COMPOSITIONS

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UPCOMING

PEGGY AND JACKSON, a chamber opera about the iconic painter Jackson Pollock and “art addict” Peggy Guggenheim. For mezzo, baritone, and chamber sextet. Awarded Opera America’s “Discovery” Grant. Premiering in 2025 by Cedar Rapids Opera, workshop in 2024 

EMMA, a chamber opera about Emma Goldman that uses bold new music to interpret the vision and legacy of one of the most important advocates for women’s rights and free speech. For mezzo and 6 percussion, premiere by Mantra Percussion in 2025

New guitar quartet for Dither, that draws on dance crazes and microtonality. Premiere in 2025

SELECTED WORKS LIST (in reverse chronological order)

Rivulets Ripple and Rivers Flow
(2022, 6 minutes, for string quartet)
Inspired by Yiddish folksong. Commissioned by The YIVO Institute of Jewish Research for the festival “Continuing Evolution: Yiddish Folksong Today”
World premiere at YIVO, NYC, May 9, 2022
NOTES
VIDEO

The Secret Life of Planets:
Heavenly Bodies and Earthly Gossip
(2022, 37 minutes, song cycle for soprano voice, bass voice, and orchestra)
World premiere by the Los Angeles Philharmonic New Music Group, Disney Concert Hall, Los Angeles, April 9, 2022 (Text by Annie Gosfield)
NOTES
VIDEO
TEXT

Ghost Radios and Audio Mirages
(2021, 11 minutes, for cello and eight speakers, using Ableton Live)
World premiere by Johannes Moser for the “Electric Cello Project” at the Oranjewoud Festival, Oranjewoud, Netherlands, August 21, 2021
NOTES
VIDEO

Curveballs and Asteroids
(2020, 9 minutes, for bass clarinet and fixed media)
World premiere by Ken Thomson, Bang on a Can Marathon, livestreamed from Berlin, Germany, October 18 2020
NOTES

Silken Splinters and Feather Stitches
(2019, 12 minutes, for violin and electronics)
World premiere by Pauline Kim Harris, for Interpretations 30th Anniversary
Roulette, Brooklyn, May 2, 2019.
NOTES

A Mother's Note and a Single Vote
(2018, 16 minutes, for violin and piano)
World premiere by Courtney Orlando and John Orfe of Alarm Will Sound,
Coolidge Auditorium, The Library of Congress, November 9, 2018.
Commissioned by the McKim Fund in the Library of Congress
NOTES
VIDEO

Detroit Industry:
The Goddess Stamps Metal While the Blast Furnace Sings
(2018, 26 minutes, for tenor saxophone, bass clarinet, perc.. piano/sampling keyboard, violin and cello)
World premiere by New Music Detroit, Detroit Institute of Arts, May 25, 2018
NOTES
VIDEO

Voices over the Buzz and Clatter
(2018, 8 minutes, for flute/picc, bass clarinet, perc. violin, viola, cello, and bass)
World premiere by Liminar, MATA 20th anniversary, The Kitchen, NYC, April 10 2018
NOTES
VIDEO

War of the Worlds
(2017, 65 minutes, an opera in one act for seven singers, two actors, and orchestra)
World premiere by the Los Angeles Philharmonic New Music Group,
Walt Disney Concert Hall, Los Angeles, November 12, 2017
Libretto by Yuval Sharon, based on the 1938 radio broadcast
Commissioned by Los Angeles Philharmonic Association with Margaret Morgan
and Wesley Phoa in honor of the Deborah Borda Women in the Arts Initiative
EXCERPT
NOTES
TRAILER
2017 PROGRAM

Number Six Goerck Street
(2017, 10 minutes, for mezzo-soprano and violin)
World premiere by the Cortona Duo (Rachel Calloway and Ari Streisfeld)
New York, May 4, 2017
Commissioned by the YIVO Institute
with support from the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs
NOTES

Almost Truths and Open Deceptions
(2016, 24 minutes, cello concerto)
3[1.2.3/pic]3[1.2.3/Eh]3[1.2.bcl]3[1.2.cbn]/4330/timp+2/str
World premiere by Felix Fan and the Chautauqua Symphony Orchestra
under Rossen Milanov, Chautauqua, New York, July 21, 2016
Commissioned by the Musik3 Foundation, the American Composers Forum
and the Kaufmann Center. Thanks to the Foundation for Contemporary Art’s Emergency Grant for copywork assistance.
NOTES

