Richard Lowe Teitelbaum (May 19, 1939 – April 9, 2020) was an American composer,

keyboardist A keyboardist or keyboard player is a musician who plays keyboard instruments. Until the early 1960s musicians who played keyboards were generally classified as either pianists or organists. Since the mid-1960s, a plethora of new musical ins ...

, and

improvisor Improvisation is the activity of making or doing something not planned beforehand, using whatever can be found. Improvisation in the performing arts is a very spontaneous performance without specific or scripted preparation. The skills of impr ...

. A student of

Allen Forte Allen, Allen's or Allens may refer to: Buildings * Allen Arena, an indoor arena at Lipscomb University in Nashville, Tennessee * Allen Center, a skyscraper complex in downtown Houston, Texas * Allen Fieldhouse, an indoor sports arena on the Unive ...

Mel Powell Mel Powell (born Melvin Epstein) (February 12, 1923 – April 24, 1998) was an American Pulitzer Prize-winning composer, and the founding dean of the music department at the California Institute of the Arts. He served as a music educator for ove ...

, and

Luigi Nono Luigi Nono (; 29 January 1924 – 8 May 1990) was an Italian avant-garde composer of classical music. Biography Early years Nono, born in Venice, was a member of a wealthy artistic family; his grandfather was a notable painter. Nono b ...

, he was known for his live

electronic music Electronic music is a Music genre, genre of music that employs electronic musical instruments, digital instruments, or electronics, circuitry-based music technology in its creation. It includes both music made using electronic and electromech ...

and

synthesizer A synthesizer (also spelled synthesiser) is an electronic musical instrument that generates audio signals. Synthesizers typically create sounds by generating waveforms through methods including subtractive synthesis, additive synthesis ...

performances. He was a pioneer of brain-wave music. He was also involved with world music and used

Japanese Japanese may refer to: * Something from or related to Japan, an island country in East Asia * Japanese language, spoken mainly in Japan * Japanese people, the ethnic group that identifies with Japan through ancestry or culture ** Japanese diaspor ...

, Indian, and

western classical Classical music generally refers to the art music of the Western world, considered to be distinct from Western folk music or popular music traditions. It is sometimes distinguished as Western classical music, as the term "classical music" also ...

instruments and

notation In linguistics and semiotics, a notation is a system of graphics or symbols, characters and abbreviated expressions, used (for example) in artistic and scientific disciplines to represent technical facts and quantities by convention. Therefore, ...

in both composition and improvisational settings.

Biography

Born in New York City, Teitelbaum remembered listening to his father (a successful lawyer) play piano while he was a child. A 1960 graduate of Haverford College, Teitelbaum continued keyboard studies at

Mannes School of Music Mannes School of Music is a music conservatory in The New School, a private research university in New York City. In the fall of 2015, Mannes moved from its previous location on Manhattan's Upper West Side to join the rest of the New School c ...

, then pursued his Masters in Music at

Yale Yale University is a private research university in New Haven, Connecticut. Established in 1701 as the Collegiate School, it is the third-oldest institution of higher education in the United States and among the most prestigious in the wo ...

. He won a

Fulbright grant The Fulbright Program, including the Fulbright–Hays Program, is one of several United States Cultural Exchange Programs with the goal of improving intercultural relations, cultural diplomacy, and intercultural competence between the people of ...

to study in Italy in 1964 with

Goffredo Petrassi Goffredo Petrassi (16 July 1904 – 3 March 2003) was an Italian composer of modern classical music, conductor, and teacher. He is considered one of the most influential Italian composers of the twentieth century.Petrassi, Goffredo. (2008). I ...

, then in 1965 with Luigi Nono. While at Haverford, Teitelbaum met the composer

Henry Cowell Henry Dixon Cowell (; March 11, 1897 – December 10, 1965) was an American composer, writer, pianist, publisher and teacher. Marchioni, Tonimarie (2012)"Henry Cowell: A Life Stranger Than Fiction" ''The Juilliard Journal''. Retrieved 19 June 20 ...

