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history

 
Timeline
1973 Scratching The Surface - play
1974 Anthropophagoi -music theater piece written with Rehberger
Percussion, Electronics And Mouth - five short pieces for THE DUBIOUS MUSIC ENSEMBLE
1976 What Actually Happened - music theater piece written with John Rehberger
Ballet Continuo - theater piece
1977 Shivering Tongue Fingers Air -solo music theater piece
14 songs - for THEORETICAL GIRLS
1978 Cognitive Dissonance - theater piece
20 songs - for THE STATIC
Inspirez Expirez - extended instrumental for THE STATIC
1979 Ernest Kitzler, 1964-1977 - solo gallery exhibition
The Whole Field - performance piece written with Barbara Ess
(Instrumental) For Six Guitars - GBE
The Spectacular Commodity - dance score GBE
Dissonance - GBE
Lesson No. I (For Electric Guitar) - GBE
1980 (Instrumental) For Six Guitars - expanded version in 3 parts GBE
The Ascension - GBE
Music for a film by Dan Graham - GBE
Light Field - GBE
1981 Lesson No. 2 - GBE
Mambo Diabolique - one section is also the piece "Structure" GBE
Symphony No. 1 (Tonal Plexus) - in four movements GBE
Indeterminate Activity Of Resultant Masses - GBE
1982 harmonics guitar - instrument
Music for Bad Smells - dance score - GBE
Symphony No. 2 (The Peak Of The Sacred) - in five movements - GBE
1983 Symphony No. 3 (Gloria) - in one movement - GBE
Acoustic Phenomena - music performance collaboration w/Dan Graham - GBE
Symphony No. 4 (Physics) - in four movements - GBE
1984 Symphony No. 5 (Describing Planes Of An Expanding Hypersphere) - 7 movements - GBE
1985 Classical Space (Forms Of Infinite Regress Within A Finite Field) - solo gallery exhibition of 22 drawings derived from the harmonic series
1986 Chords - GBE
Music for the Murabushi Company (Ascent) - GBE
Scene for In Passions Tongue - opera fragment for string orchestra Hollywood Pentagon - GBE
Music for Edmond - theater score - GBE
Music for The Belly Of An Architect - film score for string orchestra
1987 Symphony No. 6 (Angel Choirs At The Gates Of Hell) - in four movements - GBE
1988 Symphony No. 6 (Devil Choirs At The Gates Of Heaven) - revised, in five movements - GBE
1989 Freeform - for orchestra
Shivering Air - for orchestra
Harmonic Series Chords - for orchestra
Bestiariam - for chorus
Symphony No. 7 (Graz) - in three movements for orchestra
1990 The World Upside Down - ballet score in seven movements for orchestra
Vacation Overture - for orchestra
1991 String Quartet No.1
Les Honneurs Du Pied - dance score in two movements for orchestra
1992 Symphony No. 8 (The Mystery) - in two movements - GBE
The Tower Opera - for orchestra and chorus
1993 Symphony No. 9 (L'Eve Future) - in one movement for orchestra and chorus
1994 Symphony No. 10 (The Mystery Pt. 2) - in two movements - GBE
1997 "Movement Within" (for Harmonic Series Instruments) - GBE
1998 Symphony No. 11 (The Netherlands) Die Gegenfeld Part I (In one movement for chorus and orchestra)
Symphony No. 12 (Tonal Sexus) in one movement for guitars and drums - GBE
2000 The American premiere of Symphony #12 (Tonal Sexus) with a 10 guitar ensemble at the Anchorage in Brooklyn sponsored by Creative Time.
Regina Bloor and Glenn did a collaboration with David Bowie and Tony Oursler called "Empty Blue" for "In Between" at Das Kunstprojekt Der Expo 2000, Hannover, Germany. A CD of a different version of this piece was included as part of the catalog.
CD release of "Movement Within" performed by the Bang on a Can All Stars. Commissioned by the Bang on a Can Festival and performed on Harmonic series instruments.
Release of "My Relationship" on Museum of Modern Art CD "Open Ends" compilation.
2001 Glenn wrote the music for a dance/theater piece called "Portrait of Shunkin" for The Big Dance Theater directed by Annie B. Parsons. It premiered at The Kitchen and Mass MOCA and was commissioned by the Cary Trust.
In London "The Trio" (with Glenn and Reg Bloor and Virgil Moorefield) was performed at the Royal Festival Hall on a program with Sonic Youth.
On June 13th Glenn performed the world premiere of "Symphony #13 (Hallucination City)"for 100 guitars produced by the Lower Manhattan Cultural Council as part of "EveningStars" at the former World Trade Center, originally commissioned by The Mission for the Year 2000, Paris. Glenn said "The piece was a resounding success and we got a standing ovation. At least that's what I'm told. I didn't notice."
In Los Angeles Reg Bloor and Glenn performed a "duo" as part of The Sound Series at Schindler House for Society for the Activation of Social Space Through Art and Sound.
2002 Music for a Dutch movie called "First Kill" directed by Coco Schrijber.
Reg Bloor and Glenn did music for the Paramount Pictures film "The Mothman Prophecies" starring Richard Gere.
A commission for "MTV Labs" : "In Perpetuity". A piece written for 30 employees/musicians of the Viacom Networks "MTV Networks Guitar Army" including the esteemed Kurt Loder. A DVD of this performance has been released by MTV Labs.
Release of Theoretical Girls CD on Acute Records.
2003 Upcoming re-release of "The Ascension" (including some previously unreleased video footage) on Acute Records.
A revival of the dance piece "Pigs and Fishes" by the Elisa Monte Company at the Joyce Theater featuring "Lesson No. 1 (For Electric Guitar)" originally produced by the Alvin Ailey Company in 1983.
Upcoming performance of the Glenn Branca Quartet at the I.D.E.A.L. Festival in Nantes, France.


