Mark Grey


Mark Grey is an American Classical music composer, sound designer and sound engineer. He has been commissioned by The National Opera of Belgium La Monnaie de Munt Opera to write an evening length grand opera to premiere during the spring of 2019 in Brussels. The subject of the opera will be Mary Shelley's Frankenstein – to commemorate the novel's 200 year anniversary. Co-producers to be announced. Libretto by Júlia Canosa i Serra and stage direction by Àlex Ollé.

Career

Mark Grey attended San Jose State University in California, where he studied electroacoustic music and composition with Pablo Furman and Allen Strange. Grey received a Bachelor and Master of Arts in composition. Several years of teaching at the California State Summer School for the Arts allowed Grey to meet and establish ties with several contemporary composers and performers, including John Adams. Through Adams, Grey was introduced to Kronos Quartet in 1993. Kronos later recruited Grey to be one of their live performance sound designers.

Career as Composer

Grey made his Carnegie Hall debut as a composer with Kronos Quartet in 2003. His solo, ensemble and orchestra music has been performed in many venues such as the Sydney Opera House Concert Hall, Théâtre de la Ville in Paris, Barbican Centre in London, Het Muziektheater in Amsterdam, Carnegie Hall's Zankel Hall, Philharmonie Hall in Warsaw, UNESCO Palacio de Bellas Artes in Mexico City, Symphony Hall in Phoenix,
Royce Hall in Los Angeles, as well as at the Ravinia, , , Perth International, and Spoleto festivals.
Grey has been commissioned by The National Opera of Belgium La Monnaie de Munt Opera to write an evening length grand opera to premiere during the spring of 2016 in Brussels. The subject of the opera will be Mary Shelley's Frankenstein – to commemorate the novel's 200 year anniversary. Co-producers to be announced. Libretto by Júlia Canosa i Serra and stage direction by Àlex Ollé. In 2013–14, commissions will be awarded from The Atlanta Symphony Orchestra, The Los Angeles Philharmonic, among others.
During a two-month period in the spring of 2011, Grey received three world premieres in three of the world's great concert halls. The first work was for soprano Jessica Rivera and The MEME Ensemble, titled Ātash Sorushān, a Carnegie Hall, Cal Performances and Meet The Composer co-commission, which premiered at Carnegie's Zankel Hall. The libretto for this work was created by poet Niloufar Talebi. The second work, titled Mugunghwa, for violinist Jennifer Koh, The Los Angeles Master Chorale, and chamber orchestra premiered at The Walt Disney Concert Hall in Los Angeles. Finally, Mr. Grey was commissioned by The Atlanta Symphony Orchestra to write a fanfare for orchestra celebrating Robert Spano's Tenth Anniversary as Music Director and Donald Runnicles’ Tenth Anniversary as Principal Guest Conductor.
Grey was The Phoenix Symphony's Composer In Residence for their 2007/08
season. He composed a 70-minute oratorio, Enemy Slayer: A Navajo Oratorio,
for baritone, chorus of 130 singers, and full orchestra, which premiered in
February 2008. The story of the oratorio was based on a Navajo creation
mythology story. The residency was funded by Meet The Composer and ASOL's
program Music Alive! In September 2007, a 10-minute full orchestra work was
premiered during the residency period, titled The Summons. The oratorio was
recorded for Naxos Records and released March, 2009. Enemy Slayer: A Navajo
Oratorio has also been performed at the Colorado Music Festival in July 2008,
and in Salt Lake City in May 2009 with the Salt Lake Choral Artists.
Other recent commissions include works for The Los Angeles Philharmonic's
Minimalist Jukebox Festival, Kronos Quartet, Colorado Music Festival Orchestra,
Leila Josefowicz, Paul Dresher Ensemble, The California EARUnit, and Joan
Jeanrenaud.
Bertoia I and II, a two movement composition, was included as part of Kronos'
evening length program which has been performed at Theatre de la
Ville, Sydney Opera House, Perth International Music Festival
, Barbican Centre, Het Muziktheater, Carnegie
Hall, Royce Hall, Yerba Buena Center for the
Arts, and several others.
During her 2005/2006 season, violin prodigy Leila Josefowicz toured Grey's San
Andreas Suite for solo unaccompanied violin as part of her recital program.
Performances have been worldwide, including Barbican Centre in London,
Warsaw Philharmonic Hall, Carnegie Hall in November 2005 and Ravinia
Festival in the summer of 2006. As well, she recorded the recital program for
Warner Classics, released April 2005. In the summer of 2006, Ms. Josefowicz
premiered Grey's violin concerto titled Elevation. At the Colorado Music Festival
with conductor Michael Christie, and then at the Cabrillo Music Festival with
conductor Marin Alsop.
In April 2009, Molly Morkoski premiered a new solo piano work titled A Rax Dawn
at Symphony Space in New York City. In August 2009, Areon Flutes premiered a
new flute quartet titled The Alluring Wave at the 2009 U.S. National Flute
Convention.
In July 2005, Michael Christie premiered a new work for orchestra titled Pursuit.
The work was performed as part of the Colorado Music Festival.
Grey's music can be heard on Naxos, Joan Jeanrenaud's debut
CD Metamorphosis on New Albion Records, NPR/Nonesuch Records/Carnegie
Hall radio series Creators at Carnegie, and Warner Classics.
During his tenure at San Jose State University Grey performed with an experimental noise music ensemble called the Gas Chamber Orchestra, a group created in response to the that the gas chamber is cruel and unusual punishment and therefore unconstitutional.
Grey was listed by the Los Angeles Times – Faces to Watch 2006, Classical
Music Section, by Mark Swed.

