Department of Music
Faculty
Todd Barton
Director of Composition Studies
Todd Barton is Resident Composer and Music Director at the Oregon Shakespeare Festival in Ashland, OR. He is also the Director of Composition Studies at the Music Department of Southern Oregon University. This past year Todd has become nationally known for his pioneering work in the sonification of DNA sequences from the Human Genome Project which have led to a variety of exciting collaborations with geneticists, dancers, musicians and microbiologists. (http://www.toddbarton.com/)
His experience in electronic music began in 1979 with a Serge system. His first major electro-acoustic score was Dracula in 1983 for the KRONOS Quartet and electronics. Now he teaches Metasynth and composition at Southern Oregon University and travels as a Metasynth consultant and tutor.
His other focus is composing for orchestra, string quartet and woodwind quintet. Commissions include Terrains for Orchestra for the Oregon Symphony Orchestra (James DePreist, conductor); Apogee for Woodwind Quintet for The Rogue Winds and A Way Through and The Dream of Now for the Cavani String Quartet; Translucencies for Viola, Contrabass and String Orchestra with Karen Elaine and Bert Turetzky; and Shadow Teachings for String Orchestra for the Rogue Valley Symphony Orchestra.
Barton’s avant-garde piece Diastems II for Alto Saxophone was premiered by Prof. Rhett Bender of Southern Oregon University. Prof. Bender also premiered Transformations for Soprano Sax and Piano. A compilation CD of new music which includes Prof. Bender’s performances is available through the AUR label.
Todd’s theater music for productions of Dracula, Peer Gynt and Breaking the Silence have been recorded by the KRONOS Quartet. And he has collaborated with poets, Ursula K. Le Guin, Lawson Fusao Inada, and the late William Stafford.
Barton created an original score for the documentary film, Fire On The Mountain, which premiered at the Telluride Mt. Film Festival and won first place. The film was also chosen for the 1996 Sundance Film Festival.
Todd has also performed and recorded live electronics (keyboard and EVI) with jazz great Anthony Braxton (CD—Eugene 89), shakuhachi master John Singer (CD—Naked Vision) and author/poet Ursula K. Le Guin (tape—Music & Poetry of the Kesh and The Tao Te Ching). He has studied shakuhachi with John Singer, John Kaizan Neptune, Matsumura Homei and Ronnie Nyogetsu Seldin.
Barton’s other film scores include music for the Disney/Sarabande production of Night John. He also created sound effects for Trilobyte’s CD-ROM game, Clandestiny.
Hear music at: www.toddbarton.com
Email Todd Barton