Hallucination City: Symphony for 100 Guitars
Performed June 13, 2001 in New York City:

Featured musicians:
BASS 1- Dave Reid, Julie Hair, Thierry Amar, Lloyd Mair, Danny Tunick, Greg Villepique, Adam Caine.
BASS 2-Virgil Moorefield, Jeff Ostrinsky, Tae Hong Park, James Weisbin, Douglas Wolk, Hugh Haggerty, Michael Lattis, Norm Veenstra, Mason Wendell, Michael Berk.
ALTO 4-Eric Hubel, Theodora Michaels, Gordon Minette, Brendan Wood, Kathy Desmond, Michael Mills, Jonah Rapino, Ty Citerman, John Kapp, Craig Colorusso
ALTO 3-Steve Antonelli, Kevin Michaels, Jim Koeppel, Dan Friel, Shahzad Ismaily, Bill Bruvold, Chris Karnowski, Goerdie Grindle, Jim Williamson. Douglas Wolf.
ALTO 2-Carolyn Master, Brian Vargas, John Ruis, Benoir, Tim Nylander, Greg McMullen, Mark Maloof, David Seidel, Jodi Shapiro, Todd Colburn, Tyondi Braxton.
ALTO 1-John Myers, Andy Luck, Jim McGlinnen, Skinny John McDermott, Sandra Seymour, April Salazar, Jeff Newman, Nicholas Marantz, Joel Reston, Josh Goldman.
TENOR 3-Phil Kline, Megan Wendell, Joseph Fogarazzo, Greg Hoy, Kelsey Warren, Scott Collins, Alexander Rostopchin, Dan Coates, Jason Young, John Neilson, Dave Nadal.
TENOR 2-Evans Wolforth, David Bryant, Efrim Menuck, Matthew Hageman, Joshua Hilson, Seth Diamond, Jonathan Carson, John Dylan Keith, Eric Neher, James Ruchala.
TENOR 1-Reg Bloor, Ellen Watkins, Tor Snyder, Sundar Subramanian, Devon Goldberg, Bob Bannister, James Bray, Jim Santo.
DRUMS- Wharton Tiers
CONDUCTOR- Glenn Branca

If you played at the show and would like to add a link or e-mail address to your name, send e-mail to: info@glennbranca.com

Awards in Music Composition from:
THE NATIONAL ENDOWMENT FOR THE ARTS (1988) and CAPS (1983).

Major Commissions:
EIKO AND KOMA (1979) - The Spectacular Commodity
THE TWYLA THARP COMPANY (1982) - Music For The Dance 'Bad Smells'
THE BROOKLYN ACADEMY OF MUSIC (1983) - Symphony No. 3
THE TONE AND GEGENTONE FESTIVAL (1983) - Symphony No. 4
THE UCLA CENTER FOR THE PERFORMING ARTS (1984) - Symphony No. 5
THE STATE T14EATER STUTTGART (1986) - Music For 'Edmond'
COMPOSER'S SHOWCASE AT LINCOLN CENTER (1986) - Hollywood Pentagon
THE OPERA TOMORROW FESTIVAL (1986) - Music for 'ln Passions Tongue'
THE MASSACHUSETTS COUNCIL FOR THE ARTS (1987) - Symphony No. 6
CREATION COMPANY (1989) - Music For The Tower'
THE INSTITUTE FOR CONTEMPORARY ART, NYC (1989) - Bestiariam
THE STEIRISCHER HERBST FESTIVAL, GRAZ (1989) - Symphony No. 7
THE ELISA MONTE COMPANY (1990) - The World Upside Down
THE BANG ON A CAN FESTIVAL (1991) - String Quartet No. 1
ROC IN LICHEN, PARIS (1991) - Les Honneurs du Pied
EXPO 92, SEVILLE (1992) - Symphony No. 8
CREATION COMPANY, NYC (1992) - The Tower Opera
FRIENDS OF GOOD MUSIC, BERLIN (1993) - Symphony No. 9
SERIOUS SPEAKOUT, LONDON (1994) - Symphony No. 10
POINT MUSIC (1997) -Symphony No. 11
BANG ON A CAN ALL STARS (1997) - Movement Within

