CURRICULUM VITAE
RESEARCH
TEACHING
CONCERTS
MUSIC MP3S AND SCORES
PIANO RECITALS
DMA DISSERTATION
COMPOSITIONS
© 2004. All rights reserved by Marcus A. Bittencourt
Marcus Bittencourt


mabitt@wm.edu
                                                                          

send me an e-mail

Dr. Marcus Alessi Bittencourt, D.M.A.

musician (composer, teacher, pianist, conductor, sound engineer)


Williamsburg, VA 23185
United States of America
e-mail : mabitt@wm.edu
phone : (646) 662-0436
website : www.music.columbia.edu/~alessi

Degrees Earned :


  • Doctor of Musical Arts (music composition), with Distinction.

    • Columbia University, New York NY, USA.  -  2003
Thesis :
Music: Electroacoustic radio-opera on a story by Vielimir Khlebnikov, libretto by the composer.
Essay: "Doctor Frankenstein, I Presume ... or The Art of Vivisection".  Studies on the internal mechanisms of Music Composition and Computer Music, reworking concepts taken from theoretical works about Cinema, Musique Concrète and Semiotics.
               Read my DMA dissertation essay
               Listen to my Radio-Opera KA

  • Master of Arts (music composition).

    • Columbia University, New York NY, USA.  -  1998
Thesis : Concerto for Piano and Orchestra.

  • Bachelor of Arts (music performance: piano).

    • Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo-SP, Brazil.  -  1996

Selected List of teachers :
 

At Columbia University : Tristan Murail (computer-assisted composition, orchestration, history and aesthetics of computer music), Bradford Garton and Thanassis Rikakis (computer music), Joseph Dubiel (composition, set-theory), Fred Lerdahl (composition, 20th century styles and techniques), Jonathan Kramer (composition), George Stauffer (organ).
At the Universidade de São Paulo : Willy Corrêa de Oliveira (composition, language and structure of music), José Eduardo Martins (piano), Mário Ficarelli (harmony, counterpoint), Aylton Escobar (orchestration), Lorenzo Mammi (Music History, Brazilian Music History), Marco Antônio da Silva Ramos (conducting).

Teaching Positions Held :
 

  • Assistant Professor of Music, College of William and Mary, Williamsburg VA, Fall 2004-present date;
- Full-time, tenure-track faculty at the Department of Music.
- Responsible for teaching Music Theory, Composition, and Computer Music courses.
  • Visiting Assistant Professor of Music, College of William and Mary, Williamsburg VA, 2003-2004 academic year ;
- Full-time faculty at the Department of Music.
- Entirely responsible for teaching the following courses:
- Common-Practice Tonal Theory I, (Fall 03)
- Introduction to Electroacoustic Music (Fall 03)
- Common-Practice Tonal Theory II (Spring 04)
- Introduction to Tonal Theory (Spring 04)
- Topics in Music: Cinema for the Ear: A History and Aesthetics of Electroacoustic Music. (Spring 04)
  • Ear-Training Instructor, Columbia University, New York NY,  Fall semester 2002 ;
- Taught Aural and musicianship skills, including dictation and fixed-do solfege.
- Entire responsibility for the Ear-Training I course.
- Developed course structure and syllabus, prepared and corrected tests and graded students.
- Set up office hours for individual student orientation.
  • Adjunct Professor at the Lehman College of the City University of New York, New York NY, Spring semester 2002 ;
- Entire responsibility for teaching the Advanced Electronic Music course (graduate level).
- Taught Computer Music, digital audio, recording studio and sound engineering techniques (including ProTools operation).
- Developed course structure and syllabus, prepared and corrected tests and graded students.
- Set up office hours for individual student orientation.
- Administrated the Electronic Music Studio of Lehman College.
  • Theory Teaching Assistant for the Diatonic Harmony/Counterpoint course, Columbia University, New York NY, 2001-2002 academic year ;
    - Taught 16th century counterpoint, Baroque style chorale part writing and Harmonic analysis.
    - Responsible for teaching the weekly recitation sessions and setting up office hours for individual student orientation.
    - Helped to develop course structure and syllabus and corrected tests.
  • Ear-Training Instructor, Columbia University, New York NY, 1998-1999, 1999-2000, and 2000-2001 academic years ;
- Taught Aural and musicianship skills, including dictation and fixed-do solfege.
- Entire responsibility for the Introductory Ear-Training course.
- Developed course structure and syllabus, prepared and corrected tests and graded students.
- Set up office hours for individual student orientation.
- Prepared own method of teaching, the "Book of Exercises", which is still being used as a reference for the course.
- Taught an average load of three sections per semester.
  • Assistant Conductor of the Columbia University Orchestra, New York NY, 1997-1998 academic year ;
- Organized and prepared weekly orchestra rehearsals.
- Conducted and rehearsed the musicians of the orchestra.
- Prepared programs and program notes for the orchestra concerts.
  • Assistant to the Youth Choir and Children's Theater programs of the XVIII Festival of Prados-MG, Brazil,  1994.
- Taught choir singing and basic music theory to children.
  • Piano teacher for the XVI and XVII Festival of Prados-MG, Brazil, 1992 and 1993
- Taught piano to children.

