Michael Edward Edgerton profile picture

Michael Edward Edgerton

About Me

Edgerton, born in Racine, Wisconsin, is a composer of modern classical music. In addition to concert music, he previously had interest in bringing music together with other mediums, such as theater, movement and visual art, often in collaboration with artists from these disciplines - however, in the last 10 years, his work increasingly leans toward complexity and acoustical exploration.
Since 2000, Edgerton has been based in Europe and has worked with artists such as Stefan Östersjö, Kairos String Quartet, Ensemble Ars Nova, Stockholm Saxophone Quartet, Gary Verkade, Angela Rademacher, Chor der Hochschule der Kuenste, Berlin, Chatschatur Kanajan, Jeffrey Burns.
His compositions have received awards and recognition from the Kompositionspreis der Landeshauptstadt Stuttgart 2007 (Tempo Mental Rap), 2007 Composition Contest of the Netherlands Radio Choir (Kalevi Matus), 5th Dutilleaux International Composition Compétition, 2003 (1 sonata), 31 FESTIVAL SYNTHESE BOURGES 2001 (The Elements of Risk in Creation), 1999 Sal Martirano composition competition, Friends and Enemies of New Music (Net/Byrinth), MacDowell Club Award for composition, 1995 (Unspoken Crime), Midwest Composers Symposium, 1988 (A Penny for the Young Guy), 1987 National Federation of Music Clubs Composition Competition (Ai), 1987 National Federation of Music Clubs Composition Competition (Dwellers of the Southwest), Michigan State University Orchestral Composition Competition, 1986 (The Final Diary of a Branch)
Michael received his Doctorate in Musical Arts (DMA) in composition from the University of Illinois, the Masters of Music (MM) from Michigan State University and the Bachelors of Arts (BA) from the University of Wisconsin-Parkside. From 1996 to 1999, Michael was a Postdoctoral Fellow with the National Center for Voice and Speech, where he conducted research on voice science for his book, the 21st Century Voice (http://www.scarecrowpress.com/)
The following links provide more information:
-audio and full score samples, as well as general information: ---http://edgertonmichael.tripod.com/
-The IMSLP, an online and free musical score library! ---http://imslp.org/wiki/Category:Edgerton%2C_Michael_Edward
-Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia ---http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_Edward_Edgerton
-for my composition "A Marriage of Shadows" ---http://marriageofshadows.tripod.com/
-a new development in web-based radio! last-fm, a social music revolution ---http://www.last.fm/music/michael+edward+edgerton
-a research site dedicated to some of my papers: ---http://www.freewebs.com/edgertonresearch/
-a site promoting teaching, seminars, workshops and more "School of Everything" ---http://www.schoolofeverything.com/teacher/michaeledgerton

My Interests

Music:

Member Since: 9/15/2007
Band Website: edgertonmichael.tripod.com/
Influences: Hey, do you guys know about my book, The 21st Century Voice, published by Scarecrow Press (http://www.scarecrowpress.com/)?

This book is about the potential of the human voice, focusing on those modes of production outside of western classical traditions, including experimental and ethnic voice production, based within a framework of voice science (acoustics and physiology).
Please see the blog for more information!

Sounds Like: Two reviews from the recent Prize-winning concert of the Kompositionspreis der Landeshauptstadt Stuttgart 2007, which took place on April 25, 2008. The Swedish guitarist Stefan Östersjö performed my piece the "Tempo Mental Rap".
Review 1:
"Eloquent gestures full of tension
The guitarist Stefan Östersjö whistled along the strings, whispered fleeting noise-clusters and coaxed long drawn out tones from his instrument, sometimes similar to improvised, hectic gestures at dangerously fast speeds.
The "Tempo Mental Rap" was seen to be a ghostly or disembodied piece, in which conventional musical expressions were thrown out, … Throughout the piece, innovative extensions involving sound production .. hinted at an otherworldly expression."
Ulrich Köppen, Stuttgarter Nachtrichten 28.04.08

Review 2:
"Search for new styles of expression
The Swedish guitarist Stefan Östersjö performed the Tempo Mental Rap of the prizewinner Michael Edgerton, a highly virtuosic work. The well-known expressive possibilities and techniques of this instrument were blown up and thus new sound possibilities were developed. Hans-Peter Jahn, director of new music at SWR, had personally assisted Mr. Östersjö in performance by turning pages of the oversized musical score. The intrinsic rhythmic speech-song (of the Frank Zappa rap) remained exciting with both hands gripping, knocking, hitting and stroking until the conclusion."
Hans-Jörg Lund. Reutlinger General-Anzeiger 29.04.08

Record Label: indie
Type of Label: Indie

My Blog

Two new reviews of Tempo Mental Rap in Stuttgart

Two reviews from the recent Prize-winning concert of the Kompositionspreis der Landeshauptstadt Stuttgart 2007, which took place on April 25, 2008. The Swedish guitarist Stefan Östersjö performed my p...
Posted by Michael Edward Edgerton on Mon, 19 May 2008 01:23:00 PST

audio excerpts of "A Marriage of Shadows" on web

Hi! Excerpts of "A Marriage of Shadows" are now on the web at: http://marriageofshadows.tripod.com/ This piece was premiered by members of the ensemble Ars Nova (Sweden) and Angela Rademacher (Germany...
Posted by Michael Edward Edgerton on Sun, 16 Mar 2008 01:59:00 PST

new review of the 21st Century Voice

---------------------------------------------- Review by Elizabeth Terrel The Voice and Speech Review, the official Journal of the Voice and Speech Trainers Association Issue 5: Voice and Gender, and ...
Posted by Michael Edward Edgerton on Thu, 28 Feb 2008 07:17:00 PST

musical score excerpts available in my photos

musical score excerpts available in my photos, from: 1 sonata (2004, 70) for piano String Quartet1 (2002, 64)
Posted by Michael Edward Edgerton on Sat, 02 Feb 2008 10:55:00 PST

compositional sketches online at:

In the fall of 2007 I was commissioned by the Institute of Digital Innovation to write a piece for the AVFest08 (http://www.avfest.co.uk/) to be premiered on March 03, 08. The idea was that this piece...
Posted by Michael Edward Edgerton on Sat, 02 Feb 2008 10:20:00 PST

The 21st Century Voice

Hey, do you guys know about my book, The 21st Century Voice, published by Scarecrow Press (http://www.scarecrowpress.com/)? This book is about the potential of the human voice, focusing on those mod...
Posted by Michael Edward Edgerton on Sat, 26 Jan 2008 04:40:00 PST