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Tutschku Named Professor of Music
Cambridge, Mass. - August 5, 2008 - Hans Tutschku, a prizewinning composer of electronic music, has been appointed professor of music in Harvard University's Faculty of Arts and Sciences, effective July 1, 2008.
Tutschku, 42, was formerly the Gardner Cowles Associate Professor of Music. He has taught in the music department at Harvard since 2004 and serves as director of the Harvard University Studio for Electroacoustic Composition.
"Professor Tutschku is a gifted composer who, with his creative energies and remarkable talent, has forged new directions in contemporary music," said Diana Sorensen, dean for the arts and humanities in the Faculty of Arts and Sciences. "His excellent work in electroacoustic composition is matched by admirable teaching skills-Professor Tutschku has brought much to the community of learning in the music department and beyond. We are delighted he will continue to teach and compose at Harvard."
Composers of electronic music, also known as "computer" music, employ advanced technologies to generate innovative sound materials that are then performed via loudspeakers. Some compositions call for electronic sounds alone, while other pieces incorporate traditional acoustic instruments. The latter form of music, known as "electroacoustic," is Tutschku's specialty.
Widely recognized as a pioneer in the field, Tutschku has received acclaim for his ability to combine French and German approaches to electroacoustic music. He is a highly prolific composer, having written more than 50 works since 1986. These compositions have been featured in countless performances throughout the U.S., Europe, Asia and Canada. In addition, Tutschku's music has appeared on 15 compact discs. He has received many prizes for his work, including the cultural prize of the city of Weimar (2005) and first prize at the international Musica Nova competition (2006).
In addition to his many performance engagements and active composition schedule, Tutschku maintains a strong commitment to education. At Harvard he has led courses on electroacoustic composition for undergraduates, as well as a graduate seminar in electronic music. He recently developed a new course that focused on improvisation with electronics.
Tutschku directed the rebuilding of the Harvard University Studio for Electroacoustic Composition in 2005, an extensive project that involved the renovation of four studios and the establishment of a 32-channel sound diffusion system. He has also managed the Fromm Concert Series and supervised several concerts of the Harvard Group for New Music.
Tutschku completed his undergraduate studies in composition at the Hochschule füik in Dresden, Germany. He received a diploma in piano performance from the Musikschule in Weimar, Germany and in 2003 obtained a Ph.D. in composition from the University of Birmingham, England. From 2001 to 2004 Tutschku was an honorary professor of electroacoustic composition and director of studios at the Éole Nationale de Musique du pays de Montbéard, in France. He also taught at France's Institut de Recherche et Coordination Acoustique/Musique (IRCAM) between 1997 and 2001.
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