, and, following Cowell's death, became an executor of the Cowell estate. While in Italy, he became a founding member of

Musica Elettronica Viva Musica Elettronica Viva (MEV) is a live acoustic/electronic improvisational group formed in Rome, Italy, in 1966. It is "something of an irregular institution, a band that has come together intermittently through the years". Its founding members ...

with

Alvin Curran Alvin Curran (born December 13, 1938) is an American composer, performer, improviser, sound artist, and writer. He was born in Providence, Rhode Island, and lives and works in Rome, Italy. He is the co-founder, with Frederic Rzewski and Richard ...

and

Frederic Rzewski Frederic Anthony Rzewski ( ; April 13, 1938 – June 26, 2021) was an American composer and pianist, considered to be one of the most important American composer-pianists of his time. His major compositions, which often incorporate social an ...

. In the mid-1960s he began researching the use of brain-waves to control musical events and, as a result, he brought the first

Moog synthesizer The Moog synthesizer is a modular synthesizer developed by the American engineer Robert Moog. Moog debuted it in 1964, and Moog's company R. A. Moog Co. (later known as Moog Music) produced numerous models from 1965 to 1981, and again from 2014 ...

to Europe in 1967. His piece ''In Tune'' was first performed with Barbara Mayfield in late 1967. In 1970, he returned to the US to study Ethnomusicology at

Wesleyan University Wesleyan University ( ) is a private liberal arts university in Middletown, Connecticut. Founded in 1831 as a men's college under the auspices of the Methodist Episcopal Church and with the support of prominent residents of Middletown, the c ...

; while there he founded the World Band (one of the first inter-cultural improvisatory ensembles) with the master musicians teaching in that program. In 1976 and 1977, another Fulbright fellowship allowed Teitelbaum to travel to Japan, where he studied

gagaku is a type of Japanese classical music that was historically used for imperial court music and dances. was developed as court music of the Kyoto Imperial Palace, and its near-current form was established in the Heian period (794-1185) around ...

(learning ''

hichiriki The is a double reed Japanese used as one of two main melodic instruments in Japanese music. It is one of the "sacred" instruments and is often heard at Shinto weddings in Japan. Its sound is often described as haunting. According to schola ...

'' from Masataro Togi, the chief court musician of Japan's Imperial Household music department), as well as

shakuhachi A is a Japanese and ancient Chinese longitudinal, end-blown flute that is made of bamboo. The bamboo end-blown flute now known as the was developed in Japan in the 16th century and is called the .

with

Katsuya Yokoyama was a Japanese musician who played the ''shakuhachi'', a traditional vertical bamboo flute. Early life He was born in Shizuoka Prefecture in 1934 and studied Kinko-ryu and Azuma styles of music with his father, Rampo Yokoyama, and grandfather ...

. Teitelbaum also collaborated with

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 ...

Nam June Paik Nam June Paik (; July 20, 1932 – January 29, 2006) was a Korean American artist. He worked with a variety of media and is considered to be the founder of video art. He is credited with the first use (1974) of the term "electronic super hi ...

Joan Jonas Joan Jonas (born July 13, 1936) is an American visual artist and a pioneer of video and performance art, and one of the most important artists to emerge in the late 1960s and early 1970s.Andrew Cyrille Andrew Charles Cyrille (born November 10, 1939) is an American avant-garde jazz drummer. Throughout his career, he has performed both as a leader and a sideman in the bands of Walt Dickerson and Cecil Taylor, among others. AllMusic biographe ...

, Leroy Jenkins,

Steve Lacy Steve Lacy may refer to: Music * Steve Lacy (saxophonist) (1934–2004), American jazz saxophonist and composer * Steve Lacy (singer) (born 1998), American musician Other occupations *Steve Lacy (coach) (1908–2000), American college sports coach ...

Alvin Lucier Alvin Augustus Lucier Jr. (May 14, 1931 – December 1, 2021) was an American composer of experimental music and sound installations that explore acoustic phenomena and auditory perception. A long-time music professor at Wesleyan University in M ...

, and

David Behrman David Behrman (born August 16, 1937) is an American composer and a pioneer of computer music. In the early 1960s he was the producer of Columbia Records' ''Music of Our Time'' series, which included the first recording of Terry Riley's ''In C'' ...