Radio Moonbounce and Meteor Scatter
(2016, 8-11 minutes, modular work for orchestra
3[1.2.pic]3[1.2.Eh]3[1.2.bcl]3[1.2.cbn]/4331/timp+2/str )
World premiere by the MFSO under Timothy Muffitt
at the Chautauqua Institution, New York, July 18, 2016
NOTES

Refracted Reflections and Telepathic Static
(2016, 16 minutes, for two pianos and electronics/audio playback)
World premiere by Christina and Michelle Naughton
Los Angeles Philharmonic Green Umbrella Series, Disney Hall, March 1, 2016
Commissioned by the Los Angeles Philharmonic Association
Gustavo Dudamel, Music Director
NOTES
VIDEO

The Dybbuk on Second Avenue
(2015, 13 minutes, for piano)
World premiere by Nadia Shpachenko
Piano Spheres Series, Redcat Theater, Los Angeles, October 27, 2015
Commissioned by Piano Spheres
Notes

Four Roses and a Five Spot
(1997/ 2015, 12 minutes, for cello and sampler)
World premiere of a new companion piece to Four Roses
by Michael Nicolas, cello; and Annie Gosfield, sampler
The Stone, New York City, September 7, 2015
Recorded on "Transitions" on Sono Luminus
NOTES

New Project Inspired by Instrumental 45's
(2015, 60 minutes, World premiere by by Annie Gosfield: sampling keyboard;
Billy Martin: drums and percussion; Roger Kleier: electric guitar
Steven Bernstein: trumpet, slide trumpet;
Briggan Krauss: baritone saxophone, alto sax; Brian Drye: trombone
Premiere at the Ecstatic Music Festival, Merkin Concert Hall April 16, 2015
Rattling Beeps and Serging Sweeps, Electric Sweepers and Vacuum Creepers,
Depth Charge, Buzzed Beyond All Recognition, Twenty Megatons from Above
NOTES
VIDEO: Rattling Beeps and Serging Sweeps
Electric Sweepers and Vacuum Creepers
Listen to the concert

Signal Jamming and Random Interference
(2014, 40 minutes, for string quartet with electronics)
World premiere by the JACK Quartet
and Annie Gosfield, electronics
Roulette, New York City, December 7, 2014
commissioned by NYSCA
NOTES
VIDEO (EXCERPT)

Captured Signals and Radio Ephemera
(2014, 20 minutes, for sampler and electric guitar)
World premiere by Annie Gosfield (sampler) and Roger Kleier (guitar)
vs. Interpretation Festival, Roxy NoD, Prague July 18, 2014
NOTES

Static Strands and String Noise
(2014, 40 minutes, for two violins and electronics; 2017 spatialized shorter version)
World premiere by String Noise (Pauline Kim Harris and Conrad Harris, violins)
and Annie Gosfield, electronics
The Stone, New York City, May 1, 2014
NOTES

Tenacious Friction and Swerving Conviction
(2014, 7 minutes, for viola and piano)
World premiere by Max Mandel and Eric Huebner
Roulette, New York City, March 25, 2014
NOTES
VIDEO

Rolling Sevens and Dreaming Elevens
(2013, 9 minutes, for contrabass)
World premiere by James Ilgenfritz
Roulette, New York City, December 12, 2013
Commissioned by James Ilgenfritz
NOTES

Invisible Flashes and Obscure Transmissions
(2013, 10 minutes, for violin and electronics/audio playback)
World premiere by George Kentros
Tokyo, Japan, October 6, 2013
Commissioned by George Kentros

Shattered Apparitions of the Western Wind
(2013, 21 minutes, for piano and electronics/audio playback, inspired by Debussy)
World premiere by Kathleen Supové in her "Digital Debussy" project,
The Flea Theater, New York City, April 25-27, 2013
Commissioned by Commissioning Music USA
NOTES
VIDEO

Iron Men and Bamboo Gods
(2012, 11 minutes, for percussion)
World premiere by Peter Dodds, Jordan Hall, Boston, January 15, 2013
Commissioned by Peter Dodds

