Pamela Z
composer/performer/media artist
[email protected]
www.pamelaz.com
(send email to obtain postal address and phone numbers)
Pamela Z has created a voluminous body of work spanning a broad range of disciplines and approaches including solo works for voice and electronics, large-scale inter-media performance works, chamber and choral works, fixed media sound and video works, and installations. These works have been presented in concert halls, theaters, and gallery exhibition spaces world-wide.
Education
Bachelor of Music (1978) in vocal music and education at the University of Colorado at Boulder, voice with John Paton
Selected Advanced Study:
2009
Moving Image Media Artist workshop at 3LD (New York)
2004
MAX MSP & Jitter at CNMAT (Berkeley, CA)
1999
Butoh with Kazuo OHNO and Yoshito OHNO (Yokohama)
Japanese language at Kanda Gaigo College (Tokyo)
Noh at Kita Ryu with Richard Emmert (Tokyo)
Languages Studied:
French, Japanese, Italian
Grants and Awards
2022
Foundation for Contemporary Arts Dorothea Tanning Award
San Francisco Girls Chorus Elizabeth Appling Arts Champion Award
The Eugene McDermott Award in the Arts at MIT
2021
San Francisco Art Commission SF Artist Grant for Simultaneous
ASCAP Plus Award
Third Coast International Audio Festival Richard H. Driehaus Foundation Award
2020
United States Artists Fellowship
American Academy of Arts and Letters: Walter Hinrichsen Award in Music
ASCAP Plus Award
2019
Rome Prize Fellow of the American Academy in Rome (2019/20 The Frederic A. Juilliard/Walter Damrosch Rome Prize)
ASCAP Plus Award
New Music USA composing commission for Presence for Stenberg/Cahill duo
New Music USA composing commission for Nadia Shpachenko’s Goat Project
2018
ASCAP Plus Award
2017
New Music USA for composing the score for Stephan Koplowitz’ Occupy for Axis Dance Company
2016
San Francisco Art Commission OPG Grant for Attention
SEAMUS (Society for Electro-Acoustic Music in the US) Lifetime Acheivement Award
ASCAP Plus Award
San Francisco Art Commission Individual Artist Commission Grant for Pascal’s Triangle
2015
Doris Duke Artist Impact Award
ASCAP Plus Award
Zellerbach Family Foundation for Memory Trace
2014
American Composers Forum McKnight Visiting Artist Fellowship
San Francisco Friends of Chamber Music, Musical Grant Program for recording Carbon Song Cycle
ASCAP Plus Award
CEC Artslink for collaboration with Turkish artist Nihan Devecioglu
CCI Investing In Artists for Memory Trace
2013
San Francisco Art Commission Individual Artist Commissioning Grant for Memory Trace
Wallace Alexander Gerbode for Span
ASCAP Plus Award
2012
MAP Fund for Carbon Song Cycle (with collaborator Christina McPhee)
ASCAP Plus Award
New Music USA’s Commissioning Music USA for Carbon Song Cycle
Creative Work Fund with Kronos Quartet for Kronos Commission
2011
United States Artists Projects, Crowd-funding for Baggage Allowance interactive web-based artwork
CCI Grant for improving recording studio
The Dale Djerassi Fellowship in recognition of a 2010 Djerrassi Artist Residency
LEF Foundation grant for for Baggage Allowance interactive web-based art work
ASCAP Plus Award
2010
San Francisco Art Commission for Memory Trace
Zellerbach Family Foundation support for the Room Series
ASCAP Plus Award
2009
MAP Fund for Baggage Allowance
ASCAP Plus Award
2008
University of Colorado Boulder, CO, College of Music Alumna of the Year
Creative Work Fund with BAVC, San Francisco, CA for Baggage Allowance
American Composer’s Forum Subito Grant for Baggage Allowance
Prixars Electronica, Linz Austria, Honorable Mention in Digital Musics Category
ASCAP Plus Award
2007
Zellerbach Family Foundation project and artist support
ASCAP Plus Award
2006
San Francisco Art Commission Individual Artist Grant for The Pendulum
ASCAP Plus Award
2005
NEA and Irvine Foundation Support for Wunderkabinet
ASCAP Plus Award
American Composer’s Forum Subito Grant for Metal/Vox/Water
2004
Guggenheim Fellowship
Zellerbach Family Foundation project and artist support
ASCAP Plus Award
2003
ASCAP Plus Award
2002
Creative Capital Grant for Voci
ASCAP Plus Award
San Francisco Art Commission Individual Artist Commission Grant
Zellerbach Family Foundation project and artist support
2001
Tryon/McColl Center for Visual Art (Charlotte, NC) Artist Fellowship
ASCAP Music Award
CAC Artist Residencies for SoundWork workshops at The LAB