Career as Sound Designer

Over two decades as a sound designer, professional relationships have led Grey
to work with such artists and organizations as John Adams, Steve Reich, Philip
Glass, Terry Riley, Boosey & Hawkes Music Publishers, Kronos Quartet and The
Paul Dresher Ensemble. He has premiered major concert and opera works for
composers John Adams, Philip Glass, Steve Reich, Terry Riley, Peter Eotvos
and Paul Dresher.
Grey was the first sound designer in history to design for The New York
Philharmonic at Avery Fisher Hall in 2002, The Lyric Opera in Chicago in 2007, Disney Concert Hall in 2003 and is
the first to design for The Metropolitan Opera in New York City, for Adams'
Doctor Atomic in October 2008. His sound design creations have been seen and
heard throughout most major concert halls, theatres and opera houses
worldwide.
Grey continues to work as sound designer for John Adams. He was the recording engineer on Adams' Hoodoo Zephyr, and was the sound designer for El Niño, Doctor Atomic, and On the Transmigration of Souls. His design work with Adams has been viewed as "cutting edge" for the world of traditional Classical music; the sound design for Doctor Atomic marked the first time house amplification was used in concert halls such as the Lyric Opera of Chicago or the New York Metropolitan Opera.
In 2011 Grey provided the sound design for The Chicago Lyric's production of Jerome Kern's Show Boat with co-productions at Houston Grand Opera, San Francisco Opera, and Washington National Opera in D.C.
In 2008 Grey provided the sound design for Stewart Wallace's opera The Bonesetter's Daughter when it premiered at the San Francisco Opera.
From 1990-1996 Grey worked as the first ever editorial intern at Keyboard Magazine, publishing technical materials and a monthly column.

Compositions (Stage Works)

Frankenstein
Othello

Compositions (Orchestra)

Leviathan
AHSHA
The Summons
Elevation
Pursuit

Compositions (Voice and Orchestra)

Ātash Sorushān
Enemy Slayer: A Navajo Oratorio
Harvest of Rage

Compositions (Voice or Chorus and Chamber Orchestra)

Ātash Sorushān
Mugunghwa: Rose of Sharon

Compositions (Solo Instrumental Music)

A Rax Dawn
San Andreas Suite
HÖLLENTAL
Sands of Time
Blood Red
Left for the Dogs
Hammerhead

Compositions (Chamber Music)

New Work for Violin and Piano
The Alluring Wave
Sparrow's Echo
Grinder
Bertoia I and Bertoia II
The Sleepless Dream
Kemi
Spadefoot

Sound Designer Projects (Opera Stage Productions)

Oklahoma!
Show Boat
Nixon in China
Show Boat

Sound Designer Projects (Concert Productions)

Nixon in China
Nixon in China