Neil Burton Rolnick (born October 22, 1947) is an American

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 ...

and

educator A teacher, also called a schoolteacher or formally an educator, is a person who helps students to acquire knowledge, competence, or virtue, via the practice of teaching. ''Informally'' the role of teacher may be taken on by anyone (e.g. w ...

living 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 ...

Life

Rolnick was born in

Dallas, Texas Dallas () is a city in the U.S. state of Texas and the most populous city in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex, the List of Texas metropolitan areas, most populous metropolitan area in Texas and the Metropolitan statistical area, fourth-most ...

, and studied English literature at

Harvard University Harvard University is a Private university, private Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States. Founded in 1636 and named for its first benefactor, the History of the Puritans in North America, Puritan clergyma ...

where he received a BA in 1969. He then turned to music, studying composition first at the San Francisco Conservatory in 1973–74), then with Richard Felciano, and finally with Andrew Imbrie and Olly Wilson at the

University of California, Berkeley The University of California, Berkeley (UC Berkeley, Berkeley, Cal, or California), is a Public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in Berkeley, California, United States. Founded in 1868 and named after t ...

, where he received an MA in 1976 and a PhD in 1980. Concurrently he also studied computer music with

John Chowning John M. Chowning (; born August 22, 1934, in Salem, New Jersey) is an American composer, musician, discoverer, and professor best known for his work at Stanford University, the founding of CCRMA – Center for Computer Research in Music and ...

Stanford University Leland Stanford Junior University, commonly referred to as Stanford University, is a Private university, private research university in Stanford, California, United States. It was founded in 1885 by railroad magnate Leland Stanford (the eighth ...

and was a visiting researcher at

IRCAM IRCAM (French: ''Ircam, '', English: Institute for Research and Coordination in Acoustics/Music) is a French institute dedicated to the research of music and sound, especially in the fields of Avant-garde music, avant garde and Electroacoustic ...

in Paris from 1977 to 1979 (Marshall 2001). Rolnick also studied composition with

Darius Milhaud Darius Milhaud (, ; 4 September 1892 – 22 June 1974) was a French composer, conductor, and teacher. He was a member of Les Six—also known as ''The Group of Six''—and one of the most prolific composers of the 20th century. His composition ...

(Oteri and Rolmick 2013) and

John Coolidge Adams John Coolidge Adams (born February 15, 1947) is an American composer and conductor. Among the most regularly performed composers of contemporary classical music, he is particularly noted for his operas, many of which center around historical eve ...

, and computer music with James A. Moorer. He has lived in New York City since 2002.

Teaching

From 1981 to 2013 Rolnick taught at the

Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (; RPI) is a private university, private research university in Troy, New York, United States. It is the oldest technological university in the English-speaking world and the Western Hemisphere. It was establishe ...

, where he founded the iEAR Studios (Marshall 2001). In 1991, as head of Rensselaer's Arts Department he led the establishment of the nation's first MFA program in Integrated Electronic Arts.

Musical production

Rolnick's compositions have appeared on 18 records and CDs, and he was a pioneer in the use of computers in performance. Much of Rolnick's musical output involves the use of computers and digital media, but it is generally notable for its accessibility and good humor. His music has been characterized by critics as "sophisticated" (Ken Smith, ''Gramophone''), "hummable and engaging" (Steve Barnes, Albany (NY) '' Times Union''), and as having "good senses of showmanship and humor" (

Kyle Gann Kyle Eugene Gann (born November 21, 1955, in Dallas, Texas) is an American composer, professor of music, critic, analyst, and musicologist who has worked primarily in the New York City area. As a music critic for ''The Village Voice'' (from 1986 ...

, ''

The Village Voice ''The Village Voice'' is an American news and culture publication based in Greenwich Village, New York City, known for being the country's first Alternative newspaper, alternative newsweekly. Founded in 1955 by Dan Wolf (publisher), Dan Wolf, ...

'').