2000-04
California Arts Council Touring Artists Initiative Grant
2000
ASCAP Music Award
1999
San Francisco Art Commission Individual Artist Commission
1998
CalArts Alpert Award in the Arts for Music
Japan-US Friendship Commission/NEA Fellowship (6 months in Tokyo)
San Francisco Bay Guardian “Goldie” Award
LEF Foundation Support for Parts of Speech
McKnight/American Composer’s Forum Visiting Composer Fellowship
1997
San Francisco Art Commission Individual Artist Commission Grant
1995
Minnesota (now American) Composer’s Forum grant for Correspondence at LACE
Xerox PARC PAIR (PARC Artist In Residence) program
1994-98
CAC Artist Residencies for SoundWork workshops at The LAB
1994
San Francisco Art Commission Individual Artist Commission Grant
1993-99
California Arts Council Touring Artists Initiative Grant
Meet the Composer Grants for appearances throughout the US
1992
New Langton Arts Artist Projects Grant to develop Parts of Speech
1991
Zellerbach Family Foundation project and artist support
LEF Foundation Support for Z Program V
Selected Performance History
Pamela Z’s solo performances and commissioned ensemble works have been presented at domestic and international concert venues and festivals including:
Alice Tully Hall (New York, NY) • Approximation Festival (Dusseldorf, Germany) • APOSITSIA Festival (St. Petersburg, Russia) • Ars Electronica (Linz, Austria) • The Art Institute of Chicago (Chicago, IL) • Auditorium Parco della Musica (Rome, Italy) • Bang On A Can Long Play Festival (Brooklyn, NY) • Berkeley Art Museum Pacific Film Archive (Berkeley, CA) • La Biennale di Venezia (Venice, Italy) • Brooklyn Academy of Music (Brooklyn, NY) • Center for New Music (SF, CA) • CNMAT (Berkeley, CA) • Constellation (Chicago, IL) • DAK’ART (Dakar, Senigal) • David Ireland House (SF, CA) • Davies Symphony Hall (San Francisco, CA) • Dock 11 (Berlin, Germany) • Dokkhusett (Trondheim, Norway) • Elbphilharmonie (Hamburg, Germany) • Experimental Sound Studio (Chicago, IL) • Fylkingen (Stockholm, Sweden) • Garden of Memory at Chapel of the Chimes (Oakland, CA) • Interlink Festival (Tokyo, Kyoto, Kobe, and Sapporo, Japan) • Issue Project Room (New York, NY) • Jardins de la Casa de la Misericòrdia (Barcelona, Spain) • The Juilliard School (NYC) • The Kitchen (New York, NY) • The Knitting Factory East (New York, NY) • The LAB (San Francisco, CA) • Lincoln Center David Rubenstein Atrium (New York, NY) • Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LA, CA) • MASS MoCA (North Adams, MA) • MAXXI Museum (Rome, Italy) • Melahuset (Oslo, Norway) • Merkin Hall (NY) • The MET Breuer (New York, NY) • MIAM Center for advanced Studies in Music (Istanbul Turkey) • MIT Media Lab (Cambridge MA) • MMR McGill University, (Montreal, QC) • Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina, Madrid, Spain • New Langton Arts, San Francisco, CA • Nief Norf Festival (Knoxville TN) • On the Boards (Seattle, WA) • Other Minds Festival (SF, CA) • Rewire Festival (The Hague, The Netherlands) • Roulette (New York, NY) • Sala Vanni (Florence, Italy) • San Francisco Arts Commission Gallery (SF, CA) • San Francisco Electronic Music Festival (SF) • San Francisco Symphony’s SoundBox (San Francisco, CA) • Savvy Contemporary (Berlin, Germany) • Sons d’Hiver Festival (Paris, France) • Steim (Amsterdam) • The Stone (NY) • St. Petersburg Museum of Fine Art (FL) • TimeSpans Festival, Dimenna Center (New York, NY) • Trafo House of Contemporary Arts (Budapest Hungary) • Vega Scene (Oslo, Norway) • Walt Disney Concert Hall (Los Angeles, CA) • Yerba Buena Center for the Arts (SF, CA) • Z Space @ Project Artaud (San Francisco, CA) • Zellerbach Playhouse (Berkeley, CA)
(For a complete archive of Pamela Z’s performance history, visit http://pamelaz.com/events)
Solo Exhibitions
2019
Savvy Contemporary: Solo exhibition of five installation works (May 2019)
TEKS Elektroniske Kunstsenters: Sonic Gestures (April 2019)
2013
Bowling Green State University Fine Art Galleries: Baggage Allowance
2012
Arc Gallery Project Space: Memory Trace
2010
Krannert Art Museum: Baggage Allowance
2009
Chico University Art Gallery: Parts of Speech
2007
Recombinant Media Labs: Sonic Gestures
Group Exhibitions
2021
TimeSpans Festival, EMPAC Wave Field Synthesis at the Dimenna Center, Sonant Topography (New York, NY)
2020
