# James Dashow

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**James Dashow** (born November 7, 1944,[1] in [Chicago](/source/Chicago), Illinois)[2] is an American composer of [electro-acoustic music](/source/Electro-acoustic_music), instrumental music and [opera](/source/Opera).[3]

## Life and career

Dashow was born in 1944, outside of Chicago. His musical studies began in high school with Horace Reisberg; his principal teachers at the university level were [J. K. Randall](/source/James_K._Randall), [Arthur Berger](/source/Arthur_Berger_(composer)) and [Seymour Shifrin](/source/Seymour_Shifrin). In 1969, Dashow went to Italy on a [Fulbright Fellowship](/source/Fulbright_Fellowship) to complete his studies with [Goffredo Petrassi](/source/Goffredo_Petrassi). For many years, he studied the music of [Luigi Dallapiccola](/source/Luigi_Dallapiccola) independently.

One of the first to compose music for [digital audio](/source/Digital_audio) synthesis ("computer music"), Dashow was invited by Graziano (Giuliano) Tisato to work at the computer center of the [University of Padua](/source/University_of_Padua), where he created the first computer music compositions in Italy. He was the first vice president of the [International Computer Music Association](/source/International_Computer_Music_Association), has taught at [MIT](/source/MIT) and [Princeton University](/source/Princeton_University), and continues to actively hold master classes, lectures and concerts in Europe and North America. In 2003 he was composer-in-residence at the 12th Annual Florida Electroacoustic Music Festival in Gainesville, Florida.[4]

For several years he and [Riccardo Bianchini](/source/Riccardo_Bianchini) coproduced a weekly contemporary music program for [RAI](/source/RAI). He is the author of the MUSIC30 language for digital sound synthesis, and invented the Dyad System, a method that both integrates pitch structure based on [dyads](/source/Dyad_(music)) into electronic sounds as well as develops the pitch structure itself in terms of dyadic elaborations.

Following on his extensive use of [audio spatialization](/source/Audio_spatialization) as an integral part of the compositional process, Dashow composed the first opera designed to be performed in a [planetarium](/source/Planetarium) (*Archimedes*), taking advantage of the depth projection capabilities of the digital planetarium projectors and the multichannel audio systems that together provide a full immersion theatrical experience. He continues to develop the idea of a double approach to spatialization, through the complementary concepts of movement *in* space, and movement *of* space.

His most important recognitions include the Prix Magistere at Bourges in 2000, [Guggenheim (1989)](/source/List_of_Guggenheim_Fellowships_awarded_in_1989) and [Koussevitzky Foundation](/source/Koussevitzky_Foundation) (1998) grants, and in 2011 the Fondazione CEMAT[5] distinguished career award Il CEMAT per la Musica in recognition of his outstanding contributions to electro-acoustic music.