Long Waves and Random Pulses (electronic version)
(2012, 13 minutes, for violin and and electronics/audio playback)
World premiere by Monica Germino at the Night of the Unexpected Festival,
Utrecht, Holland, September 6, 2012.
Commissioned by Gaudeamus Muziekweek
NOTES
VIDEO

Long Waves and Random Pulses (acoustic version)
(2012, 13 minutes, for violin) World premiere by Elfa Run Kristindottir at the Oudemuziek Festival, Utrecht, Holland, August 26, 2012.
Commissioned by Gaudeamus Muziekweek
NOTES
VIDEO

A Luminous Reflection of Metallic Direction
(2012, 15 minutes, for cello and electronics/audio playback) World premiere by Frances-Marie Uitti at the MaerzMusik Festival, Berlin, Germany, March 22, 2012.
Commissioned by the American Academy in Berlin and the MaerzMusik Festival
NOTES

Phantom Shakedown
(2012, 8 minutes, for piano and electronics/audio playback) World premiere by
Annie Gosfield at the Moving Sounds Festival, New York, September 14, 2012.
VIDEO
NOTES
Recorded by Gosfield on "Almost Truths and Open Deceptions"
Click to listen to an excerpt

Floating Messages and Fading Frequencies
(2011, 30 minutes, for flute, oboe, clarinet, percussion, violin, viola, cello, and bass, with sampler/electronics, drums, and electric guitar) World premiere by Athelas Sinfonietta and Annie Gosfield trio, conducted by Pierre-André Valade, November 23, 2011, Dartington Great Hall, United Kingdom. Commissioned by the DaNY arts initiative to foster collaboration between Denmark and NYC, with support from the CAP Fund. Also performed at the Huddersfield Festival, Liverpool, and Nottingham.
A concert-length work inspired by the radio transmissions of the Danish Resistance in World War II, with the Athelas Sinfonietta (Denmark), and the Annie Gosfield Trio
NOTES

Burn Again With a Low Blue Flame
(2011, 20 minutes, for cello and electronics/audio playback) World premiere by
Mathis Mayr at the A•Devantgarde Festival, Munich, Germany, June 4, 2011.
Commissioned by the A•Devantgarde Festival
NOTES
VIDEO

“A Bowler Hat” reimagined for Anthony De Mare’s “Liaisons” project
(2011, 8 minutes, for piano) In a series of reimaginings of Stephen Sondheim works for solo piano. World Premiere by Anthony DeMare at Symphony Space, NYC, March 9, 2013. Commissioned by the Liaisons Project
NOTES

Daughters of the Industrial Revolution
Excerpt for cello and percussion
(2011, 9 minutes, for percussion and cello)
World premiere by Felix Fan (cello) and Alex Lipowski (perc) at the Kitchen, 2011
NOTES
VIDEO
Score and parts for excerpt for percussion and cello available

Daughters of the Industrial Revolution
(2011, 45 minutes, for sampler, guitar, drum set, percussion, and cello)
World premiere by Annie Gosfield trio: Roger Kleier (guitar); Annie Gosfield (sampler); Ches Smith (drums); with Felix Fan (cello) and Alex Lipowski (percussion) at the Kitchen, NYC, March 4-5 2011
The creation of Daughters of the Industrial Revolution was funded by The MAP Fund, a program of Creative Capital supported by the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation and the Rockefeller Foundation.
NOTES
Recorded by Gosfield, Kleier, Fan, Smith, Lipowsky on "Almost Truths and Open Deceptions"
Click to listen to an excerpt
Score and parts for excerpt for percussion and cello available


The Blue Horse Walks on the Horizon
(2010, 17 minutes, for string quartet) Published by PSNY
World premiere by the Jasper String Quartet at the Caramoor Center for Music and Arts, Katonah, New York, August 5, 2010
Commissioned by the Caramoor International Music Festival, on behalf of the Jasper String Quartet, for A String Quartet Library for the 21st CenturyCommissioned by the Caramoor Center for Music and Arts
NOTES
VIDEO

Five Characters Walk Into a Bar
(2009, 10 minutes, for solo piano)
Premiere by Sarah Cahill at the Caramoor Festival,
New York, March 28, 2010
NOTES