The American Academy in Rome :Sonora Spolia shown in the Cique Mostre exhibition (Rome, Italy)
2019
San Francisco Art Commission Gallery:Suitcase shown in the side by side/in the world exhibition (San Francisco, CA 2019)
2016
The Exploratorium: Suitcase shown in the “After Dark Extended Cinemas” exhibition (San
Francisco, CA 2016)
2014
SOMArts Gallery: La Reproduction Interdite and Suitcase (San Francisco, CA)
2012
McColl Center for Visual Art: Suitcase, Baggage Allowance (single-channel), and Fount
2006
Recombinant Media Labs: SFEMF exhibition Metal/Voice
2005
Tang Museum sound installation: Lift (Saratoga Springs, NY)
Hellenic Museum Art of Artist Statement exhibition Declaratives in the First Person (Chicago)
2004, 2003, 2002
The LAB Gallery Annual Art Auction sound works (San Francisco, CA)
2004
The Kitchen: New Sound New York Morrow Cube Sound Syrinx (New York)
La Biennale de l’art africain contemporain DAK’ART Just Dust (Dakar, Senigal)
The Design Center Sound Migrations Syrinx four-channel version (Los Angeles, CA)
2002
San Jose Museum of Art Parallels and Intersections: Art/Women/California Gallery screening of performance works, (San Jose, CA)
CCA Gallery CCA Fall Faculty Exhibition Geekspeak, 2-channel sound work (Oakland)
2001
List Visual Art Center, MIT Race in Digital Space Regular Verbs 2-channel sound installation (Cambridge, MA)
Whitney Museum of American Art Bitstreams Geekspeak (New York)
Tryon Center for Visual Art (now McColl), Resident Artists Exhibition gallery screening of performance works (Charlotte, NC)
2000
Whitney Museum of American Art I am sitting in a room Geekspeak (New York)
Erzbischöfliches Diözesanmuseum “Walkmen” Exhibition And on Your Left… (Cologne, Germany)
Works and Commissions
SELECTED SHORT WORKS FOR SOLO VOICE & ELECTRONICS
Other Rooms (2018), Quatre Couches (2015), Pool (from Memory Trace 2015), Breathing (from Carbon Song Cycle 2014), Unknown Person (from Baggage Allowance 2010), Flare Stains (2010), Sixteen Actions (2009), Broom (2008), Declaratives (2005), Syrinx (2005), Typewriter (2003), Gradual Quartet (2003), Birdvoice (2003), Metal/Vox/Water (2001), The MUNI Section (1995), Bone Music (1992), In Tymes of Olde (1991), Badagada (1988), In The Other World (1986), Pop Titles ‘You’ (1986), Pearls, The Gem of the Sea (1984), Echolocation (1984)
(For a complete list of solo voice & electronics works, visit http://pamelaz.com/works )
INTERMEDIA PERFORMANCE WORKS
2017
Correspondence Ring Theater, Wesleyan University, Middletown, CT
Pascal’s Triangle (co-created with Donald Swearengen, Royce Gallery, San Francisco, CA
2016
Memory Trace Yerba Buena Center for the Arts, San Francisco, CA workshopped on ROOM Series presents, Royce Gallery, San Francisco, CA, 2015
2015
Memory Trace ROOM Series presents, Royce Gallery, San Francisco, CA
Span with visual artist Carole Kim, Premiered Southside Theater, Fort Mason Center, San Francisco, CA
2013
Carbon Song Cycle New Music Bay Area, premiered Berkeley Art Museum/Pacific Film Archive, Berkeley, CA
2011
Memory Trace Performance version Premiered Montalvo Arts Center, Saratoga, CA
2010
Baggage Allowance Premiered Z Space @ Theater Artaud, San Francisco, CA
2007
The Pendulum solo intermedia performance work, premiered Third Coast International Audio Festival, Chicago, IL
2005
Wunderkabinet one-act intermedia chamber opera, co-composed with Matthew Brubeck, commissioned by The LAB, premiered at The LAB, San Francisco, CA (Co-composed with Matthew Brubeck with video by Christina McPhee)
2003
Voci solo intermedia performance work, premiered ODC Theater, San Francisco
2001
Gaijin interdisciplinary performance work for voice, electronics, video, and three butoh dancers, premiered Theater Artaud, San Francisco
1996
Mona Lisa Japan Interlink Festival, joint commission w/ Laetitia Sonami, Donald Swearingen, and Japanese video artists “Visual Brains” premiered Sogetsu Hall, Tokyo
1995
Parts of Speech intermedia performance work (voice & electronics and projected media), premiered Theater Artaud, San Francsico, CA
Correspondence The American Composer’s Forum joint commission with 77Hz. Premiered at LACE, Los Angeles, CA
CHAMBER WORKS
2022
Donna, sola, abbandonata in questo popoloso deserto for sinfonietta, commissioned by Bang On A Can and the Brooklyn Academy of Music, based on Ornette Coleman’s Lonely Woman.