## Principal compositions

- Soundings in Pure Duration n.10 (2020) octophonic concrete and electronic sounds
- iPiece (2018–2019) a musical satire for guitar, octophonic electronic sounds, video and some electronic gadgets
- Soundings in Pure Duration n.9 (2016–2017) for bass flute and octophonic concrète and electronic sounds
- Soundings in Pure Duration n.8 (2015–2016) for bass-baritone voice and octophonic concrète and electronic sounds
- Soundings in Pure Duration n.7 (2014) for alto saxophone and octophonic electronic sounds
- Soundings in Pure Duration n.6 (2014) octophonic electronic sounds
- Soundings in Pure Duration n.5 (2012) harp and octophonic electronic sounds
- Soundings in Pure Duration n.4 (2012) viola and octophonic electronic sounds
- Soundings in Pure Duration n.3 (2011) guitar and hexaphonic electronic sounds
- Album of Small Forms vol. 1 (2010) violin, clarinet, piano
- Soundings in Pure Duration n. 2a (2009) pre-recorded percussive and hexaphonic electronic sounds
- *Archimedes*, a planetarium opera (1999–2008) libretto by Cary Plotkin and [Theodore Weiss](/source/Theodore_Weiss_(poet)) based on a conception of the composer
- Sul Filo dei Tramonti (2004) version for flute, harp and stereophonic electronic sounds
- Soundings in Pure Duration n.1 (2003) hexaphonic electronic sounds
- Messages from Ortigia (2002) bass flute (alto), bass clarinet, viola, harp and hexaphonic electronic sounds
- Sul Filo dei Tramonti (2000) soprano, piano and stereophonic electronic sounds on poetry by Giangiacomo Menon
- ...at other times, the distances (1999) quadraphonic electronic sounds
- Far Sounds, Broken Cries (1998) 13 instruments and quadraphonic electronic sounds
- Media Survival Kit (1996) a lyric satire for radio broadcast, text by [Bruno Ballardini](/source/Bruno_Ballardini)
- First Tangent to the Given Curve (1995–1996) piano and stereophonic electronic sounds
- Le Tracce di Kronos, i Passi[6] (1997) clarinet, dancer and stereophonic electronic sounds
- A Sheaf of Times (1992–1994) flute (alto, piccolo) clarinet (b. cl.), vln, vc, piano, harp, percussion
- Morfologie (1993) for trumpet player (doubling cornet, flugelhorn) and stereophonic electronic sounds
- Reconstructions (1992) for harp and stereophonic electronic sounds
- 4/3 – trio (1989–90) violin, cello and piano
- Oro, Argento & Legno (1987) for flute (piccolo, alto flute) and quadraphonic electronic sounds
- Songs from a Spiral Tree (1984–1986) for mezzo-soprano, flute (piccolo, alto) and harp, on poems by [Theodore Roethke](/source/Theodore_Roethke)
- In Winter Shine (1983) quadraphonic electronic music
- Mnemonics (1981–1982, rev. 1984) violin and quadraphonic electronic sounds
- Second Voyage (1977–1979) tenor voice with stereophonic electronic sounds, poem "Voyage in the Blue" by [John Ashbery](/source/John_Ashbery)
- Effetti Collaterali (1976) clarinet in A and stereophonic electronic sounds
- Whispers Out of Time (1975–1976) stereophonic electronic music
- Some Dream Songs (1974–1975) soprano, violin and piano, poems from *The Dream Songs* by [John Berryman](/source/John_Berryman)
- Ashbery Setting (1971–1972)[7] soprano, flute and piano, poem "Clepsydra" by John Ashbery
- Timespace Extensions (1969) flute, piano and 2 percussionists
- Songs of Despair (1968) soprano and 11 instruments, poems by [E. A. Robinson](/source/E._A._Robinson), [A. MacLeish](/source/Archibald_MacLeish), [V. Lindsay](/source/Vachel_Lindsay), [T. S. Eliot](/source/T._S._Eliot)

## Bibliography

Dashow's writings include:

- "Letter on Spatialization," *[Computer Music Journal](/source/Computer_Music_Journal) 37*, no. 3 (Fall 2013): 4–6.
- "The Dyad System" (Part One), *[Perspectives of New Music](/source/Perspectives_of_New_Music)*, vol. 37 no. 1, Winter 1999, pp. 39–76.
- "The Dyad System" (Parts Two and Three), *Perspectives of New Music,* vol. 37 no. 2, Summer 1999, pp. 189–230.
- "MUSIC30 – software synthesis language for the [TMS320C30](/source/Texas_Instruments_TMS320#Legacy_series) [DSP](/source/Digital_signal_processor)", *Computer Music Journal 19*, no. 3 (Fall 1995), 83–85.
- "Looking Into Sequence Symbols", *Perspectives of New Music 25*, nos. 1 & 2 (Winter and Summer 1987), 108–137.
- "New Approaches to Digital Sound Synthesis and Transformation", *Computer Music Journal 10*, no. 4 (Winter 1986).
- [Roads, Curtis](/source/Curtis_Roads), ed. *Composers and the Computer*, interview with James Dashow, pp. 27–45, Los Altos, California, William Kaufmann, Inc., 1985.
- "Spectra as Chords", *Computer Music Journal 4*, no. 1 (Spring 1980): 43–52.
- "Three Methods for the Digital Synthesis of Chordal Structures with Non-Harmonic Partials," *[Interface](/source/Interface_(journal)) 7*, 1978: 69–94.