Broken Nails and Metal Tails
(2009, 7 minutes, for kalimba and electronics/audio playback)
Premiere by Jennifer Hymer in the Klang!-Container,
Hamburg, Germany, September 12, 2009.
Commissioned by the Hamburg Netzwerk Project "Klang!"
NOTES

Lightning Slingers and Dead Ringers
(2008, 21 minutes, for piano and sampler)
Premiere by Lisa Moore in Canberra, Australia, May 8, 2008
US premiere at the Bang on a Can Marathon, New York, May 31, 2008
Commissioned by the Meet the Composer's Commissioning USA
and The Argosy Fund for New Music
Recorded on "Lightning Slingers and Dead Ringers", Cantaloupe
NOTES
VIDEO

Almost Truths and Open Deceptions
(2007, 24 minutes, cello chamber concerto for cello, percussion, piano, 2 violins, viola, and contrabass)
Premiere by Felix Fan, with David Cossin, Blair McMillen, Nurit Pacht, Jennifer Choi, Max Mandel, and Robert Black, at Merkin Concert Hall, New York, May 3, 2007
Commissioned by the Musik3 Foundation, the American Composers Forum and Kaufmann Center, with additional funds provided by the Mary Flagler Cary Charitable Trust and the Jerome Foundation
NOTES
Recorded by Felix Fan, FLUX, Blair McMillen, David Cossin, and Tony Falanga on "Almost Truths and Open Deceptions"
Click to listen to an excerpt

The Wanton Brutality of a Tender Touch
(2006, 12 minutes, for piano)
Premiere by Blair McMillen at the Tenri Cultural Institute, New York, Sept. 8, 2006
Commissioned by Blair Mcmillen
NOTES

Overvoltage Rumble
(2006, 13 minutes, for bass clarinet, percussion, sampler, guitar, cello, and contrabass)
Premiere by The Bang on a Can All-Stars at Merkin Concert Hall, New York City,
February 22, 2006
Commissioned by the People's Commissioning Fund
NOTES

A Sideways Glance from an Electric Eye
(2006, 8 minutes, for a virtual version of Henry Cowell's Rhythmicon)
Released on "The Art of the Virtual Rhythmicon" Innova, 2006
Commissioned by Sonic Circuits
NOTES

In This Dream that Dogs Me
Live music for choreographer Karole Armitage
(2005, 55 minutes, for percussion, sampler, guitar, and cello)
Premiere by Danny Tunick, Annie Gosfield, Roger Kleier, and Felix Fan
at the Duke Theater on 42nd Street, New York, November 30, 2005
Commissioned by the American Music Center's Live Music for Dance program
and the Rockefeller Foundation's MAP Fund
NOTES

Uphill Slides and Knockdown Dives
(2005, 12 minutes, for percussion and cello)
Premiere by Felix Fan and David Cossin
at the Muzik3 festival in San Diego, California, April 13, 2005
Commissioned by the Muzik3 Festival
NOTES

Wild Pitch (2004, 13 min, for cello, percussion, and piano)
Premiere by Felix Fan, David Cossin, & Andy Russo,
Merkin Concert Hall, New York, December, 2004
Commissioned by the Muzik3 Festival, San Diego
Recorded by Real Quiet on "Almost Truths and Open Deceptions"
NOTES

Echoes of the Copper Octopus
(Reflective, Malleable, and Very Tenacious)
(2004, 13 min, percussion quartet)
Premiere by SO Percussion, Merkin Concert Hall, New York, December, 2004
Commissioned by the Mary Flagler Cary Charitable Trust for Performance at Merkin Hall
NOTES

Knuckleball (2004, 1 minute, for solo piano)
Commissioned by the "Piano Project" which has commissioned composers to write short piano pieces for children in celebration of the 50th anniversary of the Kaufman Center

The Harmony of the Body–Machine
(2003, 13 min, for cello and electronics/audio playback)
Premiere by Joan Jeanrenaud, Yerba Buena Center for the Arts,
San Francisco, October, 2003
Commissioned by the American Composers Forum and the Jerome Foundation
NOTES
Recorded by Joan Jeanrenaud on Gosfield's
"LOST SIGNALS AND DRIFTING SATELLITES" CLICK TO LISTEN Tzadik, 2004