Only If It’s Asked For for vibraphone and tape, commissioned by The Vibraphone Project (for the instrument’s centenary)
Quilt for mezzo soprano, string orchestra, percussion, and tape, commissioned by the San
Francisco Symphony and Julia Bullock (for the History’s Persistent Voice project)
2021
Ink commissioned by Volti for virtual chamber chorus, premiered 2020 (streaming)
Latency for percussion and piano, commissioned by Eighth Blackbird, premiered 2021, Mellennium Park, Chicago, IL
Sugar for solo piano and tape, commissioned by Sugar Vendil, premiered 2021, Met Museum Balcony Series, NY
Balòn for solo piano, voice & electronics, and tape, commissioned by Nadia Shpachenko, for her GOAT project
Silent H for chamber ensemble with solo flautist/vocalist, commissioned by LA Philharmonic for Nathalie Joachim, premiered January 2022 at Walt Disney Hall, LA
Gioia for string quartet and speaking voices, commissioned by Del Sol Quartet for their Joy Project
Summons for woodwind quintet and tape, commissioned by Yale University
2020
And and And for solo cello and tape, commissioned by Amanda Gookin, premiered 2020 Park Avenue Armory, New York, NY
2019
Ways of Looking Eighth Blackbird, premiered 2019 Disney Hall, Los Angeles, CA
Heiligenstadt Lament for chamber orchestra, commissioned by San Francisco Conservatory of Music, premiered 2019 SF, CA
The Unraveling for string quartet, voice, live processing, and tape, commissioned by Apollo
Chamber Players, premiered 2019 MATCH Houston, CA
Louder Warmer Denser for flute and tape, commissioned by Claire Chase for her “Density 2036″ project, premiered 2019 The Kitchen, New York, CA
2018
Pen Pal for treble chorus and tape, commissioned by San Francisco Girls Chorus, premiered 2018 Herbst Theater, SF, CA
2016
Attention for string quartet, fixed media, and mobile devices, commissioned by Del Sol Quartet, premiered 2016 The Exploratorium Kanbar Forum, San Francisco, CA
2014
17 Reasons Why commissioned by Paul Dresher Ensemble and Amy X Neuburg, premiered 2018, Zellerbach Hall, SF, CA
2012
And the Movement of the Tongue for string quartet and tape, commissioned by Kronos Quartet, premiered 2013 Yerba Buena Center for the Arts, San Francisco, CA
2008
Twenty Answers for chamber ensemble and magic 8-balls, commissioned Empyrean Ensemble, premiered UC Davis, CA
2005
Ethel Dreams of Temporal Disturbances for string quartet and tape, commissioned by Ethel quartet, premiered Krannert Arts Center, IL
2003
Four Movements for Cello & Delays for solo cello and live processing, commissioned by Orchestra of St. Luke’s, premiered DIA Center, NY
2001
Persistence for chamber ensemble with voice & electronics, commissioned by Left Coast Chamber Ensemble, premiered Yerba Buena Center, San Francisco, CA
1998
The Schmetterling Bang On A Can People’s Commissioning Fund, Premiered Knitting Factory, NY
Shifting Conditions in the Southland Commissioned by the California E.A.R. Unit, Premiered LACMA, Los Angeles, CA
Layers commissioned by Mrs. Ralph I. Dorfmann, co-composed w/ Lukas Ligeti. Premiered The LAB, San Francisco, CA
DANCE SCORES
2023
If I Give... Jo Kreiter, Flyaway Productions
2019
The Wait Room Jo Kreiter, Flyaway Productions, premiered 2019, San Francisco, CA
2017
Occupy Stephan Koplowitz and AXIS Dance, premiered 2017 Yerba Buena Center, San Francisco, CA
2014
Multiple Mary Invisible Jane Jo Kreiter, Flyaway Productions, premiered Hastings Law College wall, San Francisco, CA
2012
Fantasia upon a moment… Mary Armentrout Dance Theater, premiered at Z Space, San Francisco, CA
Reveries and Elegies Mary Armentrout Dance Theater, premiered at Milkbar, Oakland, CA
2011
Sympathetic Jo Kreiter, Flyaway Productions, premiered San Francisco, CA
2010
The Woman Invisible to Herself Mary Armentrout Dance Theater, premieredat Milkbar, Oakland, CA
2009
Waving Not Drowning Brenda Way, ODC Dance, premiered Yerba Buena Center for the Arts, San Francisco, CA
2008
The Ballad of PollyAnn Jo Kreiter, Flyaway Productions, premiered SomArts, San Francisco, CA
2003
How To Be A Citizen Jo Kreiter, Flyaway Productions, a dance work honoring 100 years of protest in San Francisco, Ferry Building Plaza, San Francisco, CA
2002
Mission Wall Dances Jo Kreiter, Flyaway Productions, three-storey mural wall at Harrison and Alameda Streets. San Francisco, CA
2001
The Economics of Place Jo Kreiter, Flyaway Productions, premiered 418 Project, Santa Cruz, CA
1999
Hashi (Bridge) Maureen Freehill Butoh, Sphere Mex, Tokyo
Copra Dock Dances Jo Kreiter. Flyaway Productions, Islais Creek crane, San Francisco, CA
1996
Batman, No Robin High Risk Group, premiered The LAB, San Francisco, CA
Hoist Jo Kreiter, Flyaway Productions, premiered Brady Street Theater, San Francisco, CA
The Quivering Mass Ann Bluethenthal and Dancers, premiered ODC Performance Gallery, San Francisco, CA
1992
Outdoors in Oakland Ellen Webb Dance Company, Downtown Oakland, CA
1990
Z Songs Gary Palmer Dance Company, Theater Artaud, San Francisco
