Erik Griswold (born 1969) is an American-born, Australian-based composer and pianist from Brisbane.[1]
Erik Griswold | |
|---|---|
| Born | 1969 (age 54–55) Los Angeles, California, United States |
| Occupation(s) | Composer |
| Instrument(s) | Piano |
| Labels | Room40, Neuma |
| Website | erikgriswold |
Career edit
Griswold began playing piano at the age of five, and has cited his early influences as Igor Stravinsky, Béla Bartok, and Miles Davis, and later Charles Mingus and Duke Ellington as he became more interested in improvisation.[2]
He studied his undergraduate at University of Southern California, Los Angeles, and University of California, San Diego, before moving to Australia in 1999. Initially he moved to Melbourne, before settling in Brisbane, and it was after his move to Australia that Griswold began to seriously explore prepared piano and focus more on his work as a performer.[2]
He has released several albums on Australian record label Room40,[3] beginning with 2004's Altona Sketches, and album of prepared piano pieces.[4]
In 2020 ABC Classics commissioned a new 15-minute work from Griswold to have its premier at the 2021 Brisbane Music Festival.[5] The work How Strange the Change was inspired by the COVID-19 pandemic, while the title was in homage to Cole Porter’s Ev’ry Time We Say Goodbye.[6]
Work with Vanessa Tomlinson edit
Erik Griswold has released music with his partner percussionist Vanessa Tomlinson as Clocked Out Duo.[7] In 2000 they won two Green Room Awards for their collaboration Dada Cabare,[8] and as Clocked Out won the Award for Excellence by an Organisation or Individual and Queensland State Award at 2011's APRA and AMC Art Music Awards.[9]
In 2015 they celebrated 15 years of making music together, having toured internationally and already released eight albums together at the time.[10]
In 2016 they collaborated on music for architect Bruce Wolfe's project Piano Mill, a tower located in Queensland bushland housing 16 pianos.[11]
For 2017's World Science Festival in Brisbane, they performed Time Crystals, a musical piece inspired by physicist Frank Wilczek's theories on time.[12] The song previously appeared on their eighth album of the same name, released in 2014.[13]
Awards edit
| Year | Award | Work | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | Art Music Awards: Work of the Year: Dramatic | Dragon Ladies Don't Weep | Winner[14] |
| 2017 | ARIA Award for Best Jazz Album | Water Pushes Sand | Nominated[15] |
| 2016 | Art Music Awards: Work of the Year: Jazz | Water Pushes Sand | Nominated[16] |
| 2000 | Green Room Awards: Commitment To Cabaret (Venue/producer) and Most Innovative Use Of Form | Cabaret Dada with Vanessa Tomlinson | Winner[8] |
External links edit
- Erik Griswold discography at Discogs
References edit
- ^ "Griswold, Erik (1969-)". Trove. Retrieved 2022-02-25.
- ^ a b Knight, Peter (2010). "Erik Griswold in Conversation with Peter Knight". Extempore (5): 34–46. ISSN 1835-6915.
- ^ "Erik Griswold : Represented Artist Profile : Australian Music Centre". Australian Music Centre. Retrieved 2022-02-25.
- ^ Berge, Bryan (2005). "Erik Griswold - Altona Sketches". Stylus Magazine. Retrieved 2022-02-25.
- ^ "New Australian music commissioned by the ABC". ABC Classic. 2020-07-13. Retrieved 2022-02-25.
- ^ "World Premiere: Erik Griswold's How Strange the Change". Limelight. Retrieved 2022-02-25.
- ^ "Return to The Piano Mill". ABC Classic. 2019-02-07. Retrieved 2022-02-25.
- ^ a b "08 Nov 2004 - Stage Left Feature - Green Room Awards Results - Archived Website". Stage Left. 2000. Archived from the original on 2004-11-08. Retrieved 2022-02-25.
- ^ Gallasch, Keith (2011). "RealTime Arts - Magazine - issue 103 - a winning year for innovators". RealTime Arts. Retrieved 2022-02-25.
- ^ Innes, Matt (3 September 2015). "Clocked Out: 15 Years Later". scenestr. Retrieved 2022-02-25.
- ^ Mill, Interior of the Piano (2018-11-30). "Australian music and architecture project wins international award". ABC Classic. Retrieved 2022-02-25.
- ^ "How music can monitor climate change". ABC News. 2017-03-27. Retrieved 2022-02-25.
- ^ "Clocked Out / Erik Griswold / Vanessa Tomlinson - Time Crystals". All Music. 2022. Retrieved 2022-02-25.
- ^ "2021 Art Music Awards winners announced". Limelight. Retrieved 2022-02-25.
- ^ "Gang Of Youths, King Gizzard, D.D Dumbo & More Score Early ARIA Award Nominations". Music Feeds. 2017-10-03. Retrieved 2022-02-25.
- ^ "2016 Art Music Awards: finalists announced". Australian Music Centre. 19 July 2016. Retrieved 2022-02-25.