Marked by a Hat
(2003, 8 minutes, for 8 microtonally tuned
sympathetic strings on the "extreme guitar")
Premiere by Marco Cappelli, Associazione Alessandro Scarlatti, Naples, Italy,
November, 2003
Commissioned by Marco Cappelli
Recorded by Marco Cappelli on "The Extreme Guitar", Mode, 2006
NOTES

Lost Signals and Drifting Satellites
(2003, 8 minutes, for violin and electronics/audio playback)
Premiere by George Kentros, Stockholm, May 2003
Commissioned by George Kentros
NOTES
Recorded by George Kentros on Gosfield's
"LOST SIGNALS AND DRIFTING SATELLITES" CLICK TO LISTEN Tzadik, 2004

Lightheaded and Heavyhearted (2002, 18 minutes, for string quartet)
Premiere by the Miami String Quartet at the Santa Fe Chamber Music Festival, July 2002
Commissioned by the Santa Fe Chamber Music Festival
NOTES
Recorded by the Flux Quartet on Gosfield's
"LOST SIGNALS AND DRIFTING SATELLITES" CLICK TO LISTEN Tzadik, 2004

Smoking and Drifting (2001, 14 minutes, for bass clarinet, tenor saxophone, percussion, piano, two violins, viola, cello, and contrabass)
Premiere by Present Music at the Milwaukee Art Museum, January 2002
Commissioned by Present Music and the Jacquart Family
NOTES

Five Will Get You Seven (2001, 15 minutes, for bass clarinet and 2 percussion)
Premiere by Zeitgeist at the Walker Art Center, Minneapolis, September 2001
Commissioned by Headwaters for Festival Dancing in Your Head
Recorded by Zeitgeist on "If Tigers Were Clouds", Innova, 2003
NOTES

Cranks and Cactus Needles
(2000, 6 minutes, for flute, piano, violin, and cello)
Premiere by The Pearls Before Swine Experience at ISCM World Music Days,
Luxembourg, September 2000
Recorded by The Pearls Before Swine Experience, on "Swine Live!", Caprice (Sweden), 2003
NOTES
Recorded by The Pearls Before Swine Excperience on "Almost Truths and Open Deceptions"
Click to listen to an excerpt

Flying Sparks and Heavy Machinery
(2000, 15 minutes, for string quartet and percussion quartet)
Premiere by the Onyx String Quartet and RedDrum Percussion Group at the Other Minds Festival, San Francisco, March 2000
Commissioned by Other Minds and the American Composers Forum
NOTES
Recorded by FLUX Quartet and Talujon Percussion on Annie Gosfield's
"FLYING SPARKS AND HEAVY MACHINERY" CLICK TO LISTEN Tzadik, 2001

It Almost Passed in a Dream (1999, 8 minutes, for flute, bass marimba, harmonic canon, adapted guitar, bloboy, and cello)
Premiere by Newband (on the Harry Partch Instruments) at Music at the Anthology,
New York, February 2000
Commissioned by MATA and the Greenwall Foundation
NOTES

Shoot the Player Piano (1999, 6 minutes, recorded work for video and music)
Premiere at Intermedia Arts, Minneapolis, November 1999
Commissioned by the American Composers Forum for the Sonic Circuits Festival
NOTES
CLICK HERE TO WATCH THE VIDEO

EWA7 (1999, 42 minutes, a site-specific factory-inspired work for keyboards, electric guitar, and two percussion)
Premiere by The Annie Gosfield Ensemble at the EWA7 Factory, Nuremberg, Germany,
July 1999
Commissioned by the Siemens Corporation
NOTES
Recorded by The Annie Gosfield Ensemble on
"FLYING SPARKS AND HEAVY MACHINERY" CLICK TO LISTEN Tzadik, 2001

Mentryville (1999, 4 minutes, for prepared piano)
Premiere by Annie Gosfield at California Institute of the Arts,
Valencia, California, March 1999
NOTES
Recorded by Annie Gosfield on
"LOST SIGNALS AND DRIFTING SATELLITES" CLICK TO LISTEN Tzadik, 2004