FILM AND VIDEO SCORES
2019
The Wait Room Dance Film score commissioned by Jo Kreiter and Flyaway Productions
2012
Fat Chance Jeanne Finley & Mel Day
2005
Lover/Other Barbara Hammer
2002
Language Lessons Jeanne Finley + John Muse
1997
O Night Without Objects Jeanne Finley + John Muse
1995
Wind Water Wings Barbara Klutinas
Tender Fictions Barbara Hammer
1993
San Francisco Arts All Over the Map Searchlight Films
1984
Diese Jugen Elena-María Bey
SOUND AND INSTALLATION WORKS
2021
Sonant Topography Multi-channel sound work commissioned by EMPAC, premiered 2021,
TimeSpans, NY
Times3 Sound work commissioned by HERE Arts/Beth Morrison Projects (collaboration with Geoff Sobelle)
2020
Simultaneous Fixed media sound work commissioned by DeutschlandRadio, Berlin
Sonora Spolia Premiered at American Academy in Rome, Cinque Mostre exhibitio,n Rome Rome, Italy
2014
La Reproduction Premiered at SomArts Gallery, San Francisco, CA
Memory Palace
2012
Memory Trace Premiered at ARC Project Gallery, San Francisco, CA
Fount McColl Center for Visual Art, Charlotte NC and Developing Environments, SF, CA
2010
Baggage Allowance Premiered at Krannert Museum of Art, Champain, IL
2009
Parts of Speech (installation) University Art Museum, Chico, CA
2008
Timepiece Triptych Ars Electronica, Linz, Austria
2007
Sonic Gestures NexMap, premiered Recombinant Media Labs
2005
Lift The Tang Museum, sound installation for the Elevator Music Series
2004
Just Dust Dak’Art (Dakar Biennale), sound installation for the Maison des Esclaves, Gorée Island
Syrinx The Kitchen New York NY and Pacific Design Center Los Angeles CA
2000
Live/Work Surround Sound Work Commissioned by Starkland Recordings
1995
Parts of Speech (radio piece) New American Radio/ San Francisco Arts Commission
1989
Trying to Reach You New American Radio
Discography
2023
Claire Chase: Density 2036 Part VI: 2019 Pamela Z: Louder Warmer Denser, New Focus Recordings FCR350
2021
Pamela Z: Echolocation Vinyl reissue of 1988 solo album, Freedom to Spend LP FT$-024
Pamela Z: A Secret Code (solo album) Neuma, CD 143
Apollo Chamber Players: With Malice Toward None The Unraveling (Z) for string quartet, tape, voice & electronics, Azica CD ACD-71340
2016
A Tribute to Björk’s Homogenic Jóga (Björk) UnderCover Presents CD
Below The Radar 22 Declaratives in the First Person (Z) WIRE UK
2015
American Modern Ensemble: Mavericks Declaratives in the First Person (Z) American Modern Recordings CD
2013
Vijay Iyer and Mike Ladd: Holding It Down Pamela Z: voice & electronics, and co-composer on Cleaning Up the Mess and Been There Done That, Pi Recordings CD
2012
Monk Mix Scared Song (Monk), House Foundation for the Arts CD
2008
Crosstalk Declaratives in the First Person (Z), Bridge CD
Lisle Ellis: Sucker Punch Requiem Pamela Z: voice & electronics, Oliver Lake: saxophones, George Lewis: trombone, Holly Hoffman: flutes, Mike Wofford: piano, Susie Ibarra: drums & percussion, Lisle Ellis: bass, Hencforth Records CD 616892911227
2007
Vijay Iyer and Mike Ladd: Still Life with Commentator Pamela Z: voice & electronics, lead vocal and co-composer on Mess Hall and There is a Man Slouching…, Pi Recordings CD
2006
John Cage: Postcard From Heaven Victoria Jordanova: harps, Pamela Z: voices, Arpaviva CD 001
Ethel: Light Ethel Dreams of Temporal Disturbances (Z), Cantelope CD CA20137
2005
Deep Wireless 2 Pop Titles ‘You‘ (Z) New Adventures in Sound Art CD
2004
Pamela Z: A Delay is Better solo album, Starkland, CD ST-213
Peter Kowald: Global Village Trio Mvts I, II, & III (Kowald, Gottschalk, and Z), Free Elephant CD 001
2003
Visions No. 3 (Z), Emit Series, Emit Series, CD
2001
Bitstreams Sound works from the exhibition at the Whitney Museum of American Art, Geekspeak (Z) Whitney CD
Homo Sonorus 50 for Charles Amirkhanian (Z), Kunstradio CD
2000
Immersion Live/Work (Z), Starkland DVD-audio (5.1 surround) ST-2010
1998
Emergency Music Caught (Z), CRI CD 770
1997
Scott Rosenberg IE For Large Ensemble voices, Barely Auditable CD
1996
Sonic Circuits IV Geekspeak (Z), Innova CD 113
Dice 2 Parts (Z) and Questions (Trip) (Z), Isthar CD 002
State of the Union State (Z) Atavistic CD
1993
From A to Z In Tymes of Olde (Z), and Obsession, Addiction, and the Aristotelian Curve (Z and Imhoff) Starkland CD ST-203
Dice The Qube Chix: Bald Boyfriend (Z) Isthar CD 001
1992
State (Z) Arrest CD AR 003
1991
Komotion International Vol. 11 Pearls, the Gem of the Sea (Z) Spirit Records LP, CD, CS
1987
Echolocation solo album ZED, CS
Voice-Over / Narration
FILM
2021
Five Thoughts about Thirty Pieces Narration for a film about John Cage and Kronos Quartet (Sam Green)
2011
Kicking the Notes the Toradze Way Narration (Emmy-winning WNET Public Broadcast documentary)
2006
Spectropia Voice of talking gun (feature film by Toni Dove)
2004
Alive in Limbo Narration (feature documentary film by Erica Marcus and Hrabba Gunnarsdottir)
1999
The Weather Underground Narration (feature documentary by Sam Green)
