Simon Hutchinson is a composer whose work spans several and musical styles and cultures. Having grown up as a “Third Culture Kid” in the cosmopolitan atmosphere of Boston, Hutchinson developed an appreciation of cross-cultural interchange and communication. Now, drawing on experience from his life as a global nomad, he composes unique works integrating music of different cultures and styles, exploring themes of nature, humanity, and global community.
Hutchinson holds a BA in Music from Bates College, an MA in Music Composition from the University of California, Santa Cruz, and is a PhD candidate in Composition with supporting coursework in Intermedia Music Technology (IMT) at the University of Oregon. Notable composition teachers include Bill Matthews (Bates), Hi Kyung Kim (UCSC), David Cope (UCSC), Peter Elsea (UCSC), Robert Kyr (UO), David Crumb (UO) and Jeffrey Stolet (UO). Additionally, Hutchinson spent several years in Japan studying shamisen (three-stringed lute) and Japanese Folk Music with virtuoso Sato Asao and shakuhachi (vertical bamboo flute) with Sato Chikuen.
Hutchinson’s compositions have been performed across the US, Japan, and Korea, including at various music festivals and conferences, including SEAMUS (2012, 2011), Miso Music Portugal (2011, 2010), the Music Today Festival (2011), April in Santa Cruz (2007, 2006), and the Oregon Bach Festival Composers Symposium (2009). In 2008, he was awarded the 1st Young Composers’ Competition of CMEK (Contemporary Music Ensemble Korea, 2008), and his work has also been recognized by a Sasakawa Young Leader’s Fellowship Fund (SYLFF) Fellowship, a University of Oregon Graduate School Research Award (2008, 2010), the University of Oregon Ruth Close Musical Fellowship (2008), ASCAPlus Composer’s Awards (2007-2011), the Porter Associate Fellows Graduate Arts Research Grant (2007), UCSC Music Department Graduate Fellowship (2005, 2006), and the Bates College Key Music Award (2002). Currently, Hutchinson is a Graduate Teaching Fellow in Intermedia Music Technology at the University of Oregon, where he teaches classes on digital audio and sound design.
As a shamisen player, Hutchinson regularly performs public concerts with Japanese, American, and Korean performers. He has appeared on the Japanese national public broadcasting station NHK and the program “Kubota Min’yô Okunimeguri” (”Folk Music Around the Country”), as well as on the 2006 folk-music album “Tamashi no Hibiki” (”Sounds of the Soul”). He currently acts as the director of the pacific-rim group, the TaiHei Ensemble, where he plays shamisen, shakuhachi, upright and electric bass, and electronics.
You may contact him at simon [ at-sign ] simonhutchinson [ period ] com.
Selected Works
Electronic, fixed media
Left at the Lights; (2005, revised 2011) stereo
21st-Century Matsuri; (2010) 8-channel
haru no umi; (2009) 8-channel
hatsuyuki; (2009) 8-channel
Towa, June 1st, 2004; (2004, revised 2010) stereo
Electronic, live
Phoenix; (work in progress) live Wacom Tablet
Doppelgänger; (2011) bassoon and electronics
bioMechanics; (2011) saxophone, bassoon, and electronics
Canned!; (2010) “blue air” sensors, five performers
PulseStream; (2010) ajaeng and electronics
Requiem; (2010) shamisen and electronics
Ewha, Nabi; (2009) soprano voice, gayageum, and fixed media
An Evening with Noriaki Yuasa; (2008) alto sax and DVD
hoshi meguri no uta; (2004) VR Glove (P5) and keyboard
Chamber/Solo, Western Instruments
TONGTOKKUNG; (2012) flute, violin, viola, and cello
tonbo; (2006, revised 2011) mixed octet
Waves on West Cliff; (2011) percussion, piano, e. guitar, and e. bass
Umagata; (2010) flute and guitar
Long Distance; (2010) brass trio
Zephyr; (2009) soprano saxophone (or flute), e. guitar, piano, e. contrabass
membrana tympaniformis; (2009) solo piccolo
fuurin; (2008) flute and trumpet
Seven Sages of the Bamboo Grove; (2008) pierrot ensemble
PRAYERS; (2008) clarinet & violin, violin & viola, or alto flute and viola
The Great Peace of Gyeonggi; (2008) violin solo
interaction in the subatomic world; (2007) mixed sextet
Four Short Pieces for American Trio; (2007) banjo, saw, percussion
Spheres; (2007) piano & percussion
hanami; (2006) solo piano
Chamber/Solo, with NonWestern Instruments
Cowboys and Samurais; (2011) for shamisen and guitar
sweet; (2010) shamisen and cello
Diaspora; (2010) gayageum and alto sax
BEAM; (2009) Balinese gamelan
five; (2009) piri, gayageum, flugelhorn, violin, cello
bioComputer; (2008) shakuhachi and clarinet
Epsilon Aurigae; (2008) gayageum duet
of modesty and splendor; (2007) daegeum, gayageum, janggu, clarinet, cello
colloquy for Sanjo Gayageum and Tsugaru Jamisen (2007)
Ten Bulls; (2007) string quartet & Tsugaru shamisen
Anamnesis & Catharsis; (2006) violoncello & gayageum
Choral
In this short Life; (2009) men’s choir
Touch lightly Nature’s sweet Guitar; (2009) mixed chorus
Vocal
Beautiful Soup; (2010) baritone and chamber ensemble
On This Day in March; (2010) solo soprano and piano
Sea Lily; (2010) solo soprano
Through Frozen Fields; (2008) soprano, violin, viola, cello, bass
Orchestral
Chaji; (2011) for orchestra
hayashi; (2009) chamber orchestra
Open Instrumentation
Everybody on the One; (2010) for infinite musicians