13 Facts About Elliott Sharp

Elliott Sharp was born on March 1,1951 and is an American contemporary classical composer, multi-instrumentalist, performer, author, and visual artist.

Elliott Sharp pioneered the use of personal computers in live performance with his Virtual Stance project of the 1980s.

Elliott Sharp has used algorithms and fibonacci numbers in experimental composition since the 1970s, and has cited literature as an inspiration for his music and often favors improvisation.

Elliott Sharp is an inveterate performer, playing mainly guitar, saxophone and bass clarinet.

Elliott Sharp has led many ensembles over the years, including the blues-oriented Terraplane, Orchestra Carbon, and SysOrk, a group dedicated to the realization of algorithmic and graphic scores.

Elliott Sharp was classically trained in piano from an early age, taking up clarinet and guitar as a teen.

Elliott Sharp attended Cornell University from 1969 to 1971, studying anthropology, music, and electronics.

Elliott Sharp's compositions have been performed by the JACK Quartet, Kronos Quartet, Ensemble Musikfabrik, the hr-Sinfonieorchester, the Ensemble Modern, Continuum, the Orchestra of the SEM Ensemble, the FLUX Quartet, Zeitkratzer, the Soldier String Quartet, and Grammy-winning violinist Hilary Hahn.

Elliott Sharp produces records for a wide variety of artists, and has curated several State of the Union CDs, compilations of one-minute tracks by experimental musicians.

Elliott Sharp describes himself as a lifelong "science geek", having modified and created musical instruments since his teen years, and frequently borrowing terms from science and technology for his compositions.

Elliott Sharp received the 2015 Berlin Prize in Musical Composition, spending six months as a Fellow-in-Residence at the American Academy in Berlin.

Elliott Sharp was awarded a 2014 Guggenheim Fellowship, was a 2009 Master Artist-in-Residence at the Atlantic Center for the Arts, a New York Foundation for the Arts Fellow in music in 2010 and 2019, and received a 2003 Foundation for Contemporary Arts Grants to Artists Award.

Elliott Sharp has composed scores for feature films and documentaries, created music and sound-design for The Sundance Channel, MTV and Bravo networks; and has presented numerous sound installations in art galleries and museums.