O Night Without Objects On-screen narration (documentary film by Jeanne Finley + John Muse)
1998
The Adventures of Blacky Narration (film by Jeanne Finley + John Muse)
TELEVISION
2003-2006
Spark! Series Narration (Weekly Arts Series on KQED TV, San Francisco)
1995-1996
San Francisco Arts: All Over the Map Narration (SF Art Commission/Hotel Tax Fund-sponsored tourist promo spots, San Francisco)
MISCELLANEOUS NARRATION
Contemporary Art Center of Virginia Narration for Magna Carta exhibition audio tour (Antenna Audio)
Eragon (video game) Vocal during dragon fight (Stormfront Audio)
Adobe Evolve Narration for Adobe software promo (eMotion Studios)
Adobe Youth Voices Narration for Adobe youth program promo (eMotion Studios)
Getty Museum Tours Narration for painting exhibition (Antenna Audio)
Sonoma County Wine Country Narration for Wine Country tour (Antenna Audio)
Steelcase Office furniture promotion (eMotion Studios)
HWB Hard Drives Narration for hard drive promotion (eMotion Studios)
Residencies
2023
MIT Visiting Artist Residency (in connection with the McDermott Award in the Arts)
2019-2020
The American Academy in Rome (Rome Prize Fellowship) Rome, Italy
2015
The American Composer’s Forum McKnight Visiting Composer Fellowship for a 2015 two-month residency in the Twin Cities
2012
McColl Center for Visual Art, three-month artist residency
2011
Montalvo Artist Center Lucas Artists Program two-month composer residency
2010
Djerassi Resident Artist Program, Woodside, CA, one-month composer residency
2001
Tryon (now McColl) Center for Visual Art for three-month artist residency
Harvestworks (NY) residency for recording and developing interactive performance technlology
2000
Dartmouth College, Visiting Artist Residency, Hanover, NH
California Arts Council Artist In Residence Program for 2000-2001 SoundWORK Workshops
1998
Japan-US Friendship Commission/NEA Fellowship for a 1999 six month residency in Tokyo
1997
The American Composer’s Forum McKnight Visiting Composer Fellowship for a 1998 two-month
residency in the Twin Cities
1994 – 1996
California Arts Council Artist in Residency Grant for Sound and Performance Workshops at The LAB
1994
Xerox PARC for PAIR (PARC Artist In Residence) Program, Palo Alto, CA
1993
Yellow Springs Institute, Chester Spgs. PA for a two-week artist residency with The Qube Chix
University of Nebraska, Omaha for The Qube Chix performance residency to develop Circle of Bone
1992
Yellow Springs Institute, Chester Springs, PA for a solo artist residency
1989
The Exploratorium Artist in Residency Program for the development of Pamela Z Plays the Exploratorium, Literally
Teaching Experience
COLLEGE COURSES AND SEMINARS
2013
San Francisco Art Institute, 3rd Street Campus, San Fransisco, CA: SoundWORK
2008
Centre College, Danville, KY “CentreTerm” visiting artist seminar in alternative composition techniques
2002
California College of the Arts, Oakland, CA, graduate fine arts seminar Sound, Performance, and Alternative Composition
San Francisco State University Department of Conceptual and Information Arts: Edge City sound, performance, and alternative composition course
2001
San Francisco State University Art Department, Experimental Music undergraduate seminar
1997-1998
San Francisco State University Multimedia Studies Department, Sound Art and Audio Production
1997
San Francisco State University Department of Conceptual and Information Arts, Sound,
Performance, and Alternative Composition
1993
California College of the Arts (CCA), Oakland, CA: The Extended Performer graduate seminar
WORKSHOPS
2012
Pamela Z Arts, San Francisco, CA SoundWork eight-week sound, performance, and alternative composition workshop
2009
Evergreen Valley College, San Jose, CA sound workshop for students and local residents
2008
Royce Gallery, San Francisco, SoundWork eight-week sound, performance, and alternative composition workshop
Intersection for the Arts, San Francisco, CA, SoundWork four-week sound, performance, and alternative composition workshop
2006
Das Arts, Amsterdam, The Netherlands, one-week visiting artist residency in collaboration with Vijay Iyer, Mike Ladd, and Ibrahim Qureshi
2001
Oroville State Theater, Oroville, CA, sound, performance, and alternative composition workshop
2000
McCallum Theater, Palm Desert, CA, sound workshop for students and local residents
1998
Interact Center, Minneapolis, MN, SoundWork eight-week sound, performance, and alternative composition workshop
1994-2008
Compasspoint Non-Profit Services, San Francisco, CA, technology workshops
1994-2002
Media Alliance, San Francisco, technology workshops
1994-2001
The LAB Gallery (through a CAC residency), San Francisco, multiple SoundWork eight-week sound, performance, and alternative composition workshops
1994
The Exploratorium, San Francisco: interactive sound workshops (participants of all ages)
1993 & 1996
Mountain View School System, Mountain View, CA: Music in Action performance/workshops in elementary schools
