Atrium Display: Liftoff, A Series of Songbirds by Nicholas Kanozik
“It’s probable that in the artistic hierarchy, birds are the greatest musicians existing on our planet … Birds have extraordinary virtuosity no tenor or coloratura soprano could ever equal, for they possess a peculiar vocal organ, a “syrinx,” which allows them to perform rolls and very small intervals, and to sing extremely fast.
Composers on Music― Olivier Messiaen
Artist Statement
Liftoff presents birds in an environment of new music graphic scores. Within these works you will find quarter tone demarcations, spatially oriented content, irregular use of standard notations and lots of color. The work plays with abstraction in attempts to visually project the extraordinary singing abilities of birds; as the visual content becomes representational – from music scores to bird forms – musically, each work becomes more abstract – from traditionally notated melodies to spiraling assortments of symbols. Throughout, hue, value, contour, shape, texture and form all connect with musical elements. Look closely to witness a transmuting narrative depicting articulations into songbirds.
Artist Bio
Nick Kanozik is an educator, clarinetist, pianist, visual artist, conductor, and composer who Chairs the Instrumental Music Department at Oakland School for the Arts (OSA), a 6th – 12th grade arts charter school located within the historic Fox Theater building in downtown Oakland. He conducts the OSA Chamber Orchestra and teaches composition, chamber music, and music history.
Nick Kanozik graduated with a Bachelors and Masters of Music Composition at the University of North Texas and Mills College respectively. Among many exceptional teachers, he studied composition with Pauline Oliveros and Fred Frith, improvisation with Roscoe Mitchell founder of The Art Ensemble of Chicago, computer music and intermedia with Laetitia Sonami and David Bithell, orchestration with Guggenheim and Fulbright Scholar Dr. Cindy McTee, and book art with Julie Chen, president of the College Book Art Association.
He has been fortunate to perform in a variety of ensembles from symphony orchestras, classical and new music chamber groups, jazz combos, Indonesian gamelans, to electronic and dance collaborations. Notably, he’s conducted Gustavo Dudamel’s Youth Orchestra of Los Angeles, collaborated with Mason Bates for works premiered on Nick’s re-invented light organ, he worked directly with Pauline Oliveros for the premier of Tower Ring at Ann Hamilton’s double helical staircase, and come Sept 2018, he will make his conducting debut at Zellerbach Hall leading 190 musicians.
Kanozik’s compositions have been performed by the Eclipse String Quartet, the University of North Texas Chamber Orchestra, the OSA Chamber Orchestra, the Mills Contemporary Performance Ensemble, Gamelan X, and Roscoe Mitchell’s Improvisation Workshop.