Cornelis William Hendrik Fuhler (3 July 1964 – 19 July 2020) was a Dutch/Australian improvisor, composer, and instrument builder associated with

free jazz Free jazz is an experimental approach to jazz improvisation that developed in the late 1950s and early 1960s when musicians attempted to change or break down jazz conventions, such as regular tempos, tones, and chord changes. Musicians dur ...

experimental music Experimental music is a general label for any music or music genre that pushes existing boundaries and genre definitions. Experimental compositional practice is defined broadly by exploratory sensibilities radically opposed to, and questioning of, ...

and acoustic ecology. He played piano by manipulating sound with electromagnetic string stimulators like

Ebow The EBow, short for electronic bow or energy bow, is an electronic device used for playing string instruments, most often the electric guitar. It is manufactured by Heet Sound Products, of Los Angeles, California. It was invented by Greg Heet i ...

s and motorized actuators. Fuhler also performed on guitar, turntables and synthesizer. He invented the keyolin, a combination of keyboard and violin. Fuhler was a student of

Misha Mengelberg Misha Mengelberg (5 June 1935 – 3 March 2017) was a Dutch jazz pianist and composer.Feather, Leonard & Gitler, Ira (2007) ''The Biographical Encyclopedia of Jazz'', p. 459. Oxford University Press. A prominent figure in post-WWII European Jazz ...

of the

Instant Composers Pool Instant Composers Pool (ICP) is an independent Dutch jazz and improvised music label and orchestra. Founded in 1967, the label takes its name from the notion that improvisation is "instant composition". The ICP label has published more than ...

. He recorded the album ''Corkestra'' (Data, 2005) with

Ab Baars Ab Baars (born November 21, 1955 in Axel, Netherlands) is a Dutch saxophonist and clarinetist who has had an active performance career since the 1970s. He has recorded several albums for the Geestgronden Records, Atavistic Records, and WIG reco ...

, Tony Buck, Tobias Delius, Wilbert de Joode, Anne La Berge, Andy Moor, Nora Mulder, and Michael Vatcher. Fuhler played

prepared piano A prepared piano is a piano that has had its sounds temporarily altered by placing bolts, screws, mutes, rubber erasers, and/or other objects on or between the strings. Its invention is usually traced to John Cage's dance music for '' Bacchanal ...

, analog keyboards, clavinet,

melodica The melodica is a handheld free-reed instrument similar to a pump organ or harmonica. It features a musical keyboard on top, and is played by blowing air through a mouthpiece that fits into a hole in the side of the instrument. The keyboard usu ...

, and electric

lamellophone A lamellophone (also lamellaphone or linguaphone) is a member of the family of musical instruments that makes its sound by a thin vibrating plate called a lamella or tongue, which is fixed at one end and has the other end free. When the musician ...

. Fuhler played solo prepared piano on his album ''Stengam'' (Potlatch, 2007). In 2016 he attained a PhD in composition at the

University of Sydney The University of Sydney (USYD), also known as Sydney University, or informally Sydney Uni, is a public university, public research university located in Sydney, Australia. Founded in 1850, it is the oldest university in Australia and is one o ...

and in 2017 he published his book ''Disperse and Display'' covering modular composing strategies and extended piano techniques. Fuhler "died unexpectedly" at his home in Australia.

Discography

* 1995 ''7 CC in 10'' (Geestgronden) * 1996 ''The Psychedelic Years'' Palinckx (Vonk) * 1998 ''Bellagram'' (Geestgronden) * 1999 ''DJ Cor Blimey and his Pigeon'' (ConundromCD) * 2001 ''The Flirts'' (

Erstwhile Erstwhile Records is an independent record label devoted to free improvisation, particularly the electroacoustic variety, contemporary, experimental composed music, and combinations of both. Erstwhile was founded by Jon Abbey in 1999, whose pers ...

), duo with Gert-Jan Prins * 2002 ''The Hands of Caravaggio'', as part of

M.I.M.E.O. M.I.M.E.O. (or MIMEO) is an experimental electroacoustic free improvisation group formed in 1997 on the initiative of several independent concert promoters in Europe. The abbreviation stands for "Music In Movement Electronic Orchestra". They have ...

, featuring

John Tilbury John Tilbury (born 1 February 1936) is a British pianist. He is considered one of the foremost interpreters of Morton Feldman's music, and since 1980 has been a member of the free improvisation group AMM (group), AMM. Early life and education ...

(

) * 2003 ''Tinderbox'' (Data) * 2005 ''HHHH'' (Unsounds) * 2005 ''ONJO'' (Doubtmusic) * 2005 ''Corkestra'' (Data) * 2007 ''Stengam'' (Potlatch) * 2007 ''The Culprit'', duo with

Keith Rowe Keith may refer to: People and fictional characters * Keith (given name), includes a list of people and fictional characters * Keith (surname) * Keith (singer), American singer James Keefer (born 1949) * Baron Keith, a line of Scottish barons ...

(7hings) * 2011 ''Gas Station Sessions'' (Platenbakerij) * 2014 ''Truancy'' (Splitrec) * 2016 ''Mungo'' (Splitrec) * 2017 ''FAN'' (SoundOut) * 2019 ''Fietstour'' (WhirrbooM! Records)

References

External links

Official site
* Whitehead, Kevin.

' (1998). New York: Billboard Books. .
Disperse and Display
Sydney: Giwalo Press, 2017. . 1964 births 2020 deaths People from Emmen, Netherlands Free improvisation Electroacoustic improvisation Dutch experimental musicians Dutch emigrants to Australia University of Sydney alumni {{Netherlands-musician-stub