Other Professional Positions :
 

  • Research Assistant, Computer Music Center of Columbia University, New York NY, 1998 to 2003 ;
- Developed a C++ database of digital audio samples and an algorithmical sampler for Computer Music use.
- Programmed a suite of Digital Signal Processing applications (C, C++) for transforming digital audio: reverb, digital filters and equalization, compression, expansion, mixing, panning.
- Developed applications that make use of human/machine interfaces for achieving live music/dance/video interactivity.
- Developed a suite of C and C++ applications and algorithms that explore complex rhythmical patterns and microtonality.
  • Colloquia Assistant, Columbia University, New York NY, 2002-2003 academic year;
      •  
      - Organized series of colloquia and lectures.
      - Responsible for contacting guest speakers, arranging the payment of their honoraria, promotion of the events, etc.
  • Co-Director of the Columbia Composers concert series, New York NY, 1999-2000 ;
- Directed and organized a season of New Music concerts in NYC.
- Responsibilities included selecting music repertoire from a pool of submissions, writing grant proposals, budget management, arranging for theater rentals, recruiting, hiring and payment of performers, concert promotion and coordination.

Freelance Professional Activities :

  • Recording engineer for live concerts. Worked with artists such as the Columbia Composers, the City College of New York Orchestra, the Speculum Musicae, the Columbia University Orchestra and Jeffrey Milarsky.
  • Sound engineer for concerts with live electronics. Worked with artists like Tristan Murail, Johnny Reinhard, the Subtilior quintet and the Columbia Composers.
  • Composer, conductor and pianist for New Music concerts.
  • Film composer and sound designer.

Teaching Interests and Qualifications :
 

Composition related topics :
  • Composition; Instrumentation, Orchestration and Arranging; Music Structure and Form; 20th Century Compositional Techniques; Principles of Acoustics Applied to Orchestration; Microtonality.
    • Music Theory and History topics :
  • Music Humanities; Music Appreciation; Fundamentals of Music Theory; Analysis; Harmony and Counterpoint (tonal and atonal, all levels); Set-Theory; Dodecaphonic Techniques; Costère Analysis (Costère, Edmond); Western Classical Music History; Contemporary Music History; Brazilian Music History; History and Theory of Concrete and Electroacoustic Music; Survey of World/Ethnic Musics.
    • Computer Music topics :
  • Recording Studio and Digital Audio Techniques; Computer Programming for Artists and Musicians (C, C++, Java, Object Oriented design); Electroacoustic Composition Techniques (basic concepts, structure and form, signal processing, spatialization, orchestration of sound objects); Computer Music tools and software (all major Macintosh, Linux and PC music software and hardware); Digital Signal Processing; Finale music publishing; MIDI applications; Algorithmic Composition; Interactivity between Music, Dance and Image; Human/Machine Interfaces; Live Electronics and Interactive Music Systems; Computer Assisted Composition; Acoustics.
    • Performance and Musicianship related topics :
  • Piano lessons (basic to advanced level); Conducting (choral and instrumental); Ear-Training and fixed-DO Solfege; Contemporary Music Practice.