, among many others. Teitelbaum lived in

upstate New York Upstate New York is a geographic region consisting of the area of New York State that lies north and northwest of the New York City metropolitan area. Although the precise boundary is debated, Upstate New York excludes New York City and Long ...

and taught at

Bard College Bard College is a private liberal arts college in Annandale-on-Hudson, New York. The campus overlooks the Hudson River and Catskill Mountains, and is within the Hudson River Historic District—a National Historic Landmark. Founded in 18 ...

beginning in 1988, also serving as the director of that college's Electronic Music Studio. He died of a stroke on April 9, 2020, and is survived by his wife, the classical pianist Hiroko Sakurazawa. He was 80 years old.

Awards

Teitelbaum was awarded a Guggenheim, the two Fulbrights mentioned above, and grants from the

National Endowment for the Arts The National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) is an independent agency of the United States federal government that offers support and funding for projects exhibiting artistic excellence. It was created in 1965 as an independent agency of the federa ...

, the

New York State Council on the Arts The New York State Council on the Arts (NYSCA) is an arts council serving the U.S. state of New York. It was established in 1960 through a bill introduced in the New York State Legislature by New York State Senator MacNeil Mitchell (1905–1996 ...

, the

New York Foundation for the Arts The New York Foundation for the Arts (NYFA) is an independent 501(c)(3) charity, funded through government, foundation, corporate, and individual support, established in 1971. It is part of a network of national not-for-profit arts organization ...

, the

Venice Biennale The Venice Biennale (; it, La Biennale di Venezia) is an international cultural exhibition hosted annually in Venice, Italy by the Biennale Foundation. The biennale has been organised every year since 1895, which makes it the oldest of ...

The Rockefeller Foundation The Rockefeller Foundation is an American private foundation and philanthropic medical research and arts funding organization based at 420 Fifth Avenue, New York City. The second-oldest major philanthropic institution in America, after the Carneg ...

, and the

Asian Cultural Council The Asian Cultural Council (ACC) is a non-profit organization dedicated to advancing international cultural exchange between Asia and the U.S. and between the countries of Asia through the arts. Founded by John D. Rockefeller III in 1963, AC ...

Discography

*''

Time Zones Time is the continued sequence of existence and events that occurs in an apparently irreversible succession from the past, through the present, into the future. It is a component quantity of various measurements used to sequence events, t ...

'' (Freedom, 1976) with

*''Hiuchi-Ishi'' (Denon Jazz, 1978) *''Blends & The Digital Pianos'' (Lumina, 1984) *''Concerto Grosso'' (hat ART, 1985

988 Year 988 (Roman numerals, CMLXXXVIII) was a leap year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. Events By place Byzantine Empire * Fall – Emperor Basil II, supported by a contingent of 6, ...

*''The Sea Between'' (Victo, 1988) with

Carlos Zíngaro Carlos Zíngaro (or Carlos "Zíngaro" Alves, born 15 December 1948 in Lisbon, Portugal) is a Portuguese violinist and electronic musician active in free improvisation. Biography Zingaro studied classical music at the Lisbon Music Conservatory fr ...

*''Cyberband'' (Moers Music, 1993) *''Golem'' (Tzadik, 1994) *''Duet: Live At Merkin Hall, NYC'' (Music & Arts, 1994) with Anthony Braxton *'' Double Clutch'' (Silkheart, 1997) with

Andrew Cyrille Andrew Charles Cyrille (born November 10, 1939) is an American avant-garde jazz drummer. Throughout his career, he has performed both as a leader and a sideman in the bands of Walt Dickerson and Cecil Taylor, among others. AllMusic biographe ...

*''Shift'' (For 4 Ears, 1997) with Hans Burgener and Martin Schütz *''>11>Ways>to>Proceed'' (For 4 Ears, 1999) with Hans Burgener,

Günter Müller Günter Müller (born October 20, 1954) is a German sound artist who originally performed as a percussionist and drummer, active primarily in free improvisation. He was born in Munich, West Germany, but has lived in Switzerland since 1966. Ba ...

and Carlos Zíngaro as BTMZ *''Blends'' (New Albion, 2002) with Katsuya Yokoyama With

*''

Trio and Duet ''Trio and Duet'' is an album by American jazz saxophonist Anthony Braxton recorded in 1974 and released on the Canadian Sackville label.

