Zosha Di Castri (born 1985) is a Canadian composer and pianist living and working in New York. She is the Francis Goelet Assistant Professor of Music at Columbia University. Her work came to international attention when a specially commissioned piece about the lunar landings opened the BBC Proms 2019.
Early life and education Di Castri was born in Calgary, Alberta, and grew up in St. Albert."New music composer Zosha Di Castri talks about insights, creativity and challenges". St. Albert Gazette, Feb 10, 2018, Anna Borowiecki She completed her bachelor's of music in piano performance and composition at McGill University, and graduated from Columbia University with a Doctor of Musical Arts degree.
Career
Di Castri became an assistant professor of music at Columbia in 2014. In 2015 her work Dear Life was premiered by the National Arts Centre orchestra.Sarah Jennings. Art and Politics: The History of the National Arts Centre, Second Edition. MQUP; 17 October 2019. . p. 408.Peter Robb, "NACO's cutting edge: Dear Life leads the way into a new form of musical presentation". Ottawa Citizen, September 14, 2015 Her work has also been performed by the San Francisco Symphony, New World Symphony, Toronto Symphony Orchestra, Orchestre Symphonique de Montreal, and the BBC Symphony Orchestra.
On 19 July 2019 her specially commissioned work Long is the Journey, Short is the Memory opened the BBC Proms 2019 with the BBC Symphony Orchestra and the BBC Singers conducted by Karina Canellakis."Behind the Proms' celestial opening number". BBC News, By Mark Savage, 19 July 2019"First night of the Proms review – the moon, and female stars". The Guardian, Erica Jeal, 21 Jul 2019 Reviewers praised the composition, and commented on Di Castri's skill as an orchestrator. "BBC Proms, review: First night is a finely nuanced success". The Independent, 20-July-2019. Michael Church"Why more millennials should go proms". New Statesman 20-July-2019
Di Castri's compositions are also performed by the JACK Quartet."What’s Old is Strikingly New With the JACK Quartet". San Francisco Classical Voice, By Rebecca Wishnia, May 14, 2019
In 2019, Di Castri released a debut album of her compositions in performances by various ensembles and artists."Composer Zosha Di Castri Releases Debut Album TACHITIPO On New Focus Recordings". Broadway World, Oct. 25, 2019
In 2021, she received a Guggenheim Fellowship.
Selected works
Anssi de suite… (2015) for solo cello AKKORD I (2012) for flute, piano, electronics, and kinetic sculpture installation Alba (2011) for orchestra The Animal After Whom Other Aninsls Are named (2013) for six singers and electronics The Contours of Absence (2018) for string octet (double quartet) Cortège (2010) for 13 musicians Dear Life (2015) for orchestra, soprano, and recorded narrator Dream Feed Origins (2020) for fixed media Dream Feed I. - ZD/Olivia (2021) for fixed media, violin, piano Dream Feed II. - ZD/Pauchi (2021) for fixed media, violin(s)/voice and processing, and piano Dream Feed III. - ZD/Alice (2021) for fixed media, voice/flute and processing, and piano Dream Feed IV. - ZD/Chloe (2021) for fixed media, cello and processing, and piano Dream Feed V. - ZD/Aiyum (2021) for fixed media, percussion, and piano Du haut de l’Orillon (2007, revised 2008) for clarinet and electronics DUX (2017) for solo piano Escapement (2009) for oboe, saxophone, percussion, piano, and accordion Everything Too Big To Take Apart (2012) for tape and interactive wii controller, for dance Four Miniatures for Woodwind Quintet (2009, revised 2010) for woodwind quintet how many bodies have we to pass through (2017, revised 2019) for solo percussion Hunger (2018) for orchestra, improvised drummer, and silent film Pentimento (2022) for orchestra, commissioned for thy WDR Symphony Orchestra Cologne In the Half-light (2022) for Orchestra, commissioned for the Toronto Symphony Orchestra La forma dello spazio (2010) for chamber ensemble L’allée d’ardoise (2009) for 12 musicians Lineage (2013) Listen to Low (2010) for tape Long is the Journey, Short is the Memory (2019) for Orchestra & Chorus, commissioned for the [BBC Proms] 2019 Manif (2013) for percussion quartet Near Mute Force (2016) for 2 voices, viola, piano, drum set plus auxiliary percussion Pamplecaribou (2013) for amplified flute, piano, cello, and tape Patina (2016) for solo violin Phonobellow (2015) for 5 instrumentalists, electronics and interactive sound sculpture, co-composed with David Adamcyk The Phonograph (2014) for baritone, violin, and cello Phonophotographie (2012) for 15 musicians Serafiniana (2014) for orchestra, amplified solo violin, amplified harp, and electronics Sprung Testament (2018) for piano and violin Strange Matter (2011) for 8 musicians String Quartet No 1 (2016) sulla mappa concava del buio (2010) for string quartet, soprano, and electronics Tachitipo (2016) for two pianists, two percussionists, and electronics The Thinking Eye (2006) for solo piano Wake, Butterfly (2015) for 12 musicians Work and Day (2012) for percussion duo
References
External links Profile on the Columbia University website