ARTIST BIO
Trevor Berens recently earned his Master's Degree from the California Institute of the Arts, in the Performer/Composer program. His thesis recital consisted of music (his own and that of others) that combined acoustic sounds, electronics, extreme amplification, improvisation, and acting. At CalArts, he studied composition primarily with Stephen L. Mosko and James Tenney, and piano with Vicki Ray and Peter Miyamoto. Mr. Berens earned his Bachelor's Degree in Music (performance and composition) from Loyola Marymount University, along with a degree in Psychology. Along with being named the Top Music Graduate of his class and a candidate for Valedictorian, he was the first student ever to put on two complete recitals in the same semester. At LMU, he studied composition primarily with Mark Saya, and piano with Tania Fleischer.
As a pianist, Mr. Berens regularly plays music from Bach and Beethoven up to Cage and Rzewski. He especially enjoys facing the challenges of "new music", from the extended techniques of Crumb as well as the complexity of Stockhausen. Additionally, he has had the honor of being asked to premiere a large number of pieces, most recently Woad for Indigo (for solo piano) by Nicholas Chase.
Mr. Berens' own compositions range widely in terms of style, compositional method, and ensemble. He has written improvisational and "theater" pieces along with more "standard" concert pieces. He writes very often for voice, but often in very different ways--from the speech of the instrumentalists in Wind Chases the Sun to the song cycle for soprano and piano "Another Night in the Ruins". From the eruptive moments in Sui:Yu to the stark beauty of Elegy for Laika, his music is always on the edge between sanity and madness.
Current projects include learning Stockhausen's Klavierstucke 7, as well as preparing for three upcoming solo piano cocnerts (see "NEWS" for details). He is also completing a new piece for piano, soprano, and marimba, as well as a setting of Gary Snyder's poem "The Mountain Spirit" for violin-playing soprano and speaking pianist. He is currently employed as a private piano teacher, college professor, and all-around gig-seeker.
CURRICULUM VITAE
Education
M.F.A. -- Performer/Composer, California Institute of the Arts
Composition Instructors--Stephen L. Mosko, James Tenney
Piano Instructors--Vicki Ray, Peter Miyamoto
B.A. -- Music (Piano and Composition) & Psychology, Loyola Marymount University
Composition Instructors--Mark Saya, Paul Humphreys
Piano Instructors--Tania Fleischer, Wendy Prober
Honors--Summa Cum Laude, Top Music Graduate, Valedictorian Candidate
Societies--Psi Chi, Alpha Sigma Nu
Teaching Experience
Classes
Part-time professor at Loyola Marymount University (fundamentals of music); 2005-present
Tutor and teaching assistant for music theory at CalArts; 2002-2003
Class accompanist and coach for musical theater class at CalArts; 2001-2003
Beginning theory and composition classes at Cazadero Performing Arts Camp; 2002
Lectures
"The Perilous Piano"; Loyola Marymount University; 2004
"Gestures--for Piano"; Loyola Marymount University; 2003 (guest artist)
"John Cage and the Prepared Piano"; Southern California Conference for Undergraduate Research; 2000
Other
Musical director at Drama department at El Segundo Parks and Recreation; 2003-present
Church pianist and choir director at Palo Verde Avenue Church in Long Beach, CA; 2005-present
Private piano instructor; 2002-present
Piano instructor for ages 6-18 at Cazadero Performing Arts Camp; 2000
Tutor for music theory at Loyola Marymount University; 1999-2000
Performance
Recitals
"An Evening of French and American Art Song"--self produced recitals at Brand Library in Pasadena, Skirball Center in Los Angeles, and Guest Artists at Loyola Marymount University; (with soprano, Jessica Tunick) 2005
"Gestures--for Piano"--Guest Artist recital at Loyola Marymount University (music by Trevor Berens, Nicholas Chase, Vinko Globokar, Steven Hoey, Frederic Rzewski, Anton Webern); 2003
"Here! Calls! Everywhere!"--M.F.A. Residency recital at CalArts (music by Louis Andriessen, Trevor Berens, Charles Ives, James Mobberley, Frederic Rzewski, Mark Saya); 2003
"A Tribute to Lou Harrison"--recital arranged by Trevor Berens, music performed in by Trevor Berens and friends; 2003 (CalArts)
"An Evening of Night Music"--M.F.A. Mid-Residency recital at CalArts (music by Samuel Barber, Trevor Berens, Benjamin Britten, John Cage, Frederic Chopin, George Crumb, Gabriel Faure, John Field); 2002
Festivals
2003--Stanford "Music from the Edge" Festival
2003--U.C. San Diego "Spring" New Music Festival
2003--Ojai Music Festival
2002-2003--Charles Ives and Arnold Schoenberg Festival (CalArts)
2002--John Cage Festival (CalArts)
Other Performance Experience
2004-2007--Accompanist at Lauridsen Ballet; Torrance, CA
2004--Accompanist at Westchester Ballet; Westchester, CA
2004--Dance accompanist at University of California, Irvine
2004--Musical Director for El Segundo Parks and Recreation
2003--Accompanist for "A Berliner Cabaret", a musical conceived and directed by Di Trevis, performed at the Tamarind Theater in Hollywood, CA
2003--Rehearsal pianist for premiere of Marc Lowenstein's The Fisher King
Professional Affiliations and Memberships
Mu Phi Epsilon, Palos Verdes Alumni Chapter--member since 2005
American Composer's Forum, Los Angeles Chapter--member since 2005
ASCAP (American Society of Composers, Authors, and Publishers)--member since 2004
Sierra Club--member since 2005
MTAC (Music Teacher's Association of California)--member since 2007
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