Brian Riordan
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Educator

As an avid educator, I believe in giving back and informing other about all that I have been fortunate enough to learn. I am currently an adjunct professor at The University of Pittsburgh, and at Community College of Allegheny County.
In addition to teaching in an academic setting. I have been teaching privately since 2000. Private lessons include instruction in a variety of topics and instruments such as hand percussion, drum set, piano, guitar, electronic music, music theory and composition. I am willing to teach anyone what I have learned as well as helping students learn their own musical interests. 

Email here if you are interested in taking lessons 

Partial CV listed below: 

Education 
University of Pittsburgh
2016–present  PhD in progress (ABD)
2013-2015       M.A. Composition and Theory
M.A. Thesis: Laniakea for Pipa, Horn in F, Double Bass, Piano, and Laptop: Some Considerations and Analysis
Composition Instructors: Eric Moe, Amy Williams, Mathew Rosenblum
 
North Central College
B.A. Music, 2012
Instructors: Jonathon Kirk, Dmitri Yanov-Yanovsky, David Grant 

Further Studies/Masterclasses With 

Christian Wolfe, George Lewis, Martin Bresnik, Joel Ryan, Eve Beglarian, Roger Dannenberg, Ken Ueno, Nils Vigeland, Annie Gosfield, Sam Pluta, Joo Won Park, Per Bloland, Kate Soper, Elainie Lillios, Katharina Rosenberger, Christopher Biggs, Jason Eckardt, Nicholas Vines, Huang Ruo, Robert Morris, Juraj Kojs, Marcos Balter, Vinko Globokar, Dan Trueman, Sean Shepherd, Laura Kaminsky, Martin Boykan, James Mobberley 

Commissions and Selected Performances:
Spring, 2019     For cello and electronics. Commissioned by Steve Marotto. Boston, MA.  
Winter 2019     For flute, clarinet, and electronics. Commissioned by Untwelve. Chicago, IL. 
06-22-2018      Recorded Ruins. Commissioned by Stephen Drury and The Callithumpian Consort. Boston, MA. 

06-15-2018       Suburban Camouflage, ​Performed by Brian Riordan and NMOP Ensemble. Leicester, VT.
11-30-2017,     Fleeting of The Spirits​. Commissioned by Aaron Meyers-Brooks. Brillo Box, Pittsburgh, PA. 
11-19-2017     Improvisation, ​Performed by Chuck Furlong and Brian Riordan. NYC, New York. 
10-05-2018     Connector IV, performed by Brian Riordan, The Lopsided Quartet, Albert Manders, and Ada Rave. STEIM, Amsterdam, NL.

07-11-2017      While the Earth Is Still Turning, for piano and electronics. Commissioned by Sonya Belaya. Hotel Oasi Neumann, Cortona                                    Sessions, Cortona, IT. Also performed: 06-27-2017 Splendor, Amsterdam, NL. SPLICE Festival 2018, Kalamazoo, MI. 
06-12-2017     Turtles All The Way Up. Performed by John Pickford Richards, Brian Riordan and NMOP ensemble. Leicester, VT. 
04-04-2017     The First Wave, for ensemble and electronics. Commissioned by Pitt Department of Physics and Astronomy. Pittsburgh, PA.
03-17-2017     They Were Playing Spy Music At The Airport. Commissioned by Keith Kirchoff. Pittsburgh, PA.
03-10-2017     куда. Commissioned by Sonya Belaya. Baton Rouge, LA.
01-13-2017     Wingdings, for ensemble. Commissioned by Wolftrap. Pittsburgh, PA.  
12-01-2016     Void, for ensemble and electronics. Commissioned by Kamraton. Pittsburgh, PA.
07-02-2016     Aphantasia, for flute and electronics. Performed by Anne Daley. Kalamazoo, MI.
06-24-2016     K. for bass clarinet, violin, viola, and piano. Performed by SICPP Ensemble.
                        Boston, MA.
06-18-2016     Tetrachromacy, for flute, tenor sax, violin, and cello. Performed by NMOP
                        Ensemble with Kevin MacFarland. Salisbury, VT.
04-10-2016      Better Living Through Electricity, for bass clarinet and electronics. Commissioned
                        by Chuck Furlong. Pittsburgh, PA.
04-02-2016     The Moon Is Drifting Away From The Earth, Don’t Think About It, for flute, clarinet, violin, viola, and cello. Performed by                                     Ensemble Linea. Pittsburgh, PA.
01-21-2016     Atonia, for brass quartet. Performed by OvreArts. Pittsburgh, PA.
06-17-2015     Slow Danger, for flute, tenor sax, and viola. Performed by Wet Ink Ensemble.
                        Dublin, NH.


Residencies and Fellowships:
August 2017 – August 2018   Andrew Mellon Predoctoral Fellowship. Pittsburgh, PA. 
June 2018                        SICPP 
(Summer Institute for Contemporary Performance Practice) Commission, Presenter. 
​June 2015 - 2018             New Music On The Point. Lake Dunmore, VT.

