Tuesday, May 3, 7:30 pm

Robert Ponto, Assistant Dean, Thelma Schnitzer Hall (Room 163), Frohnmayer Music Building, University of Oregon

Admission: Free

For someone primarily known as a pop music producer, Guy Sigsworth’s pedigree is somewhat uncharacteristic. As he once wrote:

“I grew up in a house filled with classical music. Eating breakfast to the sounds of Verklärte Nacht or the Bartók Fourth Quartet was quite normal in my family’s home. I discovered pop music much later on. I think I still speak pop with a strong foreign accent, and I quite like it that way.”

Although trained in early music as a harpsichordist, Guy gradually found his way to another musical world entirely. One of the things the attentive listener will note is his highly-developed ear for timbre. Confessing a certain admiration for Pierre Boulez‘s sound world, his orchestrations (both acoustic and electronic) are filled with sonic treasures for the perceptive listener. One will rarely hear a repeat of a verse or chorus during which he hasn’t provided some interesting variation.

During the May 3 presentation, we’ll engage in some detailed listening to some of his collaborations with Imogen Heap, Björk, Alanis Morissette, Seal, Alison Moyet, Kate Havnevik, and others. (We’ll be sure to include a couple of songs that incorporate the music of Brian Eno and Arnold Schoenberg as well!) Additionally, we’ll investigate an interesting collaboration he did with his Cambridge early music friend, Stevie Wishart, which resulted in a number of “ambient remixes” of the music of Hildegard. If time, we’ll also briefly preview one or two of his compositions to be featured during the Mother’s Day matinee concert of his works (May 8, 3:00 pm).