upright 1.20, Alan Emanuel Pierson Alan Emanuel Pierson (born May 12, 1974,

Chicago Chicago is the List of municipalities in Illinois, most populous city in the U.S. state of Illinois and in the Midwestern United States. With a population of 2,746,388, as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is the List of Unite ...

, Illinois) is an American conductor and producer . His parents are Elaine Pierson and Edward S. Pierson, the latter an engineering professor at Purdue University Calumet. In Chicago Pierson took piano and composition lessons at the People's Music School, graduating high school at

Francis W. Parker Francis Wayland Parker (October 9, 1837March 2, 1902) was a pioneer of the progressive education, progressive school movement in the United States. He believed that education should include the complete development of an individual — mental, ph ...

. Pierson is a 1996 graduate of the

Massachusetts Institute of Technology The Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) is a Private university, private research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States. Established in 1861, MIT has played a significant role in the development of many areas of moder ...

with degrees in music and physics. At MIT, he was a

timpani Timpani (; ) or kettledrums (also informally called timps) are musical instruments in the percussion instrument, percussion family. A type of drum categorised as a hemispherical drum, they consist of a Membranophone, membrane called a drumhead, ...

st and an assistant conductor with the MIT Symphony Orchestra, and also a composer. Pierson continued his studies in music at the

Eastman School of Music The Eastman School of Music is the music school of the University of Rochester, a private research university in Rochester, New York, United States. Established in 1921 by celebrated industrialist and philanthropist George Eastman, it was the ...

, where he was a co-founder of the new music ensemble Ossia. Subsequently, he was a co-founder of the related new music ensemble

Alarm Will Sound Alarm Will Sound is a 20-member chamber orchestra that focuses on recordings and performances of contemporary classical music. Its performances have been described as "equal parts exuberance, nonchalance, and virtuosity" by the ''Financial Times ...

, which gave its first concert in 2001. Pierson became the first music director of Alarm Will Sound in the same year, and continues to serve in the post. In January 2011, Pierson was named the artistic director of the former Brooklyn Philharmonic. When the orchestra suspended operations in 2013 his contract was not renewed. Pierson also serves as principal conductor of the Crash Ensemble in Ireland, and has guest conducted with the

Los Angeles Philharmonic The Los Angeles Philharmonic (LA Phil) is an American orchestra based in Los Angeles, California. The orchestra holds a regular concert season from October until June at the Walt Disney Concert Hall and a summer season at the Hollywood Bowl from ...

, Chicago Symphony,

Los Angeles Opera The Los Angeles Opera, originally called the Los Angeles Music Center Opera, is an American opera company in Los Angeles, California. It is the fourth-largest opera company in the United States. The company's home base is the Dorothy Chandler P ...

, New World Symphony, Orchestra of St. Luke's, Beth Morrison Projects, and Symphoniker Hamburg. Pierson has resided in

New York City New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...

since 2002. He is currently on faculty at

Northwestern University Northwestern University (NU) is a Private university, private research university in Evanston, Illinois, United States. Established in 1851 to serve the historic Northwest Territory, it is the oldest University charter, chartered university in ...

and conducts at Mannes College. In February 2013, Pierson was featured on the Radiolab episode "Speedthoven". In 2022, the Eastman School awarded Pierson its Centennial Award.

References

External links

Brooklyn Philharmonic artistic director biography

Cantaloupe Music biography

"Alarm Will Sound's Alan Pierson Named Artistic Director of Brooklyn Philharmonic". ''Nonesuch Journal'', 19 January 2011
category:1974 births category:21st-century American conductors (music) category:21st-century American LGBTQ people category:21st-century American male musicians category:American LGBTQ musicians category:American male conductors (music) category:Eastman School of Music alumni category:LGBTQ classical musicians category:LGBTQ people from Illinois category:living people category:Massachusetts Institute of Technology School of Science alumni category:MIT School of Humanities, Arts, and Social Sciences alumni {{US-conductor-stub