Overview
Kevin Ernste is a composer, performer, and teacher of composition and electronic music at Cornell University where he is Director of the Cornell Electroacoustic Music Center (CEMC). He did graduate work in Music Composition at the Eastman School of Music (MA, PhD). He is a founding member of the Cornell Avant-Garde Ensemble (CAGE, http://digital.music.cornell.edu/cage/). He was the Acting Director of the Eastman Computer Music Center and Co-director of the ImageMovementSound festival.
His recent music includes Nisi [nee-see] (“Island” in Greek) for hornist Adam Unsworth released on Equilibrium Records, Numina for Brooklyn-based Janus Trio (flute, viola, harp) presented recently at the Spark Festival in MN, Seiend for brass quintet premiered by Ensemble Paris Lodron(Salzburg, Austria, Roses Don’t Need Perfume for guitarist Kenneth Meyer (gtr. and electronic sounds, 2009) recently presented by Dr. Meyer on a Hungary/Romania tour, a piece for saxophone and electronics called To Be Neither Proud Nor Ashamed (released on Innova Records), and Birches for viola with electronic sounds for John Graham performed on Mr. Graham’s recent China tour (Beijing, Wuhan, Xiamen, Hong Kong) as well as at the Aspen Summer Music Festival. Mr, Graham presented Birches again in August 2011 at the International Computer Music Conference (ICMC) in Huddersfield, UK.
Ernste’s recently commissioned works include Chorale for chamber ensemble and electronics (after Stucky on Purcell), Palimpsest for the JACK Quartet, and a half-evening-length work in progress for viola, percussion, and “unmanned” prepared piano.
Links of interest:
Cornell Electroacoustic Music Center (CEMC)
Cornell Avant-Garde Ensemble (CAGE)
Research Focus
- Composition: electronic music
Publications
- CAGE | Bertoia (2018): pieces for the Bertoia sculptures at the HF Johnson Museum of Art, Weighter Recordings W07
- Music in the American Wild (2018): audio and video album including Interregnum for chamber ensemble and bowls of water
- Draw the Strings Tight (2017): works for solo guitar including Roses Don't Need Perfume for solo guitar and electronic sounds; Kenneth Meyer, guitar
- Snapshots / Adam Unsworth: works for solo horn including Nisi for horn and live electronics and a horn transcription of Kajato for trumpet/flugelhorn and electronics
- Ithaca Recording; The Watchful Ear Listen Series 03 (2009): Tim Feeney (amplified percussion), Vic Rawlings (amplified prepared cello), recording engineer
- Neither Proud Nor Ashamed (2007): New works for saxophone and electronics by Luciano Berio, Christian Lauba, Kevin Ernste, Jonathan Kirk, Nicolas Scherzinger and Randall Hall (performer)
In the news
- loadbang offers concerts as 2022-23 Stucky Residency for New Music ensemble
- Students, faculty make art in the time of coronavirus
- Indonesian Gamelan performances this week
- Israeli Chamber Project performs in inaugural Steven Stucky Residency concert
- CCA Biennial launches with art projects across campus
- Professor emeritus, musician and scholar John Hsu dies
- Cornell hosts Switch Ensemble residency
- 'Healing through the arts': Kim presents refugee project