"Daring in its premise and refreshing in its textural immediacy" -- San Francisco Classical Voice

Upcoming Events:
•Clifford Leaman and Noah Getz premiere "Duo for Alto Saxophone and Piano" at the 35th International Saxophone Symposium in Fairfax, VA (January 20-21)
•Ursula Oppens performs "Three Pieces for Piano" at the Music of Now Marathon at Symphony Space in NYC (February 4)
•JACK Quartet premieres "Richter Textures" on the Music on the Edge series in Pittsburgh (February 25)

The compositions of Amy Williams have been presented at renowned contemporary music venues in the United States, Australia, South America and Europe, including the Ars Musica Festival (Belgium), Gaudeamus Music Week (Netherlands), Dresden New Music Days (Germany), Musikhøst Festival (Denmark), Festival Aspekte (Austria), Festival Musica Nova (Brazil), Subtropics Festival (Miami), Spring Festival of New Music (UK), Sound Field Festival (Chicago), Music Gallery (Toronto), North American New Music Festival (Buffalo), LA County Museum of Art, and Tanglewood Festival of Contemporary Music. Her works have been performed by leading contemporary music soloists and ensembles, including The Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra, Ensemble Aleph, Dal Niente, Wet Ink Ensemble, Dinosaur Annex, Pittsburgh New Music Ensemble, North/South Consonance, Bent Frequency, Monarch Brass Ensemble, Brave New Works, CUBE, Empyrean Ensemble, California E.A.R. Unit, Duo Diorama, Pro Arte Chamber Orchestra, International Contemporary Ensemble (ICE), Due East, pianists Ursula Oppens, Yvar Mikhashoff and Amy Briggs and bassist Robert Black. Her works appear on the Navona, VDM (Italy) and New Ariel labels.

As a member of the Bugallo-Williams Piano Duo, she has performed throughout Europe and the Americas, including the Ojai Festival (California), NUMUS Festival (Denmark), Jordan Hall (Boston), Merkin Hall, Miller Theatre, Americas Society, Symphony Space (New York City), Musica Contemporanea Ciclos de Conciertos (Buenos Aires), Festival Attacca (Stuttgart), Palacio de Bellas Artes (Mexico City), Köln Triennale, and Wittener Täge für Neue Kammermusik. The Duo’s debut CD of Conlon Nancarrow's complete music for solo piano and piano duet (Wergo) has garnered much critical acclaim. Wergo released subsequent CDs of the music of Stravinsky (2006), Varèse/Feldman (2009) and more Nancarrow (2011). The Duo has also recorded for Neos (music of Ginastera) and Albany (music of Jorge Liderman) and Williams has recorded as a chamber musician for Albany and Hat-Art.

Williams has won the Wayne Peterson Composition Prize (Sextet ), Audio Inversions Composition Prize (Cineshape 1), Thayer Award for the Arts, an ASCAP Award for Young Composers (verre-glaz), and grants from the American-Scandinavian Foundation, American Music Center, Greater Pittsburgh Arts Council, Pro Musica Viva (Germany) and Meet the Composer. She was the recipient of a 2008-2009 Howard Foundation Fellowship for composition and a 2009 Fromm Music Foundation Commission for a new work for the JACK Quartet.

Ms. Williams holds a Ph.D. in composition from the State University of New York at Buffalo, where she also received her Master's degree in piano performance. She has taught at Bennington College (1997-2000) and Northwestern University (2000-2005) and is currently Assistant Professor of Composition at the University of Pittsburgh.