1993
The Clayton School, Denver, CO: vocal workshop with grammar school students in the “Visiting Artist” program
1991
MacAteer Performing Arts High School, San Francisco: workshop in alternative composition techniques
PUBLIC SCHOOLS
1980-1981
Denver Public Schools, Denver, CO: full-time Music Teacher (K-6)
1979-1980
Denver Public Schools, Boulder Valley School District, Jefferson County Schools (CO), substitute teaching, all subjects, K-12
GUEST LECTURES AND PANELS
2015
School of Visual Art, New York, Guest Lecture
NYU Music Department, New York, NY: visiting artist lecture
Pratt College, Brooklyn, New York, Guest Lecture
2014
School of Visual Art, New York, Guest Lecture
Pratt College, Brooklyn, New York, Guest Lecture
NYU Music Department, New York, Guest Lecture
2013
School of Visual Art, New York, Guest Lecture
2012
School of Visual Art, New York, Guest Lecture
NYU Music Department, New York, Guest Lecture
2011
School of Visual Art, New York, Guest Lecture
Pratt College, Brooklyn, New York, Guest Lecture
2010
CNMAT, Berkeley, CA: lecture in conjunction with the VoxTAP (Voice in Theory, Art, and Practice) working group
Pratt College, Brooklyn, New York, Guest Lecture
California Institute of the Arts (CALARTS): lecture in HyperOpera class
University of California, Irvine CA: lecture as part of the Gassmann Electronic Music Series
Cal State Long Beach, CA: lecture on multimedia performance and sound art
Orange County High School of the Arts, Santa Ana, CA: lecture for music students
California Institute of Integral Studios, San Francisco: lecture/demonstration
Mission Bay Conference Center at UCSF in San Francisco, CA: lecture on personalized use of MaxMSP in performance, Cycling 74’s Expo74
2009
University of Washington, Seattle, WA: lecture as part of the “Writing for their Lives” program
UCSC, Santa Cruz, CA: panel on Electronic Media and Diversity as part of ISIM Fourth Annual Conference
California State University Long Beach, CA: “Architecture of Sound” panel on the future of sound and emergent technology in design
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, NY: guest lecture for Pauline Oliveros’ Deep Listening class
California State University Chico, CA: lecture on sound and performance
Evergreen Valley College, San Jose, CA, lecture at ARTiculate Global Arts Festival
Mission Bay Conference Center at UCSF San Francisco, CA, lecture-demo as part of Cycling 74’s Expo74 at USA
2008
University of Colorado, Boulder, College of Music: commencement address
2007
Princeton University, Princeton, NJ Composition Colloquium Series
21 Grand Gallery, Oakland, CA: panel “This Music Defies Categorization”
Earlham College Carpenter Hall, Richmond, Indiana Artist and Lecture Series at Goddard Auditorium: lecture
2004
Lecture-demo, Brooklyn College Composers’ Forum and the Center for Computer Music Seminars at Brooklyn College Conservatory of Music – CUNY, Brooklyn, NY
Performance/Demonstration using MAX MSP and ProTools software in the auditorium at the SOHO Apple Store, NYC
Lecture-Demo, Chelsea Art Museum, New York. (ELECTRONIC MUSIC FOUNDATION’s Arts Electric Introductions Series)
Lecture/Demonstration at Powering Up/Powering Down, Center for Research in Computing and the Arts (CRCA), San Diego, CA
2003
Artist talk with Salah Hassan, Cheryl Finley, and Maria Magdalena Campos-Pons, the American Center Auditorium, Dakar, Senégal
2002
Panel discussion, Bay Area Women’s Symposium, San Francisco Performing Arts Library & Museum in San Francisco, CA
2001
Oberlin Conservatory, Oberlin, OH, Digital Media and Sound Art (lectures and individual student mentoring)
Talk as part of the Art and Technology Festival, The Juilliard School , New York, NY
Lecture/Demo, San Francisco State University Art Department, San Francisco, CA
Lecture/Demo, Charles Boone’s Sound Art class, The San Francisco Art Institute, San Francisco, CA
Presentation at Human Voice/Computer Vox Conference, Banff New Media Institute, Alberta, Canada
Lecture/Demo, The Juilliard School, New York, NY
2000
Shared Talk with Akio Suzuki, SoundCulture ’99, Auckland Art Gallery Auditorium, Auckland, New Zealand
Panel presented by BurningArt, CellSpace, San Francisco
1999
Lecture/demo (with Japanese Translation by Christopher Blasdel), International House, Tokyo
1998
California Institute of the Arts (CalArts), Valencia, CA, visiting guest lecturer and individual student mentoring
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Books
Robert Raines Composition in the Digital World “Pamela Z” ISBN 978-0-19-935703-1, Oxford University Press, New York, NY, pages 306-316, 2015
Renate da Rin and Willima Parker Giving Birth to Sound: Women in Creative Music Buddy’s Knife, Berlin, Germany. ISBN 978-3-00-0049279-2
Jennifer Kelly In Her Own Words: Converstions with Composers in the United States University of Illinois Press, Urbana, Chicago, and Springfield. ISBN 978-0-252-03759-7. pp. 210–227.