    • Sound engineering, Computer Music and Recording Studio Experience :
     

    • Operation of standard recording studio equipment: mixing consoles (analog and digital), DAT and ADAT machines, CD writers, microphones, etc.
    • Recordings of live concerts, field recordings of sound effects and studio recordings of music and sound samples (instrumental, singing voices, spoken voices).
    • Mixing/editing with ProTools and related multitrack and sound-editor applications (Peak, SoundHack, MixViews);
    • MIDI applications (Digital Performer, Cubase);
    • SGI/Linux music software (cmix and RTcmix, NOTAM software, pd) ;
    • Digital Signal Processing: algorithm programming and applications for processing digital audio (equalization, reverb, compression, general standard audio effects) ;
    • Max/MSP (specially for interactive projects) ;
    • IRCAM music software (Audiosculpt, Patchwork, Open Music, Modalys, JMax);
    • Human/machine interfaces: movement tracking with sensors, for interactive compositions (i.e. accelerometers, laser beam-breakers, floor sensors, DIEM dance suit, video tracking systems) ;
    • Macintosh, PC, Linux, and Silicon Graphics computer platforms ;
    • Mac and UNIX (Linux) system administration ;
    • Software/hardware support: Mac/PC/Linux office software (Word, Excel, PhotoShop, StarOffice, Adobe Acrobat Reader, general text and spreadsheet applications) ;

    Selected Professional Achievements :
     

    • My electroacoustic piece Chimaera has been included in Defiant, a CD album of works by the Electric Music Collective composers (2004).
    • My electroacoustic piece Lupanar has been included in Incandescence, a CD album of works by the Electric Music Collective composers (2003).
    • Commissioned to be the composer and sound designer for the independent full-length feature film "The Placeholder", written and directed by Yuval Adler (2004).
    • My radio-opera KA had its first radio broadcast in Chicago by WHPK 88.5 FM on December 18th, 2002.
    • My electroacoustic piece Vignette #3 has been included in Go.Go.Go, a CD of works by Columbia Computer Music Center composers (2000).
    •  Commissioned to write a chamber piece for the French group Ensemble FA, conducted by Dominique My. The piece was premiered by the same group in a concert at the Miller Theater, New York, NY (1998).


    SEE MY COMPLETE LIST OF PERFORMANCES


    Academic and Professional Honors :
     

      Prizes :
      • 1995 : Projeto Nascente V Award (First Prize) in the Music Category. This prize is given by the University of São Paulo and Editora Abril, every year in Brazil (São Paulo-SP ).
      • 1994 : Second prize at the competition "X Concurso Nacional Ritmo e Som" of UNESP (Universidade Estadual Paulista, São Paulo-SP, Brazil).
     
    Scholarships and Fellowships :
      • 2000 : received a residency at the Centro Studi Ligure (the Bogliasco Foundation) in Genoa, Italy, to work on an electroacoustic radio opera.
      • 1996 : received a seven-year scholarship for graduate studies (Andrew W. Mellon Fellowship) from Columbia University, New York NY.

    Participation at Festivals and Lectures :

         
      • 2004 (Jun/09): Presence at the 34e Festival International des Musiques et Créations Électroniques, IMEB, Bourges, France ;
         
      • 2004 (Apr/16) : Lecture at the University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH, USA;
        • "Acousmatics, Sound Objects and Instruments of Music";
         
      • 2004 (Feb/21): Presence at the SPARK! Festival of Electronic Music and Art, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA ;
         
      • 2004 : Lecture at Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA ;
      Presentation and lecture by the composer on his electroacoustic and instrumental works ;
         
      • 2002 : Lecture at Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada ;
      Presentation and lecture by the composer on his electroacoustic and instrumental works ;

      • 2001 - Lecture at the Instituto de Artes of Universidade de Campinas (UNICAMP), Campinas-SP, Brazil ;
      Presentation and lecture by the composer on his recent electroacoustic works ;

      • 1994 - XVIII Festival of the city of Prados-MG, Brazil ;
      studies with Olivier Toni (composition), Renato Bapteta (music score editing with computers), Pedro Paulo Sales (music education for children) ;
      Participated as accompanist and solo pianist at music concerts.

