Michael Harrison (musician)

Michael Harrison is an American composer, influenced by both Western classical and North Indian classical music.

Harrison studied composition at the University of Oregon and the Juilliard School in the late 1970s, and began investigating alternative tunings while studying Indian classical music with Pandit Pran Nath in this same period (Wise 2005). In 1986, he designed and created the “harmonic piano,” an extensively modified seven-foot grand piano with the ability to alternate between two different tunings to play 24 notes per octave on a conventional keyboard. For the past 25 years, Harrison has performed his own music throughout the United States and Europe.

His own works include From Ancient Worlds and Revelation, both for piano in just intonation.

Discography

Albums

• (1980) - The Crystal Flame
• (1987) - In Flight. Fortuna Records CD FOR 17042-2
• (1993) - From Ancient Worlds. New Albion Records CD 42
• (2000) - Love's Glory: Mystical Poems of Rumi & Mafiz
• (2006) - RUMI: Lovedrunk (with Shahram Shiva). [S.l.: s.n.]
• (2007) - Revelation: Music in Pure Intonation. Cantaloupe CD 21043.
• (2007) - Cellorchestra

Other compositions

• For My Father: Flute, violin, cello and piano, 1994
• Song of the Rose: Cello and piano, 1993
• Birds of Paradise: Jazz ensemble, 1990
• 1001 Nights: Jazz ensemble, 1990
• Symphonic Cortege: Full orchestra, 1987–88
• African Child: world music ensemble (tuned in "just tuning"), 1988
• Tactus: Flugelhorn, Piano and percussion, 1984–85
• The Swan Has Flown to the Mountain Lake: Flute, harp and cello, 1984
• Ecstatic poems of Rumi: Soprano and piano, 1983–84
• For Oboe: Oboe, 1983
• Reminiscent Dances: String Orchestra, 1982
• Choral Work No. 1: Five singers (SAATB), 1981
• Choral Work No. 2: Five singers (SAATB), 1981
• Crystal Kyrie: 2 sopranos, 13 crystal goblets in pure intonation, 1979
• Zikr: SATB Choir with soprano soloist, 1979
• Atlantis: Flute, clarinet, piano and tabla, 1979
• Call of the Beloved: Soprano, flute, harp and piano, 1979
• Dance of the Sorcerers: Flute, cello, piano, tabla & tamboura, 1977–78
• Sonnet XVIII: Alto and piano, 1977

See also

• Just intonation
• La Monte Young

References

Further reading

• Gann, Kyle. 1990. "Shifting the Scales (Michael Harrison, Bernadette Speach, Alvin Singelton, Louise Talma)". Village Voice 35, no. 10 (March 6): 88.
• Gann, Kyle. 1991. "Tune Up and Drop Out (American Festival of Microtonal Music: Michael Harrison, Wyschnegradsky, Sharp, Ives, Bach)". Village Voice 36, no. 27 (July 2): 86.
• Griffiths, Paul. 2001. "In Performance: Classical Music; Whitman's Sampler by Four Innovators". New York Times (October 21)
• Wise, Brian. 2005. "A Music Man Who Restores Pianos". New York Times ( June 12).

External links

• Michael Harrison Official Site