Stephen Scott (October 10, 1944 – March 10, 2021) was an

American American(s) may refer to: * American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the " United States" or "America" ** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America ** American ancestry, ...

composer best known for his development of the bowed piano. This is a form of

extended technique In music, extended technique is unconventional, unorthodox, or non-traditional methods of singing or of playing musical instruments employed to obtain unusual sounds or timbres.Burtner, Matthew (2005).Making Noise: Extended Techniques after Exper ...

which involves a grand piano being played by an ensemble of ten musicians who utilize lengths of rosined horsehair, nylon filament, and other utensils to bow the strings of the piano, creating an orchestra-like sound. Scott borrowed the technique from C. Curtis-Smith, who invented it in 1972. Scott founded the Bowed Piano Ensemble in 1977, for which he composed. His work is associated with the

minimalist In visual arts, music and other media, minimalism is an art movement that began in post–World War II in Western art, most strongly with American visual arts in the 1960s and early 1970s. Prominent artists associated with minimalism include Do ...

style of composition. Scott studied with

Homer Keller Homer T. Keller (b. Oxnard, California, February 17, 1915; d. Upland, California May 12, 1996) was an American composer of contemporary classical music. He graduated from Oxnard Union High School in Oxnard, California in 1933, after which he at ...

at the

University of Oregon The University of Oregon (UO, U of O or Oregon) is a public research university in Eugene, Oregon. Founded in 1876, the institution is well known for its strong ties to the sports apparel and marketing firm Nike, Inc, and its co-founder, billion ...

and subsequently with Ron Nelson and Gerald Shapiro. He taught music at

Colorado College Colorado College is a private college, private Liberal arts colleges in the United States, liberal arts college in Colorado Springs, Colorado. It was founded in 1874 by Thomas Nelson Haskell in his daughter's memory. The college enrolls approxi ...

from 1969 to 2014, becoming a full professor there in 1989. He also taught at

Evergreen State College The Evergreen State College is a public liberal arts college in Olympia, Washington. Founded in 1967, it offers a non-traditional undergraduate curriculum in which students have the option to design their own study towards a degree or follow a p ...

and has served as visiting composer at the Aspen Music School,

New England Conservatory of Music The New England Conservatory of Music (NEC) is a private music school in Boston, Massachusetts. It is the oldest independent music conservatory in the United States and among the most prestigious in the world. The conservatory is located on ...

Princeton University Princeton University is a private research university in Princeton, New Jersey. Founded in 1746 in Elizabeth as the College of New Jersey, Princeton is the fourth-oldest institution of higher education in the United States and one of the n ...

, the

University of Southern California , mottoeng = "Let whoever earns the palm bear it" , religious_affiliation = Nonsectarian—historically Methodist , established = , accreditation = WSCUC , type = Private research university , academic_affiliations = , endowment = $8. ...

, and at several universities and conservatories in Australia and Europe. Several recordings with Scott's Bowed Piano Ensemble have been released by

New Albion Records New is an adjective referring to something recently made, discovered, or created. New or NEW may refer to: Music * New, singer of K-pop group The Boyz Albums and EPs * ''New'' (album), by Paul McCartney, 2013 * ''New'' (EP), by Regurgitator, ...

Albany Records Albany Records is a record label that concentrates on unconventional contemporary classical music by American composers and musicians. It was established by Peter Kermani in 1987 and is based in Albany, New York. See also * List of record labe ...

, and

Navona Records ''Lilium'' 'Navona' is an Asiatic lily hybrid variety of white lilies, used in cutflower production worldwide. Description It has big upward-facing, white flowers, with dark green foliage, that flower from late spring to early summer. They ca ...

. Scott has performed and composed pieces in a thirteen

limit Limit or Limits may refer to: Arts and media * ''Limit'' (manga), a manga by Keiko Suenobu * ''Limit'' (film), a South Korean film * Limit (music), a way to characterize harmony * "Limit" (song), a 2016 single by Luna Sea * "Limits", a 2019 ...

tuning by

Terry Riley Terrence Mitchell "Terry" Riley (born June 24, 1935) is an American composer and performing musician best known as a pioneer of the minimalist school of composition. Influenced by jazz and Indian classical music, his music became notable for it ...

.Varela, Daniel (March 2005).
Stephen Scott Interview
, ''Perfect Sound Forever''. See:

, ''BowedPianoEnsemble.com''.

References

External links

Stephen Scott
, ''ColoradoCollege.edu''. ** ith video
Homepage
, ''BowedPianoEnsemble.com''.
Interview with Stephen Scott
, ''MusicMavericks.PublicRadio.org'' .ram ">.ram.html" ;"title=".ram">.ram
at Other Minds 9, 2003">U.S. Premiere of Stephen Scott's "Paisajes Audibles" at Other Minds 9, 2003
, ''Archive.org''. {{DEFAULTSORT:Scott, Stephen 1944 births 2021 deaths 20th-century classical composers American male classical composers American classical composers 21st-century classical composers Musicians from Corvallis, Oregon Musicians from Colorado Springs, Colorado University of Oregon alumni Colorado College faculty 21st-century American composers 20th-century American composers 20th-century American male musicians 21st-century American male musicians Classical musicians from Oregon