      • 1993 - XVII Festival of the city of Prados-MG, Brazil ;
      studies with Olivier Toni (composition) ;
      Participated as teacher for the piano program and accompanist, solo pianist and basso continuo of the festival orchestra at music concerts.

      • 1992 - XVI Festival of the city of Prados-MG, Brazil ;
      studies with Olivier Toni (composition) ;
      Participated as teacher for the piano program and accompanist, solo pianist and basso continuo of the festival orchestra at music concerts.

    SELECTED LIST OF COMPOSITIONS :

    (Visit my mp3 samples page to listen to some of these pieces)


    Mifune (2004) for piano and unmanned ensemble (automated live electronics controlled by the pianist).

    Rabo-de-Arraia (2004) Electroacoustic music. Computer generated recording.

    Lampião no Inferno (2003) For four percussionists. (See score)

    Lupanar (2002) Electroacoustic music. Computer generated recording.

    KA (2002) Acousmatic Radio Opera. Electroacoustic music. Computer generated recording.

    Malédiction (2001) for piano and unmanned ensemble (automated live electronics controlled by the pianist)

    Dischord (2001) A dynamic installation for three dancers with motion-density controlled composite video, computer music mediated by laser beam-breakers and a live berimbau player.

    Visit the Dischord Project web page
    See a video of the first performance (quicktime movie).

    A Mobile (2000) 10 small pieces for solo Violin.

    Three Vignettes (1999-2000) Electroacoustic music. Computer generated recordings.

    Chimaera (1999) Electroacoustic music. Computer generated recording.

    Lisboa : Um Caderno de Viagens (1999) (Lisbon: A Travel Notebook) Cycle of 16 pieces for solo piano.

    "Vasa-Barris" (1998) for septet ( flute, clarinet, trombone, violin, viola, violoncello, contrabass).

    Piano Concerto (1998) for piano and orchestra.

    Embroidery (1998) Electroacoustic music. Computer generated recording.

    Rimance (1997) for piano solo.

    Snake Train- Flight (1997) for sextet (oboe, bassoon, Bb trumpet, trombone, piano, contrabass) and soprano.

    Processional (1997) Electroacoustic music. Computer generated recording.

    Toccata Sopra La Passacaglia (1997) for organ solo.

    Scorching Sun (1996) Electroacoustic music. Computer generated recording.

    Renga (1996) cycle of musical haikus for piano solo.

    And The Watching Man Goes Out for a Stroll (1995) for Full Orchestra.

    Trombone Quartet (1995).

    Noite na Repartição (1995-1996) (Night in the Office) Opera (or musical fable) in one scene for dubbed puppets, a tenor on-stage and a chamber ensemble of nine players.

    Three Nocturnes (1995) for piano solo.

    O Primeiro Caderno de Madrigais a Cinco Vozes (1995-1996) five madrigals for five voices.

    "Grammática" (1993-1995) a book of 14 solo piano pieces divided in four episodes.

    Quintet (1994) for flute, oboe, violin, guitar and cello.

    " O Eu no Claro Enigma Disperso " (1993-1995) cycle of three songs for tenor and piano.

    Piano Sonata (1993).



    Papers, Essays, Books :
     

        • 2002 - "Doctor Frankenstein, I Presume ... or The Art of Vivisection".  Studies on the internal mechanisms of Music Composition and Computer Music reworking concepts taken from theoretical works about Cinema, Musique Concrète and Semiotics.

        • 1999 - "Book of Exercises" for the Ear-Training course. This book has been used as the main textbook for the Introductory Ear Training Course at Columbia University, NY, USA from 1999 to 2001.

        • 1998 - "On Brush Strokes and Arvo Pärt". An analysis of the compositional techniques used by the Estonian composer Arvo Pärt.

        • 1998 - "Polyhedral Pitch Charts : A Short Analysis of Stockhausen's Scorpio".

        • 1995 - "The Musical Language of Glauco Velasquez, Brazilian Composer (1884-1914)".

    Language abilities :

      Fluent in Portuguese, English and French.
      Reading ability in Spanish and Italian.

     

    SEE MY COMPLETE LIST OF PERFORMANCES
     

    Back to the Main Page
    Concerts
    Piano Recitals
    Please E-mail me at : mabitt@wm.edu