Charles Hiroshi Garret, ed The Grove Dictionary of American Music (Pamela Z). Oxford University Press. ISBN 9780195314281.
Tara Rodgers Pink Noises: Women on Electronic Music and Sound Pamela Z, Language, Machines, Embodiment Duke University Press Books, ISBN 0822346737.
Cathy Lane Playing with Words, The spoken word in artistic practice “Pamela Z interview” ISBN 978 0 955 8273 3 4 CRISAP, RGAP Distributed in the U.K. and Europe by Cornerhouse Publications, pages 34-36, 2008
David Rothenberg Why Birds Sing Basic Books. ISBN 0-465-07135-X. pp. 203–204
Herman S. Gray Cultural Moves: African Americans and the Politics of Representation American Crossroads, ISBN-10: 0520241444, 2004
Pamela Z Women in New Media “A Tool is Tool”, edited by Judy Malloy, MIT Press, Cambridge MA/London England, 2003
Dmitry Bulatov Homo Sonorus “Pamela Z, USA”, An International Anthology of Sound Poetry, The National Center for Contemporary Art (Kaliningrad Branch, Russia) 2001
Michael Black, David Levy, and Pamela Z Art and Innovation “Artscience Sciencart”, edited by Craig Harris, The MIT Press, Cambridge, MA/London, England, page 210-247, 1999
Irene Borger The Force of Curiousity “Pamela Z Interview: June 28, 1998”, Published by California Institute of the Arts and the Alpert Award, page 299-323, 1999
Kyle Gann American Music in the Twentieth Century “Pamela Z”, ISBN-10: 002864655X, Schirmer Books, page 383, 1997
JOURNALS
George Lewis The Virtual Discourses of Pamela Z Journal of the Society for American Music Cambridge University Press, Cambridge MA, Volume 1, Number 1, pages 57-77, February 2007
Francis-Marie Uitti Pamela Z Contemporary Music Review: IMPROVISATION Routledge (Taylor & Francis), Edinburgh, pages 587-589, Vol. 25, Nos 5/6, October/December 2006
Stephen Wilson Gesture: Pamela Z Information Arts: Intersections of Art, Science, and Technology The MIT Press, Cambridge MA/ London, England, pages 745-746, 2002, 1st edition November 30, 2001
Tom Sellar Parts of Speech, Pamela Z interviewed Theater Volume 30, Number 2, page 59, Spring 2000
MAGAZINES
George Lewis Pamela Z, Baggage Allowance ART FORUM December 2014
Brian Morton Pamela Z, A Delay is Better The Wire May 2005
Alicia Zuckermaan Pamela Z New York Magazine November 1, 2004
Pamela Z: Voci The New Yorker November 1, 2004
Pamela Z Audible Image/Visible Sound: Donald Swearingen’s Living Off The List 21st Century Music Vol 8, No. 1, January 2001
Kathy Kennedy A few facets of Pamela Z Musicworks Number 76, page 5, Spring 2000
Pamela Z Talking Music at Davies Hall: American Mavericks/Maveric Icons 21st Century Music Vol. 7 No. 8, August 2000
Julainne Sumich Sound Culture ’99 Footnotes in Folie FX and Eliptical Fields Art New Zealand Number 91, Winter 1999
John Weber, Curator of Education & Public Programs SFMOMA Witness Pamela Z WEST a publication of the San Francisco Art Institute, page 9, Winter 1996/97
Bean Tech Electronic Musician (article on Pamela Z’s use of interactive controllers), September 1997
Charles Boone 3 Vanguard Composers in San Francisco P Form #33, page 21, Fall 1994
David Morgenstern Mac Performance Art MicroTimes June 28, 1993
Pamela Z Brian Eno: Ambiguity, Yams, & Ju-Ju Spacejazz Mondo 2000 Issue No. 4, pages 114-119, 1991
Jas Morgan & Sarah Drew Pamela Z Mondo 2000 Issue No. 4, page 98, 1991
Regina Joseph Pamela Z Ear Magazine Volume 14 Number 9, 1989
PROFESSIONAL ASSOCIATIONS
2023
Inducted into the American Academy of Arts and Letters
2009-2016
Harvestworks Digital Media Center, Board
2006-Present
Pamela Z Arts ROOM Series, Presenter, Curator, Producer
2003-2009
American Music Center, Board Member
2000-2002
Theater Artaud, Board Member
1999-Present
San Francisco Electronic Music Festival , Co-Founder (1999), Steering Committee/Curatorial
Committee (1999-Present)
1997-Present
ASCAP, Member
1997-2003
The LAB Gallery, Board Member
1996-1999
Djerassi Resident Artist Program, Board Member
1987-Present
Pamela Z Arts: Z Programs, Presenter, Curator, Producer