Charles Amirkhanian Collection ➔ Conlon Nancarrow, sitting, and Trimpin, standing, during their preparations for a performance, Telluride CO., (1989)
Still image
Identifier
IM.CA.CC.1989a.002.002Dates
1989 | createdWork Type
Digital photographImage Class
Group PhotographsImage Series
Composer-to-Composer Festival:1989Description
Colon Nancarrow, sitting in a front seat of the Sheridan Opera House and looking up at Trimpin, who is standing on the stage working on one of his computer control interfaces. This photo was taken during their appearance at the 1989 Composer-to-Composer Festival in Telluride CO, for which Trimpin designed a computer controller interface to enable one of Conlon Nancarrow’s studies for player piano to be performed by mallets striking an arrangement of Dutch wooden shoes. The shoes can be seen hanging from the edge of the balcony. Trimpin is a sculptor and composer who builds his own electronically controlled acoustic instruments, often using materials recycled from junkyards. Trimpin is one of the most stimulating one-man forces in contemporary music. A specialist in interfacing computers with traditional acoustic instruments, he has developed a myriad of methods for playing trombones, cymbals, pianos, and other instruments from a computer. He has collaborated frequently with Conlon Nancarrow, realizing that composer's piano roll compositions through various media. Born in Germany, Trimpin now resides in Seattle where numerous instruments that defy description adorn his amazing studio. In describing his work, Trimpin sums it up as "extending the traditional boundaries of instruments and the sounds they're capable of producing by mechanically operating them. Although they're computer-driven, they're still real instruments making real sounds, but with another dimension added, that of spatial distribution. What I'm trying to do is go beyond human physical limitations to play instruments in such a way that no matter how complex the composition of the timing, it can be pushed over the limits."Genres & Subjects
Group portraits--1980-1990Men
Composers
Sculptors
Image Ownership
John Fago / Other MindsPhoto Credits
John FagoRelated Event
Composer-to-Composer Festival, 1989Related place
Telluride (Colo.) (was created at)Related Entities
Fago, JohnNancarrow, Conlon, 1912-1997
Trimpin, 1951-
Telluride Institute
Composer-to-Composer Festival