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Lukas Ligeti Biography
Lukas Ligeti is a composer and percussionist. His work incorporates elements of jazz, contemporary classical, and various world musics.
Lukas Ligeti was born in Vienna, Austria into a remarkable artistic family with ancestors such as violinist Leopold Auer (teacher of Heifetz and Milstein), architect/designer Marcel Breuer, and, of course, his father, the great composer György Ligeti. Lukas himself focused on writing and science during his school years, taking up the drums only after graduating from high school. He studied composition and percussion at the University for Music and Performing Arts in Vienna, obtaining a masters degree, and then moved to the U.S. After working for two years at the Center for Computer Research in Music and Acoustics at Stanford University, he has lived in New York City since 1998.
Oblivious to categorizations such as “classical”, “pop”, etc., Lukas' main interests include cultural exchange, new forms of interplay between musicians in an ensemble, polyrhythms/polytempo structures, and non-tempered tunings, and his music ranges from the through-composed to the free-improvised. Other major sources of inspiration include experimental mathematics, computer technology, architecture and visual art, sociology and politics, and traveling.
As a composer, he has been commissioned by the Vienna Festwochen, Ensemble Modern, Kronos Quartet, American Composers Forum, New York University, ORF Austrian Broadcasting Company, Radio France, and many others. His compositions have been performed by the Vienna Radio Symphony Orchestra, Orchestre National de Lyon, London Sinfonietta, San Francisco Contemporary Music Players, Ensemble "die reihe", and others at major festivals worldwide. He has also composed for dance, film, and installation. In June 2004, Tzadik Records released the CD "Mystery System", featuring five of Lukas Ligeti's compositions for chamber ensemble, interpreted by the Amadinda Percussion Group, the world-class percussion ensemble from Hungary; Ethel, New York's über-hip new string quartet; the great American contemporary music pianist Kathleen Supové; and the French ensemble Procédé Rodesco-Letort.
As a drummer, he has played and/or recorded with artists such as Henry Kaiser, Raoul Björkenheim, Michael Manring, Gianni Gebbia, Daniel Carter, Benoît Delbecq, John Tchicai, Pyrolator, Elliott Sharp, Jim O'Rourke, Robert Dick, Fred Frith, Chris Cutler, Rupert Huber, Ned Rothenberg, etc., and performs solo concerts on electronic percussion.
Read MoreLukas Ligeti was born in Vienna, Austria into a remarkable artistic family with ancestors such as violinist Leopold Auer (teacher of Heifetz and Milstein), architect/designer Marcel Breuer, and, of course, his father, the great composer György Ligeti. Lukas himself focused on writing and science during his school years, taking up the drums only after graduating from high school. He studied composition and percussion at the University for Music and Performing Arts in Vienna, obtaining a masters degree, and then moved to the U.S. After working for two years at the Center for Computer Research in Music and Acoustics at Stanford University, he has lived in New York City since 1998.
Oblivious to categorizations such as “classical”, “pop”, etc., Lukas' main interests include cultural exchange, new forms of interplay between musicians in an ensemble, polyrhythms/polytempo structures, and non-tempered tunings, and his music ranges from the through-composed to the free-improvised. Other major sources of inspiration include experimental mathematics, computer technology, architecture and visual art, sociology and politics, and traveling.
As a composer, he has been commissioned by the Vienna Festwochen, Ensemble Modern, Kronos Quartet, American Composers Forum, New York University, ORF Austrian Broadcasting Company, Radio France, and many others. His compositions have been performed by the Vienna Radio Symphony Orchestra, Orchestre National de Lyon, London Sinfonietta, San Francisco Contemporary Music Players, Ensemble "die reihe", and others at major festivals worldwide. He has also composed for dance, film, and installation. In June 2004, Tzadik Records released the CD "Mystery System", featuring five of Lukas Ligeti's compositions for chamber ensemble, interpreted by the Amadinda Percussion Group, the world-class percussion ensemble from Hungary; Ethel, New York's über-hip new string quartet; the great American contemporary music pianist Kathleen Supové; and the French ensemble Procédé Rodesco-Letort.
As a drummer, he has played and/or recorded with artists such as Henry Kaiser, Raoul Björkenheim, Michael Manring, Gianni Gebbia, Daniel Carter, Benoît Delbecq, John Tchicai, Pyrolator, Elliott Sharp, Jim O'Rourke, Robert Dick, Fred Frith, Chris Cutler, Rupert Huber, Ned Rothenberg, etc., and performs solo concerts on electronic percussion.
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