                                      Technical Director/Composition Participant
April 2018                       SEAMUS (Declension)
Mach 2018, 2019                      MOXsonic (Missouri Experimental Sonic Arts) Warrensburg, MO. (Declension for 2019)
January 2018                   SPLICE  Festival(The Summer Institute for Performance, Listening, Interpretation, and

                                      Creation of Electroacoustic Music). Kalamazoo, MI.
Fall 2017                         STEIM Artist/research residency. Amsterdam, NL. 
​July, 2017                        Cortona Sessions, Cortona, Italy. (Declension)

June, 2017                      VIPA, Valencia, Spain. (Declension)
Spring, 2017                    Pitt Department of Physics and Astronomy Artist in Residence Program
March, 2017                    NSEME (National Student Electronic Music Event) Louisiana State University.
                                      Composition Fellow/Performer.
June, 2016                      SICPP, Boston, MA.
                                      Composition Fellow.
July, 2016                       SPLICE. Kalamazoo, MI.
                                      Technology and Stage Assistant/Composition Participant.
June 2015, 2016              Walden Creative Musicians Retreat. Dublin, NH. 
                                      Composition Fellow
                                      (Declension for 2016)
 
Presentations/Invited Talks:
Spring. 2019    Storage Medium as Instrument in Real-Time Performance, North Central
                        College, Naperville, IL.
12-04-2018     
Demystifying Max for Live, an introductory workshop in Max/MSP in the Ableton environment. Duquesne University. 
04-11-2018     Introduction to Max/MSP, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA.
June, 2018      Max/MSP tutorial and workshop, New Music On The Point, Leicester, VT. 

04-12-2017     Introduction to Max/MSP, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA.
11-18-2016     
Aspects of Sound Manipulation in Electro-Acoustic Music, College of Dupage, Glen Ellyn, IL.
04-13-2016     Introduction to Max/MSP, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA.
03-16-2015     John Zorn: Currator and Advocate for A Rootless Avant Garde, University of
                        Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA.     
05-13-2012     The 64 Button Grid: Expressive Strategies for Gestural Control in Real-
                     Time Electronic Music, North Central College, Naperville, IL.
​
Work/Teaching Experience:

​2018-Present  University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA. Adjunct
                    Music of The Beatles
                    Programming Environments in Music: An Introduction to Max/MSP
2018-Present  
Community College of Allegheny County, Pittsburgh, PA. Adjunct.
                     Audio Recording 2
                     Introduction to Music Technology
                     Electronic and Computer Music

2017-Present  "How Things Are Made": Co-director, performer, technical director, commissioner of new music ensemble. 
2016-2018      “C:ompiler”: Co-director of new music concert series
2017                Pitt Music Graduate Student Conference: Jury Member
2012-2017      University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA.
2015-2017      Teaching Fellow
                                    Music Theory I, II, III, and IV
                                    Electronic and Computer Music
                                    Basic Musicianship/Class Piano
2014-2015       Graduate Student Assistant
2015                “Beyond Microtonal Festival” Pittsburgh, PA: Technical Assistant
2013 – 2014    Teaching Assistant
                                    Basic Musicianship/Class Piano
                                    Electronic Music Studio Assistant
2000-present Private Music Studio: Percussion, Piano, Guitar, Music Theory, Electronic Music,
Production
 
Honors and Awards:

2019                andPlay's call for scores with Alia Musica, Winner 
2018​                Untwelve 2018 Microtonal Composition Competition, First Prize 

2017                Nat 28’s Call for Scores
​2017                Andrew Mellon Pre-Doctoral Fellowship

2016                Nat 28’s Call for Scores
2016                Dead Elf Music Award
2015, 2016      Dietrich A&S Summer Fellowship 2016
2015-present    Dietrich A&S Teaching Fellowship
2014-2015       Dietrich A&S Grad Student Assistant
2014-2015       Paul J. Baum Scholarship (Pittsburgh Foundation)
2013-2014       Dietrich A&S Teaching Assistant
2011-2012       Clarence Juhnke Scholarship
2010-2012       NCC Jazz Studies Scholarship
2010-2011       NCC Band Scholarship
2009                NCC Transfer Academic Scholarship


Featured in North Central Now Magazine as an example of student learning in the twenty first century 
Studied Afro-Cuban percussion at La Escuela Nacional de Artes in Havana, Cuba. Summer 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002 
  • Instructors: Roberto Vizcaino, José Eladio, Emilio Vega, Alejandro Carvajal Guerra, Don Skoog
Studied Afro-Cuban percussion with The Contemporary Music Project Cuba in Mexico Program Summer 2007, 2008, 2009 
  • Instructors: Roberto Vizcaino, Michael Spiro, Laurentino Galan, Don Skoog 
Studied Afro-Cuban percussion with The Contemporary Music Project Cuba in Chicago Program Summer 2011 
  • Instructors: Roberto Vizcaino, Michael Spiro, Jesus Diaz, Don Skoog 
Apprenticeship in Tunisian, North African, and Arabic Music. Summer 2002 – Summer 2004. 
  • Instructor: Najib Bahri
Apprenticeship in Hindustani Music. Summer 2004 – Summer 2006. 
  • Instructor: Clar Monaco






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