This spring, Composition/Theory doctoral candidate Aaron Brooks received premieres of two new works by New York-based ensemble Collide-O-Scope Music. Both concerts took place in New York City. On an April 13th program at Greenwich House, Brooks’ Loop and Effect was presented along with works by Donald Martino, Charles Wuorinen, Jonathan Harvey, Salvatore Sciarrino, and COSM co-director Lou Bunk. Brooks structured Loop and Effect in such a way that live electronics gradually take over the piece.
The second new piece, Modular Network for Four Instruments, was part of a program of premieres dubbed “Walls and Lattices” featuring Brooks and 15 other composers. The concert was performed on May 4th at a venue called the cell and departed from the typical presentation by using improvisation and indeterminacy to create transitions between works. In reflecting the fluid nature of the concert, Modular Network consists of 4 solos and 2 duets that can be combined and sequenced in a number of different ways.
In addition to the above accomplishments, Brooks has been accepted to the prestigious Composers Conference at Wellesley. This two-week composition workshop allows emerging composers to interact with established figures in the world of contemporary music and have works performed by leading new music specialists. Brooks’ two Rhythmic Studies for String Quartet will be performed as part of this year’s Composers Conference. Brooks describes the composition as being, “about a group of rhythmic processes being presented in varying degrees of transparency/opacity.”
Listen to Aaron Brooks’ music on Soundcloud.