Nicci Reisnour

BIOGRAPHY: Nicole Reisnour was raised in Grand Forks, North Dakota. She studied violin and piano from an early age. She first became interested in microtonality singing improvised duets with her younger sister on car trips (much to the dismay of their parents) and later went on to study tuning theory and composition with Kyle Gann at Bard College (much to the dismay of her parents). In 2006 she received her M.A. in composition from Mills College, where she studied with Annie Gosfield, Alvin Curran, and James Tenney. Ms. Reisnour has had the pleasure of hearing her music performed by the Presidio Ensemble, the Colorado String Quartet, Quartet San Francisco, Da Capo chamber ensemble, the American Symphony Orchestra, and many other wonderful performers. Her compositions have earned her the Clair B. Schaefer Award and the Paul Merrit Henry Prize. Her recent work ‘Night in August (’99)’ was commisioned by the Somnambutone radio series in New York. ARTIST STATEMENT: In composing my primary interest is not the notes being played but the additional sounds that are conjured by these notes. Using microtonal pitch material and extended performance techniques I hope to reveal and emphasize the fact that a sonority is much more than the sum of its constituent pitches. I always strive for patience in my music because I believe this will encourage my listeners to focus on these aspects of sound, which we learn to ignore in more forward moving music, and which can create new kinds of musical beauty. My work has often been described as reminiscent of the expansive landscape of the Great Plains where I spent my formative years.