Artist description Sean Varah pushes the envelope of modern classical music. He combines 1960s analog tape technique, modern synthesizer technology, and live classical musicians to make sounds that will push your definition of "classical music" a little farther than you wanted him to.

Music Style Modern Electronic Classical

Musical Influences Mario Davidovsky, Alban Berg

Similar Artists Mario Davidovsky, Alban Berg, Star Trek (original)

Artist History Sean Varah is a composer and cellist. Raised in Vancouver, Canada, he studied cello with Judith Fraser at the Vancouver Academy of Music, Tsuyoshi Tsutsumi at the University of Western Ontario, and Eric Wilson, University of British Columbia. He holds degrees from Stanford and Columbia University, where he received his doctorate of musical arts. His principal teacher was Mario Davidovsky. In 1994, he designed and constructed the Harvard Computer Music Center, and was a Lecturer in Music, and Associate Director of the Center until 1997. In 1999, he declined a professorship at Harvard, to return to the West Coast and live and compose in San Francisco. Pushing the envelope of modern classical music, Varah composes purely instrumental works, as well as ones that combine technology with orchestral instruments. In many of his compositions, he uses computers to produce abstract sound mosaics behind live players. To accomplish this, he combines 1960's analog tape technique, modern synthesizer technology, and live classical musicians to create sounds in much the same way an abstract painter creates images on a canvas. In December 1993, he had his Carnegie Hall debut with the premiere of Burning, for orchestra, commissioned and performed by the New York Youth Symphony. In 1997, Burning, and Aria (for tape and cello), were broadcast live in the final round of the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation's Young Composers Competition. Burning was performed by the National Arts Center Orchestra under Mario Bernardi, and was awarded the National Arts Center People's Choice Award. His recent work, Outside the Box, premiered November 5th, 1998 at the Made in Canada Festival. It was performed by "New Music Concerts," conducted by Robert Aitken, and was broadcast live on CBC Radio. Slipping Image, for mixed quartet and tape, was recently chosen for the International Computer Music Association's 1998 CD. In April 1998, Shauna Rolston premiered Borderline, for tape and cello, a work she commissioned. Varah's recent awards include an orchestral commission from the Canada Council, commissions from the Fromm Foundation at Harvard, the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, and the Empyrean Ensemble. He also received 1995 and 1996 ASCAP Young Composer Awards, a fellowship to the Composers Conference at Wellesley College, a Canada Council Art Grant B, and Meet the Composer awards. He is currently a visiting scholar at Stanford University, and works as Director of Business Development for Sony Music.

Group Members Sean Varah, composer, and various performing artists.

Instruments Mac and PC running digital mixing and synthesis programs.

Press Reviews "His language is eclectic, tonally ambiguous, and mildly dissonant . . . and in 'Burning' he handled it with assurance." Allan Kozinn, New York Times. December 14, 1993 "I found (Aria, for cello and tape) engrossing, the best piece in its category." Richard Todd, Ottawa Citizen, January 10, 1997."Varah's composition has (an) intricately textured quality. Although it is atonal (it doesn't follow a key), it has themes and representations." Robert Mason Lee, Vancouver Sun, December 10, 1993.

Location San Francisco, CA - Canada

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