Artist description Composer/guitarist/rapper Gene Pritsker has written over one hundred fifty compositions, including chamber operas, orchestral and chamber works, songs for hip-hop and rock ensembles, etc. All his compositions employ an eclectic spectrum of styles and are influenced by his studies of various musical cultures. He is the founder and leader of Sound Liberation an eclectic quintet playing the New York Club circuit. Other organizations he is associated with include: Composers’ Concordance (advisory board since ‘96), Absolute Ensemble (co-founder/composer-in -residence ‘93-’96), The American Composers Forum (member NY chapter since ‘96), and The New Music Connoisseur magazine (critic since ‘97). In recent years Mr. Pritsker's performances include: - “Cancer Ward” was performed by the Talujon percussion quartet at Merkin Concert Hall as part of the World Institute Concert series. - “I'm Afraid You Might ask for A Fragment Of My Soul” for solo piano was performed in venues from South Africa to Amsterdam and h as just been released on CD by pianist; Guy Livingston entitled: “Don’t Panic” on Wergo Records. - “Cries and Execrations of the Mob” was performed by violinist Miltos Papastamou with the Athens Camarata Chamber Orchestra. - A new chamber opera: “Nietzsc he The Madman”, was produced at Theater 22. - “I’m Afraid You might Ask for My Soul” was recorded in Minnesota as part of American Composers Forum’s Orchestra Reading Project. - The electronic song cycle “Poetic Subjects Eternal” was performed at Theater 22. - The septet “Fix II” and two arrangements of James Browns’ “Super Bad” have been performed around America and recorded for National Public Radio by the Absolute Ensemble. On June 21st the ensemble will also premiere Mr. Pritskers new and strange arr angement of “NY, NY”. - Mr. Pritsker and his eclectic hip-hop band Sound Liberation have recorded a CD and toured Newfoundland, Canada as well as performed all over New York in such clubs as Knitting Factory, Downtime, Wetlands and CBGB’s. - In the 2001 - 2002 season Mr. Pritskers“Pascals Contradiction” for chorus and percussion quartet was performed at Merkin concert hall on September 23rd, this piece was commissioned by the Ethos percussion quartet under the auspices of the Jerome foundation. “The P igeon” for baritone, flute, clarinet and Samplestra was performed on November 20th at Theater 22. Also this season the Argentinean chamber orchestra; Rosaria deLa Arte, will perform Mr. Pritsker's’ “Dead Souls II”, Ensemble Integrales from the Netherlands will perform “NY, Sept. 11th, Requiem” for Violin, Sax, Percussion and Samplestra and the percussion ensemble of Cornell University Department of Music will present “Cancer Ward” for percussion quartet later in the year. The idea of ending the segregation of music is a concept originated by Gene Pritsker. It is called the Sound Liberation Movement. Enacted first with groups such as the Absolute Ensemble and Absolute Noize, the idea is now expanding to other projects. Sound Liberation is a group that Mr. Pritsker founded, focusing on performing a diverse range of music in less formal atmospheres. Sound Liberation is a summery of Mr. Pritsker's ideas presented through an accessible format geared for the general public. Gene’s new project is called “Noi zepunk Electronic”, here he uses the computer to sample and manipulate various music an create dance and trance grooves with a brand new twist. Mr. Pritsker has won the Minnesota Composers Forum Commissioning Competition for the world premiere of his orch estral piece: Massacre, 20th Century Style. He was a recipient of the Margaret Fairbank Jory Copying Assistance Program, received an award from the ASCAP standard awards panel, 3rd prize in the Paris new Music Review composition competition and was part o f the American Composers Forum’s Orchestra Reading Project.A

Music Style All Music

Musical Influences All Music

Instruments composer/guitarist/rapper

Albums Gene Pritsker orchestral & chamber works,

Press Reviews “The audience seemed to like the Music immensely - as did this listener - and gave the seemingly spirited performance a most enthusiastic and well deserved welcome.” - Harris Goldsmith, New York Concert Review, March 1995 “Funny and fast, (the Music) required the soloists to switch from jazz to Beethoven, blues to bossa nova, the Marseilles to improvisation with split-second timing” - Anemona Hartocollis New York Newsday, Feb. 20th, 1995 “Talented composer” - Vladimir Zak New Russian Voice, April 1995 “If they don’t send him (Pritsker) into an insane asylum, then he will be recognized as a genius” - Dmitry Radyshevski Insight (Russian Newspaper), Jan. 1994 “A vivid, Exciting piece (“All I Want Now Is To Look At Life”) it is one I want very much to hea r again. - Paul Somers The Star Ledger, November 29, 1995 “Very original in approach” - Barry L. Cohen The Music Connoisseur, Fall 1996 “This is large audience music, and a lot of people would like it” - Joseph Pehrson The Music Connoisseur, Summer 199 9 “Kinetic music, drawing heavily on jazz and rock syles.” - Anthony Tommasini The New York Times, July 2000 “Pritsker dissolves the artificial boundaries between high brow, low brow, classical, popular musics and elevates the idea tha t if it’s done well it is great music, regardless of the style or genre.” - Joseph Pehrson The Music Connoisseur, Fall 2001 “Gene’s rap songs are clever, complex, and very interesting musically, exactly what the market stuff is not.” - Barry L. Cohen The Music Connoisseur, Fall 2001 m

Location New York, NY - USA

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