Karlheinz Essl

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Karlheinz Essl. Photograph by Helmut Lackinger (2004)

Karlheinz Essl (born August 15, 1960 in Vienna) is an Austrian composer, performer, sound artist and improviser.

1 Biography
2 Characterisation
3 Projects
4 Music Software
5 External links

[edit] Biography

Karlheinz Essl was born in Vienna in 1960. Studies at the University of Music in Vienna: composition (Friedrich Cerha), electro-acoustic music (Dieter Kaufmann) and double bass. Studies at the University of Vienna: musicology (1989 doctoral thesis on "Das Synthese-Denken bei Anton Webern"). 1990-94 „composer in residence” at the Darmstädter Ferienkurse für Neue Musik. 1992-93 work on a commission at IRCAM in Paris. Since 1994 music curator of the Essl Collection in Klosterneuburg/Vienna. Between 1995-2006 he was teaching Algorithmic composition at the Studio for Advanced Music & Media Technology at the Anton Bruckner Private University for Music, Drama, and Dance in Linz, Austria. As of 2007, professor of composition for electro-acoustic and experimental music at the University of Music and Performing Arts in Vienna.

[edit] Characterisation

Karlheinz Essl's work with computers (with emphasis on algorithmic composition and generative music) and a prolonged occupation with the poetics of serial music have been a formative influence on his compositional thinking. Besides writing instrumental music, Karlheinz Essl also works in the field of electronic music, interactive realtime compositions and sound installations. Since the early 90's he has developed various software environments for realtime composition which he uses himself for his own live performances and also in collaboration with artists from other fields (choreographers, dancers, visual artists and poets).

[edit] Projects

Since the 1990s, Karlheinz Essl carried out a number of projects for the Internet and became increasingly involved with improvisation. In 1997, Karlheinz Essl was featured at the Salzburg Festival with portrait concerts and sound installations. In 2003, he was artist-in-residence of the festival musik aktuell, and in 2004 he was presented with a series of portrait concerts at the Brucknerhaus Linz.