Discography

*''Lockdown Fantasies'' (2023) ( Other Minds Records OM-1035-2) *''Orchestra Underground: Tech & Techno'' (includes ''The iFiddle Concerto'') (2014) (digital release b
American Composers Orchestra
*''Neil Rolnick: Gardening At Gropius House'' (2013) (

Innova Recordings Innova Recordings is the independent record label of the non-profit American Composers Forum based in St. Paul, Minnesota. It was founded in 1982 to document the winners of the McKnight Fellowship offered by its parent organization, the Minne ...

877) *''Neil Rolnick: Extended Family'' (2011) (

782) *''The NYFA Collection: 25 Years of New York New Music'' (includes ''The Gathering'' from ''Extended Family'') (2010) (

233) *''Neil Rolnick: The Economic Engine'' (2009) (

724) *''Neil Rolnick: Digits'' (2006) (

656) *''Neil Rolnick: Shadow Quartet'' (2005) (

631) *''Neil B. Rolnick's Fish Love That'' (2002) (Deep Listening Records DL 18-2002CD) *''Neil B. Rolnick: Requiem Songs: For the Victims of Nationalism'' (1996) (Albany Records Troy188) *''Transforms: The Nerve Event Project'' (includes ''NerveUs'') (1993) ( Cuneiform Records 55011) *''Neil B. Rolnick: Macedonian Air Drumming'' (1992) ( Bridge Records BCD9030) *''Neil B. Rolnick: ElectriCity'' (1992) (OO Discs #8) *''CDCM Computer Music Series Vol. 11'' (includes ''The Persistence of the Clave'') (1992) (Centaur Records CDC2133) *''CDCM Computer Music Series Vol. 7'' (includes ''Vocal Chords'' and ''A Robert Johnson Sampler'') (1990) (Centaur Records CRC2047) *''Imaginary Landscapes'' (includes ''Balkanization'') (1989) (

Nonesuch Records Nonesuch Records is an American record company and label owned by Warner Music Group, distributed by Warner Records (formerly Warner Bros. Records), and based in New York City. Founded by Jac Holzman in 1964 as a budget classical label, Nonesuch ...

9 79235-2) *''CDCM Computer Music Series Vol. 2'' (includes ''What Is the Use?'') (1988) Centaur Records CRC2039) *''Neil B. Rolnick: Real Time/A La Mode'' (1987) ( Composers Recordings, Inc. CRI SD 540) *''Neil B. Rolnick: Solos'' (1984) ( 1750 Arch Records S-1793)

References

*Marshall, Ingram D. 2001. "Rolnick, Neil Burton". ''The New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians'', second edition, edited by

Stanley Sadie Stanley John Sadie (; 30 October 1930 – 21 March 2005) was a British musicologist, music critic, and editor. He was editor of the sixth edition of the '' Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians'' (1980), which was published as the first edition ...

and John Tyrrell. London: Macmillan Publishers. * Transcribed by Julia Lu. (accessed October 3, 2013).

External links

Neil Rolnick official site
* (accessed October 3, 2013).

Listening

John Schaefer interviews Rolnick
on

WNYC WNYC is an audio service brand, under the control of New York Public Radio, a non-profit organization. Radio and other audio programming is primarily provided by a pair of nonprofit, noncommercial, public radio stations: WNYC (AM) and WNYC- ...

(2006)
Jennifer Nathan interviews Rolnick
on

WAMC WAMC-FM (90.3 FM) is a non-commercial educational radio station licensed to Albany, New York, United States, featuring a public radio format. Owned by "WAMC Northeast Public Radio" with a legal name of "WAMC", WAMC-FM's primary signal encompa ...

(2005) {{DEFAULTSORT:Rolnick, Neil 1947 births Living people 20th-century American classical composers 21st-century American classical composers American male classical composers American electronic musicians Musicians from Dallas Harvard University alumni University of California, Berkeley alumni Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute faculty Pupils of Darius Milhaud Albany Records artists