylvan, The Bermuda Triangle, Anthony de Mare, piano, Alea III Ensemble of Boston, and Kloppenberg Dance in New York, among others.

A complete CD of his work, released by New World Records and funded in part by a grant from the Andrew Mellon Foundation, was featured on National Public Radio's "Performance Today" program.

Recently, he completed his second feature-length film score, Losing It, for New York director Sharon Greytak. Losing It received its New York premiere at the Film Society of Lincoln Center. York co-developed the opera Henry & Clara, which was chosen for showcasing during the spring of 2001 by New York City Opera. During the 2002-2003 season, two concerts of his music were presented at Roulette in Tribeca.

Wes York lives and works in New York City.

FILM SCORES

Score for Losing It, feature length documentary by critically acclaimed director Sharon Greytak, was completed in 2000. Music was composed, performed using multi-tracking, and executive produced by Wes York. The film received its New York premiere at the Film Society of Lincoln Center in New York City and has been screened at festivals world-wide.

Score for Hearing Voices, feature length narrative film by director Sharon Greytak, was screened at festivals world-wide and released commercially. Music was composed and executive produced by York and performed by York, soprano Susan Botti and others.

RECORDING

"WES YORK", a CD released by New World Records, is currently available. The recording is listed in the Muse database and is available on major internet sites as well as at Tower Records in New York City.

WRITINGS

"For John Cage", anthologized in Music of Morton Feldman, Greenwood Press, USA (hard cover); Excelsior Press, USA (paper)

"Form and Process in 'Two Pages' by Philip Glass", anthologized in Writings on Glass published by Schirmer MacMillan, USA (hard cover and paper) and in Contiguous Lines, University Press of America, (hard cover and paper)