## Awards and recognition

- CEMAT per la Musica,[8] outstanding career recognition
- Prix Magistere, Bourges (France)
- [Koussevitzky Foundation](/source/Koussevitzky_Foundation)
- [Guggenheim Foundation](/source/List_of_Guggenheim_Fellowships_awarded_in_1989)
- Prague Musica Nova[9] (Czech Republic)
- Ars Elettronica,[10] Linz (Austria)
- [Rockefeller Foundation](/source/Rockefeller_Foundation)
- [American Academy and Institute of Arts and Letters](/source/American_Academy_and_Institute_of_Arts_and_Letters)
- U.S. [National Endowment for the Arts](/source/National_Endowment_for_the_Arts)
- Commissions from [Harvard Musical Association](/source/Harvard_Musical_Association), [La Biennale di Venezia](/source/La_Biennale_di_Venezia), [Rai Radio 3](/source/Rai_Radio_3) (Italian National Radio), [Fromm Foundation](/source/Fromm_Foundation), various soloists and ensembles.

## References

1. ["Famous Birthdays on 7th November"](http://www.historyorb.com/birthdays/november/7). *History Orb*. Retrieved January 7, 2013.

1. ["James Dashow"](http://www.classical-composers.org/comp/dashow). Classical-composers.org. October 1, 2003. Retrieved February 21, 2014.

1. [Slonimsky, Nicolas](/source/Nicolas_Slonimsky); Kuhn, Laura; McIntire, Dennis (2001). ["Dashow, James (Hilyer)"](https://web.archive.org/web/20140611071205/http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G2-3491802785.html). *[Baker's Biographical Dictionary of Musicians](/source/Baker's_Biographical_Dictionary_of_Musicians)*. via [Highbeam](/source/Highbeam).

1. ["April 3–5, 2003 – University of Florida – Composer-in-Residence, James Dashow"](http://arts.ufl.edu/composition/femf/fest12prg.html), arts.ufl.edu

1. ["Federazione CEMAT – Composers"](http://www.cematitalia.it/?id=5.1&lg=en&pag=bio&wh=84). *Cematitalia.it*. Retrieved January 19, 2014.

1. ["*Le Tracce di Kronos, i Passi* by James Dashow for clarinet, electronic sounds and dance on Vimeo"](http://vimeo.com/29120321). Vimeo.com. September 15, 2011. Retrieved February 21, 2014.

1. [Kozinn, Allan](/source/Allan_Kozinn) (October 20, 1992). ["Classical Music in Review: New York New Music Ensemble"](https://www.nytimes.com/1992/10/20/arts/classical-music-in-review-752092.html). *[The New York Times](/source/The_New_York_Times)*. Retrieved November 1, 2012.

1. ["Federazione CEMAT – 2011"](http://www.cematitalia.it/index.php?id=2.13.16.2&lg=en). Cematitalia.it. Retrieved January 19, 2014.

1. ["Society for Electroacoustic Music"](https://web.archive.org/web/20150923203319/http://www.cibulka.com/musnova/1.htm). Cibulka.com. November 21, 1999. Archived from [the original](http://www.cibulka.com/musnova/1.htm) on September 23, 2015. Retrieved January 19, 2014.

1. ["Prix Ars Electronica"](http://www.aec.at/prix/jp/winners/1996-prix-gewinner-computermusik/). [Ars Electronica](/source/Ars_Electronica). Retrieved January 19, 2014.

## External links

- [Official website](http://www.jamesdashow.net)
- [James Dashow Discography at Discogs](http://www.discogs.com/artist/James+Dashow)
- [Interview](http://muse.jhu.edu/journals/cmj/summary/v027/27.2karpen.html) with James Dashow by [Richard Karpen](/source/Richard_Karpen), *[Computer Music Journal](/source/Computer_Music_Journal)* 2003, via Project MUSE
- [Interview with James Dashow](http://www.bruceduffie.com/dashow.html), September 19, 1994
- [Recordings by James Dashow on Neuma Records](https://neumarecords.org/ols/search?keywords=%22James%20Dashow%22&sortOption=descend_by_match)

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [James Dashow](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Dashow) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Dashow?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.