Marilyn Nonken

Marilyn Nonken has emerged as one of the most gifted young musicians dedicated to the modern repertoire. Upon her New York debut, she was heralded as "a determined protector of important music" (New York Times). Her Boston debut was distinguished as a highlight of the season (Boston Globe, "Best of '97"). She was voted the "Best of '99" by the Boston Globe when she returned two years later.

Ms. Nonken's performances have been presented by Carnegie Hall, Merkin Hall, IRCAM, the Krannert Center for the Performing Arts, the Guggenheim Museum, Miller Theatre, the Flea Theatre, the Greenwich House of Music, and the Musikakademie Rheinsberg. Recent contemporary festival appearances include Sonic Boom, June in Buffalo, SCI, Sound/Unbound, The ThreeTwo Festival of New Music, New Music July, and the Third International Festival of New Piano Music. Also an acclaimed chamber performer, she appears regularly with the Washington Square Contemporary Music Society and Ensemble 21, the New Music group of which she is Artistic Director and a co-founder. She has been a guest soloist with League/ISCM Chamber Players, the Brandeis Contemporary Chamber Players, Composers Concordance, and the New Music ensembles of Columbia and New York Universities. Next year she will perform in Alice Tully Hall with the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center.

Highlights of Ms. Nonken's 2000-01 season include performances of Jean Barraqué's massive Sonate pour Piano, Charles Ives's legendary Concord Sonata, Michael Finnissy's "North American Spirituals" and "Kemp's Morris," Karlheinz Stockhausen's "Klavierstück IX," Olivier Messiaen's "Visions de l'Amen" (with pianist Phillip Bush), and the world premieres of David Rakowski's "12-Step Program," "Roll Your Own," and "Fists of Fury." In past seasons, she gave the US premieres of James Dillon's "Spleen" and Tristan Murail's "La Mandragore," the German premiere of Esa-Pekka Salonen's "YTA II," and has collaborated with composers including Jonathan Harvey, Andrew Imbrie, and Lee Hyla.

Seeking to enhance the repertoire, Ms. Nonken has commissioned substantial works from Milton Babbitt ("Allegro Penseroso"), Jason Eckardt ("Echoes' White Veil"), Michael Finnissy ("North American Spirituals": Book 2, Chapter 2 of The History of Photography in Sound), David Rakowski ("Plucking A," "Roll Your Own," "Fists of Fury") Jeff Nichols ("Chelsea Square"), and Mario Davidovsky ("Quartetto No. 4," forthcoming).

With a wide-ranging discography featuring releases on New World Records, Lovely Music, and CRI, Ms. Nonken has recorded music of composers diverse as Salvatore Martirano, Alvin Lucier, David Rakowski, and William Albright. A new CD of works written for Ms. Nonken by Babbitt, Finnissy, Nichols, and Eckardt will be released by CRI in 2001. Upcoming recording projects include Charles Wuorinen's "Adapting to the Times" with 'cellist Fred Sherry for Koch International Classics, chamber works of Jason Eckardt for Mode, and the complete piano works of Tristan Murail for Metier.

Ms. Nonken studied with David Burge at the Eastman School, where she received the inaugural Jan DeGaetani Award for excellence in the performance of contemporary music. She also studied the complete solo piano works of Arnold Schoenberg with the composer's assistant and confidante, Leonard Stein. The recipient of the Ph.D. degree in musicology from Columbia University, her writings have been published in Perspectives of New Music, Agni, and Current Musicology. She is currently editing an issue of Contemporary Music Review concerning performance practice.

Contact details and further information

Telephone: 212-663-5191
Fax: 212-663-5191

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For further details, see Ensemble21 / Marilyn Nonken

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