RECENT WORKS:

"Richter Textures" for string quartet (2011). Commissioned by the Fromm Music Foundation for the JACK Quartet.
"Cineshape 4" for solo piano. In progress.
"Duo for Alto Saxophone and Piano" (2011). Commissioned by a consortium of seven saxophonists.
"Cineshape 5" for flute, percussion, piano and string quartet (2010).
"Univocity" for saxophone quartet (2009).
"Crossings" for one piano, four hands (2009). Commissioned by the Pittsburgh Chamber Music Society.
"Brigid's Flame" (2009). Version 1 for organ solo with choir. Version 2 for solo piano. Commissioned by the Music and Architecture Project at Calvary Episcopal Church.
"Cineshape 3" for flute, cello and percussion (2008). Commissioned by Vox.
"Cineshape 2" for piano quintet (2007). Commissioned by the Duquesne Contemporary Ensemble.
"Pulse Stream" for orchestra (2006). Commissioned by the Music Library Association.
"First Lines" for flute and piano (2006). Commissioned by Andrea Ceccomori and Elitza Harbova. Available on VDM Records (Italy).
"Wrest" for violin and piano (2005). Commissioned by Duo Diorama.
"Refined Art" for solo piano (2005).
"Sala Luminosa" for piano and chamber orchestra (2004). Commissioned by the Pro Arte Chamber Orchestra.
"Astoria" for piano (2004). Commissioned by Amy Dissanayake.
"Cineshape 1" for flute and percussion (2003). Commissioned by the CUBE Ensemble.
"JB Montage" for brass ensemble (2003). Commissioned by the International Women's Brass Conference.
"Abstracted Art I and II" for piano duet (2001-2002).
"Sextet" for piccolo, bass clarinet, violin, cello, piano and vibraphone (2001).

Compositions

Astoria for solo piano (Amy Briggs)



Astoria (2004) uses a transcription of Astor Piazzolla's tango, Movimiento Continuo, as a point of departure. The block-like, sectional structure is taken, with each section gradually condensed. Some of Piazzolla's harmonic progressions, repeated rhythmic patterns, ornamental gestures, and melodic fragments are re-organized, transformed and combined with original material. The Piazzolla reference, though never too obvious, should remain. The piece is dedicated to Amy Briggs.


Cineshape 2 (Music on the Edge Chamber Ensemble)



Cineshape 2 (2007), for piano and string quartet, is the second in a series of pieces inspired by films. This work is based on Mike Figgis’ “Time Code,” in which the screen is split into four equal parts and actions occur in real time. The viewer follows various linked characters at an independent film production company in Los Angeles. In the piece, there are highly diversified materials in the string instruments: aggressive multiple stops in the viola; a texture evocative of Renaissance music played by the muted viola and cello; a syncopated, choppy line divided among the two violins; impulsive and expressive cello solos; static, repeated chords that immediately die away. In the film, it is the soundtrack (one that is equal parts music and spoken dialogue) that binds the conflicting perspectives of the four screens together. In the piece, it is the piano, which mimics the actual grid of the film. These diverse materials represent characters, though not in a literally narrative way. As in the film, these musical characters that, at first, seem to have nothing in common, gradually transform into related musical ideas. Certain of these ideas come to the foreground, while others fade to the background. They are continually transformed, varied, moving forward—after all, in real time, one can never repeat oneself exactly.


First Lines for flute and piano



First Lines was composed in the spring of 2006, while I was in residence at the Bellagio Center on Lake Como, Italy. The piece was inspired by Bellagio—the place and its residents—in a very direct way. As I was perusing the library, I noticed numerous titles of books of poems that were suggestive of music and time. I began reading these books and I was struck by the ability of a strong poem to instantly pull the reader in, to create a richly developed atmosphere in the very first line. I began to imagine how this same effect could be achieved with music. That set me on the course of writing a series of miniatures—each piece lasting between 10 and 90 seconds and inspired by a different poem. The poems I was most attracted to were written by women, all former residents of Bellagio. The piece is dedicated to Andrea Ceccomori and Elitza Harbova, who premiered and recorded the piece for the VDM label.


JB Montage for brass ensemble



JB Montage(2003) is a tribute to James Brown and, in particular, the wind section of his funk band. Various riffs are taken from numerous tunes, which are then re-contextualized, layered, and juxtaposed with original material. There are two groups—a “solo” quintet and “chorus” of 10 players, which are separated spatially.