Sound artist Matthew Burtner brings 'Ecoacoustics' to UW-Green Bay
The University of Wisconsin-Green Bay will welcome renowned sound artist Matthew Burtner as Artist- in-Residence, March 24 – 26.
A native Alaskan who grew up among fishing boats and mountains, Burtner is a multi-media composer whose work combines electroacoustic music and environmental systems. He is Associate Professor of Composition and Computer Music at the University of Virginia.
Burtner’s unique form of what he calls “ecoacoustics” is shaped by his heritage, and he uses new technologies to create multimedia performances combining music, sound and visual images.
“I record all of my own sounds and teach students to record, too. That’s part of the job of an artist. It’s not just assembling things, but the adventure that you go on,” he said. He explains that he spent three years working to capture the voice of the raven in the wild. “If I want the sound of a raven I can buy a CD. But by going out to record them I learned how smart and suspicious and mysterious and creative they are. It made the character of the raven more deep and obscure.”
Burtner’s residency is a part of UW-Green Bay’s Campus Common Theme, “Realizing Our Sustainable Future,” as his compositions address themes of sustainability and the collaboration between the arts and sciences.
During his visit, Burtner will present a lecture-recital on his latest series of works, Oceans/Elements, and he will perform with UW-Green Bay faculty, guests and students in a multi-media concert of his works. He will visit classes and work with UW-Green Bay students to increase awareness about environmental concerns and expose the interconnectedness of the arts and environmental causes.
On March 24, Burtner will present a lecture-recital at 7:30 p.m. in Fort Howard Hall at the Weidner Center for the Performing Arts. Admission is free, but seating is limited to 200 guests. Tickets may be obtained in advance at University Ticketing Service and Information Center in the University Union.
On March 26, Burtner will present a multi-media concert at 7:30 p.m. in Cofrin Family Hall at the Weidner Center for the Performing Arts, with UW-Green Bay music faculty, guests and students. Admission is $5 for students and $15 for adults. For tickets call 920-465-2217; 1-800-328-TKTS; or online at www.uwgb.edu/tickets/.
To learn more about Matthew Burtner and ecoacoustics, and to hear a sound clip, go to https://news.uwgb.edu/index.php/featured/leading-learning/03/15/sound-artist-burtner/.
Additional information on Burtner may be found at: https://ccrma.stanford.edu/~mburtner/.
For additional information about Burtner’s visit to UW-Green Bay please contact Prof. Cheryl Grosso at (920) 465-2132, or e-mail at: grossoc@uwgb.edu.
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