Jessica Pavone is a

New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York New York may also refer to: Places United Kingdom * ...

-based violinist, violist and experimental

composer A composer is a person who writes music. The term is especially used to indicate composers of Western classical music, or those who are composers by occupation. Many composers are, or were, also skilled performers of music. Etymology and def ...

. Her jazz-and-classical-inspired

avant-garde music Avant-garde music is music that is considered to be at the forefront of innovation in its field, with the term "avant-garde" implying a critique of existing aesthetic conventions, rejection of the status quo in favor of unique or original elem ...

combines elements of improvisation and composition.

Background

Pavone is a graduate of the Hartt School of Music. While teaching public school in

Hartford, Connecticut Hartford is the List of capitals in the United States, capital city of the U.S. state of Connecticut. The city, located in Hartford County, Connecticut, Hartford County, had a population of 121,054 as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 ce ...

, she became involved with a community of improvisers and composers around

Wesleyan University Wesleyan University ( ) is a Private university, private liberal arts college, liberal arts university in Middletown, Connecticut, United States. It was founded in 1831 as a Men's colleges in the United States, men's college under the Methodi ...

and avant-garde jazz composer

Anthony Braxton Anthony Braxton (born June 4, 1945) is an American experimental composer, educator, music theorist, improviser and multi-instrumentalist who is best known for playing saxophones, particularly the alto. Braxton grew up on the South Side of Chi ...

. In 2001, Pavone released ''Jessica Pavone & the String Army''. A year later she released ''27 Epigrams'', a collection of short pieces for small ensembles. Her music has been characterized as “avant-improv.” Around 2001, Pavone started performing with avant-jazz guitarist (and Anthony Braxton student)

Mary Halvorson Mary Halvorson (born October 16, 1980) is an American avant-garde jazz composer and guitarist from Brookline, Massachusetts. Among her many collaborations, she has: led a trio with and Ches Smith, and a quintet with the addition of Jon Iraba ...

. ''The New York Times'' described her duo work with Halvorson as “intricate song forms met with startling jolts of insight that felt as rooted in experimental rock, folk and chamber music as in any subspecies of jazz.” She also performs as Dark Tips with Raquel Bell. Pavone has been part of ensembles led by Anthony Braxton, Henry Threadgill, and Matthew Welch. Pavone has earned grants and commissions from the Aaron Copland Recording Fund, the American Music Center, The Kitchen, MATA, The Jerome Foundation. Her music has been released by Tzadik, Thirsty Ear, Relative Pitch Records, and other labels. Pavone has also performed with cellist Paul de Jong on occasion.

Discography

As leader / co-leader

*''Jessica Pavone & the String Army'' (Peacock Recordings, 2001) *''27 Epigrams'' (Peacock, 2002) *

& Pavone, ''Prairies'' (Lucky Kitchen, 2006) * ''Quotidian'' (Peacock, 2007) * Halvorson & Pavone, ''On and Off'' (

Skirl Records Skirl Records is an American record label in Brooklyn, New York, that concentrates on improvised music. The label was started by Chris Speed in 2006. Roster * Jim Black * Shelley Burgon * Anthony Burr * Andrew D'Angelo * Trevor Dunn * Devin Gra ...

, 2007) * ''This Is My Violin'' (2007) * ''Walking, Sleeping, Breathing'' (Experience, 2007) * Halvorson & Pavone, ''Thin Air'' (

Thirsty Ear Thirsty Ear Recordings is an American independent record label. It was founded in the late 1970s as a marketing company for the then-unnamed alternative music field, and expanded to issue its own records in 1990. Thirsty Ear came to prominence ...

, 2009) *''Songs of Synastry and Solitude'' (

Tzadik Tzadik ( ''ṣaddīq'' , "righteous ne; also ''zadik'' or ''sadiq''; pl. ''tzadikim'' ''ṣadīqīm'') is a title in Judaism given to people considered righteous, such as biblical figures and later spiritual masters. The root of the word ...

, 2009) * Halvorson & Pavone, ''Departure of Reason'' (Thirsty Ear, 2011) * ''Army of Strangers'' (Porter Records, 2011) * ''Hope Dawson Is Missing'' (Tzadik, 2012) * Normal Love, ''Survival Tricks'' (ugEXPLODE, 2012) * ''Knuckle Under'' (Taiga Records, 2014) * ''Silent Spills'' ( Relative Pitch Records, 2016) * Dark Tips, ''Advice from the Underworld'' (Prom Night Records, 2018) * ''In the Action'' (Relative Pitch, 2019) * J. Pavone String Ensemble, ''Brick and Mortar'' (Birdwatcher Records, 2019); with Joanna Mattrey, Erica Dicker, Angela Morris * J. Pavone String Ensemble, ''Lost and Found'' ( Astral Spirits, 2020); with Abby Swidler, Dicker, Morris * ''Clamor'' (Out of Your Head, 2023)

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Pavone, Jessica Living people Year of birth missing (living people) Place of birth missing (living people) American violists American women violists American experimental musicians 21st-century American composers University of Hartford Hartt School alumni Avant-garde violinists 21st-century American violinists American women violinists Thirsty Ear Recordings artists 21st-century American women composers 21st-century violists