Music used for film and performance by:
THE ALVIN AILEY COMPANY, ERIC BOGOSIAN, PETER GREENAWAY, THE SAN FRANCISCO BALLET, THE DENVER BALLET, THE PHILADELPHIA DANCE COMPANY, NETHERLANDS DANCE THEATER, THE EUGENE BALLET, THE WOOSTER GROUP, LATJRA DEAN and THE JOFFREY BALLET among many others.

Orchestral works have been performed by:
THE LONDON SINFONIETTA conducted by PAUL DANIEL
THE MINNESOTA OPERA ORCHESTRA conducted by HENRY HOLT
THE GRAZ FESTIVAL ORCHESTRA conducted by GUNTER MEINHART
THE NORTH DUTCH PHILHARMONIC ORCHESTRA conducted by GLEN CORTESE
THE NEW YORK CHAMBER SINFONIA conducted by GLEN CORTESE
ORCHESTRA OF ST. LUKES conducted by DAVID ALAN MILLER
THE MORAVIAN PHILHARMONIC ORCHESTRA conducted by CHRISTIAN VON BORRIES
THE POLISH NATIONAL RADIO ORCHESTRA conducted by CHRISTIAN VON BORRIES
SPRF ORCHESTRA conducted by BRAD LUBMAN

Books about Music with commentary on Branca:
AMERICAN MUSIC IN THE TWENTIETH CENTURY (Schirmer, 1997): by Kyle Gann (includes a score excerpt from his Tenth Symphony)
RECOMBINANT DO RE MI by Billy Bergman
FUTURE POP by Peter L. Noble
ALL AMERICAN MUSIC by John Rockwell
NEW SOUNDS by John Schaefer
THE VOICE OF NEW MUSIC by Tom Johnson
SONIC TRANSPORTS by Cole Gagne
SOUNDPIECES 11 by Cole Gagne
NEW VOICES by Geoff Smith and Nicola Walker
THE NEW GROVE DICTIONARY OF AMERICAN MUSIC
TALKING MUSIC by William Duckworth
THE SPIN MAGAZINE ALTERNATIVE MUSIC GUIDE
ROCK NU by Jan Sneum
CHRISTGAU'S RECORD GUIDE OF THE 80'S 20TH CENTURY MUSIC- by Robert Christgau
THE TROUSER PRESS GUIDE TO THE 90'S THE COMPANION TO 20TH CENTURY MUSIC by Norman Lebrecht
CONFUSION IS NEXT by Alec Foege
MUSICAL INSTRUMENT DESIGN by Bart Hopkin
THE SECRET HISTORY OF ROCK by Roni Sarig

Commercial Recordings (in order of release):
LESSON #1 - 99 Records
THE ASCENSION - 99 Records
MUSIC FOR THE DANCE 'BAD SMELLS'- GPS Records
SYMPHONY NO. 3 (GLORIA) - Neutral, Crepuscule, Atavistic
SYMPHONY NO. 1 (TONAL PLEXUS) - ROIR, Danceteria
THE BELLY OF AN ARCHITECT (soundtrack) - Crepuscule, Normal, Factory
SYMPHONY NO. 6 (DEVIL CHOIRS AT THE GATES OF HEAVEN) - Blast First, Restless, Danceteria, Atavistic
SYMPHONY NO. 2 (THE PEAK OF THE SACRED) - Atavistic
THE WORLD UPSIDE DOWN - Crepuscule, Atavistic
THE MYSTERIES (SYMPHONIES NO. 8 + NO. 10) - Blast First, Atavistic
SYMPHONY NO. 9 (L'EVE FUTURE) - Point Music
SYMPHONY NO. 5 (DESCRIBING PLANES OF AN EXPANDING HYPERSPHERE) - Atavistic