26 Facts About Julius Eastman

Julius Eastman was among the first composers to combine the processes of some minimalist music with other methods of extending and modifying his music as in some experimental music.

Julius Eastman studied performance and composition in New York and contributed to new music scenes in New York, Buffalo, and Chicago, touring and recording as a performer and enjoying many performances of his own music.

Julius Eastman's voice is that of Peter Maxwell Davies' Mad King on Nonesuch Records.

Julius Eastman worked in a variety of musical styles, including classical, jazz, and crossover.

Julius Eastman grew up in Ithaca, New York, with his mother, Frances Eastman, and younger brother, Gerry.

Julius Eastman began studying piano at age 14 and made rapid progress.

Julius Eastman studied at Ithaca College before transferring to the Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia.

Julius Eastman made his debut as a pianist in 1966 at The Town Hall in New York City.

Julius Eastman's talents gained the attention of composer-conductor Lukas Foss, who conducted Davies' music in performance at the Brooklyn Philharmonic.

Shortly thereafter, Julius Eastman settled in New York City, where he initially straddled the divide between the conventionally bifurcated "uptown" and downtown music scenes.

Julius Eastman often wrote his music following what he called an "organic" principle.

In 1976, Julius Eastman participated in a performance of Eight Songs for a Mad King conducted by Pierre Boulez at Lincoln Center.

Julius Eastman served as the first male vocalist in Meredith Monk's ensemble, as documented on her influential album Dolmen Music.

Julius Eastman played in and conducted the Brooklyn Philharmonia's CETA Orchestra.

Julius Eastman coordinated the Philharmonia's Community Concert Series in conjunction with Foss and other composers of color.

In 1986, the choreographer Molissa Fenley set her dance, Geologic Moments, to music of Philip Glass and two works by Julius Eastman, which premiered at the Brooklyn Academy of Music.

Despondent about what he saw as a dearth of worthy professional opportunities, Julius Eastman grew increasingly dependent on drugs after 1983.

Julius Eastman's life fell apart; many of his scores were impounded by the New York City Sheriff's Office following an eviction in the early 1980s, further impeding his professional development.

Julius Eastman reportedly told the nurses he had no family or friends, but he did give them the name of his Buffalo roommate, dancer-choreographer Karl Singletary, who passed the news to Julius Eastman's mother.

Revival of Julius Eastman's music has been a difficult task and has depended on people who worked with him because his notational methods were loose and open to interpretation.

Julius Eastman described his works as "organic music" involving "gradual accrual and accumulation, often followed by gradual disintegration", where he would gradually and sometimes abruptly alter repeated refrains and phrases to create the basis for sheet music and its performance.

The composer Mary Jane Leach found scores by Julius Eastman, initially posting them to her website.

In June 2006, the New York-based group Networks presented their score realization of Julius Eastman's Stay On It at the ISSUE Project Room silo space on Carroll Street in Brooklyn.

Julius Eastman toured the Pacific Northwest and Europe in the Fall of 2013, with a program called Julius Eastman FOUND.

Julius Eastman performed on the MalletKat with an elaborate system of loops, developed in Ableton LIVE with the Keith McMillen 12Step foot controller.

In October 2021, Julius Eastman was the subject of BBC Radio 3's Composer of the Week.