'' (Sackville, 1974) *

New York, Fall 1974 ''New York, Fall 1974'' is an album by the American jazz saxophonist Anthony Braxton, recorded in 1974 and released on the Arista label.

(Arista.1975) *'' Creative Orchestra Music 1976'' (Arista, 1976) *'' Open Aspects '82'' (Hat Hut Records, 1995) With Company *''Once'' (Incus, 1989) With

Marilyn Crispell Marilyn Crispell (born March 30, 1947) is an American jazz pianist and composer. Scott Yanow described her as "a powerful player... who has her own way of using space... She is near the top of her field." Jon Pareles of The New York Times wrot ...

*''

Dream Libretto ''Dream Libretto'' is an album by pianist Marilyn Crispell, violinist Tanya Kalmanovitch, and electronic musician Richard Teitelbaum. It was recorded at Nevessa Production in Woodstock, New York in 2018, and was released by Leo Records that same ye ...

'' (Leo, 2018) With

*''

The Declaration of Musical Independence ''The Declaration of Musical Independence'' is an album by drummer Andrew Cyrille. It was recorded in July 2014 at Brooklyn Recording in Brooklyn, New York, and was released by ECM Records in 2016. On the album, Cyrille is joined by guitarist Bill ...

'' (ECM, 2014

016 HV-016 is a former military unit of Norway, that was a part of the Home Guard. It was established after 1985 to "stop terror- or sabotage actions that could weaken or paralyze Norway's ability to mobilize its military and its ability to resist". ...

With Leroy Jenkins *'' Space Minds, New Worlds, Survival of America'' (Tomato, 1978) With

*''Sideways'' (Roaratorio, 1968

000 Triple zero, Triple Zero, Zero Zero Zero, Triple 0, Triple-0, 000, or 0-0-0 may refer to: * 000 (emergency telephone number), the Australian emergency telephone number * "Triple Zero", a song by AFI from ''Shut Your Mouth and Open Your Eyes'' * Th ...

With

Joëlle Léandre Joëlle Léandre (born 12 September 1951 in Aix-en-Provence, France) is a French double bassist, vocalist, and composer active in new music and free improvisation. In the field of contemporary music, she has performed with Pierre Boulez's Ens ...

*'' Joëlle Léandre Project'' (Leo, 1999) With George E. Lewis *''

Homage to Charles Parker ''Homage to Charles Parker'' is an album by American jazz trombonist/composer George Lewis recorded in 1979 for the Italian Black Saint label.

'' (Black Saint, 1979) * Chicago Slow Dance'' (Lovely Music, 1981) With

*'' Friday'' (Polydor, 1969) *''The Sound Pool'' (BYG Actuel, 1969) *''Live Electronic Music Improvised'' (Mainstream, 1970) -

split album A split album (or split) is a music album that includes tracks by two or more separate artists. There are also singles and EPs of the same variety, which are often called "split singles" and "split EPs" respectively. Split albums differ from " va ...

with

AMM Amm or AMM may refer to: Entertainment Music *AMM (group), British free improvisation group Television * Amy's Mythic Mornings, an educational show on APTN Kids Video games * Automated MatchMaking, in the context of the Warcraft III Ladder syst ...

*''United Patchwork'' (Horo, 1978)

Sources

External links

Richard Teitelbaum's official web site

Bard.edu: Teitelbaum

at 23:45 'Solo for Three Pianos', Richard Teitelbaum at the Claxon Sound Festival for improvised music in The Netherlands (1984) * {{DEFAULTSORT:Teitelbaum, Richard 1939 births 2020 deaths 20th-century classical composers 21st-century classical composers American male classical composers American classical composers Avant-garde jazz musicians Bard College faculty Moers Music artists 21st-century American composers 20th-century American composers 20th-century American male musicians 21st-century American male musicians Male jazz musicians