Allison Cameron (composer)


Allison Cameron is a Canadian composer of contemporary classical music. She composes works for conventional classical instruments, early music instruments, and modern electric instruments such as the electric guitar. She is also a performer of free improvisation and experimental music.

Early life and education

Cameron was born in Edmonton, Alberta, and moved with her family to North Vancouver. She studied at the University of Victoria and York University. She has cited Michael Longton and Rudolf Komorous as significant influences.

Career

Cameron moved to TToronto in 1989. She founded a six-piece chamber ensemble, Arcana, in 1992 in Toronto, which performs a contemporary composition repertoire. In 1995 she released a CD of chamber music, Raw Sangudo.
Cameron's 1998 composition, "Retablo", was commissioned through the Canada Council for the Arts to be played by the classical music quartet The Burdocks. Her 2000 release, Ornaments, features her compositions performed by violinist Marc Sabat, pianoist Stephen Clarke, and clarinetist Ronda Rindone.
Cameron has worked with Louis Andriessen, Gilius van Bergeijk, Per Nørgård, and Frederic Rzewski in Europe, and Rudolf Komorous, Michael Longton, and James Tenney in Canada. She was a member of the Drystone Orchestra, along with Martin Arnold, Stephen Parkinson, John Abram.
Her music has been performed at the Bang on a Can Festival and she has been commissioned by the Bang on a Can All-Stars. Recordings of her music have been released by the CRI and XI labels. In 2004 she was music director of the contemporary ensemble Arraymusic.
In 2013, the Allison Cameron Band, released an album, Bent Spoon Duo, Without and With Allison Cameron through the Rad Drifting label.

Discography