Michael Harrison (musician)

For other people named Michael Harrison, see Michael Harrison (disambiguation).

Michael Harrison is an American contemporary classical music composer and pianist, who specializes in working with just intonation tunings, and North Indian classical music (Hindustani classical music).

Harrison studied composition and piano at the University of Oregon and the Juilliard School in the late 1970s and 1980s, and began investigating alternative tunings while studying with La Monte Young, and Indian classical music with Pandit Pran Nath and Terry Riley in this same period (Wise 2005). As Young’s composition assistant, Harrison prepared the specialized tunings and scores for his 6½-hour work, The Well-Tuned Piano, later becoming the only person besides the composer to perform this work. 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 30 years, Harrison has collaborated with choreographers, visual and media artists, with performances of his music throughout the United States and Europe. He is the co-founder and president of the American Academy of Indian Classical Music and a disciple of master Indian vocalist Ustad Mashkoor Ali Khan, with whom he performs regularly. He is a Dean of Music of 'Noble International University'.

His major works include Just Ancient Loops for multi-track cellist Maya Beiser with a film by Bill Morrison, “Revelation: Music in Pure Intonation” for piano in an original just intonation tuning, and From Ancient Worlds, for the harmonic piano.

Discography

• 2012 Time Loops, with cellist Maya Beiser (Cantaloupe Music 21086)
• 2007 Revelation: Music in Pure Intonation (Cantaloupe Music 21043)
• 1992 From Ancient Worlds (New Albion Records 042)
• 1987 In Flight (Fortuna Records 17042-2)

Compositions

• Orchestral Modules: Symphonic orchestra, 2015; Chamber orchestra, 2014
• Radians Phase: String quartet, two flutes, and electronics, 2015
• Jaunpuri: Piano, Indian vocals, tabla and tamboura, 2015; Cello, piano and tabla, 2014
• Yaman Alap: Roomful of Teeth vocal octet, 2014
• Tarana: Roomful of Teeth vocal octet, 2014
• Tessellations: Chamber orchestra, countertenor, tenor, tabla and tanpura, 2014
• Piano Modules: Duo piano, 2014; solo piano, 2012
• Harmonic Studies in Just Intonation: Electronic media, 2014
• Hijaz Prelude (two versions): Cello and guitar, 2014; Cello and piano, 2014
• Hijaz: SATB chorus, solo cello, piano, tabla & percussion, 2013; Youth or women's choir, solo cello, piano, tabla & percussion, 2011
• Revelation Remix: Electronics with retuned and prepared piano, 2013
• Just Ancient Loops: Multi-track cello with film by Bill Morrison, 2012
• Chant: String quartet, 2012
• Raga Prelude: Yaman Kalyan: Piano with cello, violin, or viola, 2011
• Tone Clouds: Piano ("Revelation" tuning) and string quartet, 2009
• Revelation: Music in Pure Intonation: Piano ("Revelation" just intonation tuning), 2007
• Wedding Song: Voice and piano, 2004
• Blue Camel: Piano, 1999
• For My Father: Flute, violin, cello and piano, 1994
• Song of the Rose: Cello and piano, 1993
• From Ancient Worlds: Piano ("From Ancient Worlds" just intonation tuning), 1992
• Birds of Paradise: Jazz ensemble, 1990
• 1001 Nights: Jazz ensemble, 1990
• Symphonic Cortege: Symphonic orchestra, 1987–88
• African Child: world music ensemble, 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

References

• Wise, Brian. 2005. "A Music Man Who Restores Pianos". New York Times ( June 12).

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)

External links

• Michael Harrison Official Site