Brawl (1998, 10 minutes, for saxophone quartet)
Premiere by Rova Saxophone Quartet, San Francisco, June 1998
NOTES
Recorded by ROVA Sax Quartet, on Annie Gosfield's
"BURNT IVORY AND LOOSE WIRES" CLICK TO LISTEN Tzadik, 1998

Brooklyn, October 5, 1941
(1997, 4 minutes, for piano, baseballs, and baseball mitt)
Premiere by Guy Livingston, at Bruno Walter Auditorium, Lincoln Center, New York, December 1997
Recorded by Guy Livingston (one minute version) on "Don't Panic: Sixty Seconds for Piano", Wergo (Germany) and Harmonia Mundi (USA) 2001
NOTES

Cram Jin Quotient (1997, 8 minutes, for keyboard sampler)
Premiere by Annie Gosfield at "The Alternative Schubertiade", American Opera Projects,
New York, September 1997
Recorded by Annie Gosfield on "An Alternative Schubertiade" CRI, 1999
NOTES

In Rides the Dust (1997 version, 11 minutes, for chamber orchestra)
Premiere by Bang on a Can's Spit Orchestra, conducted by Bradley Lubman, at the Kitchen, New York, May 1997
NOTES

Four Roses (1997, 6 minutes, for cello and sampler)
Premiere by Ted Mook and Annie Gosfield, New York, March 1997
NOTES
Recorded by Ted Mook and Annie Gosfield on
"BURNT IVORY AND LOOSE WIRES" CLICK TO LISTEN Tzadik, 1998

Freud (1996, 4 minutes, composed with Roger Kleier For sampler and electric guitar)
Premiere by Annie Gosfield and Roger Kleier at the Audio Art Festival, Goethe Institute, Cracow, Poland, November 1996
NOTES
Recorded by Annie Gosfield and Roger Kleier on
"BURNT IVORY AND LOOSE WIRES" Tzadik, 1998

In Rides the Dust (1996, 11 minutes, for flute, tenor sax, trumpet, trombone, percussion, piano, guitar, cello, and contrabass)
Premiere by Agon Orchestra, conducted by Petr Kofron, New Music Marathon, Prague, November 1996
NOTES

Blue Serge (1996, 5 minutes, for sampling keyboard)
Premiere by Annie Gosfield at Festival Solo in Lucerne, Switzerland, May 1996
NOTES
Recorded by Annie Gosfield on "Bring Your Own Walkman" Staalplaat, 1997, and
"BURNT IVORY AND LOOSE WIRES" Tzadik, 1998

Lost Night (1995, 12 minutes, for chamber orchestra and sampler)
Premiere by the Crosstown Ensemble, conducted by Eric Grunin, New York, December 1995
Commissioned by the Minnesota Composers Forum and the Crosstown Ensemble
NOTES

The Manufacture of Tangled Ivory
(1995, 11 minutes, for percussion, sampler, guitar, cello, contrabass)
Premiere by The Annie Gosfield Ensemble, Festival of Radical New Jewish Culture, New York, September 1994, revised version premiered by the Bang on a Can All-Stars, at Great Performers at Lincoln Center, New York, May 1995
Recorded by the Bang on a Can Allstars on "Cheating, Lying Stealing" Sony Classical, 1996, and on "Bang on a Can Classic" Cantaloupe Records, 2002
NOTES
Recorded by The Annie Gosfield Ensemble Annie Gosfield's
"BURNT IVORY AND LOOSE WIRES" CLICK TO LISTEN Tzadik, 1998

Second Avenue Junkman (1993, 4 minutes, for piano, guitar, and percussion)
Premiere by The Annie Gosfield Ensemble, at the Festival of Radical New Jewish Culture, New York, September 1993
Recorded by Annie Gosfield, Roger Kleier, and Greg Cohen on "Irving Stone Memorial Concert", Tzadik, 2004
NOTES

Nickolaievski Soldat (1993, 7 minutes, for sampler, guitar, and percussion)
Premiere by The Annie Gosfield Ensemble, Festival of Radical New Jewish Culture, New York, September 1993
NOTES
Recorded by The Annie Gosfield ensemble on
"BURNT IVORY AND LOOSE WIRES" Tzadik, 1998