EVO24 PARTICIPANT BIOS
Phoebe Bognár (1997*) holds several creative profiles– performer, flutist, improviser, and composer. Her approach to creativity is sewn with vibrancy and fluidity and explores a broad range of artistic entities, mediums, and identities.
Phoebe delights in collaboration across genres, art forms, and disciplines, and delves into new and exciting ways of creative expression. The use of various flutes, objects, voice, languages, gesture, theatre, improvisation, electronics, visuals, and activism are core components of her creative practice and projects.
Performance practice informs Phoebe's compositional approach, and vice versa. In her music, she employs a melange of traditional notation, graphic scores, audible scores, text scores, site-specific composition, and installations. Her works have been played by various artists in events and venues including the Center for New Music, MASS MoCA/Bang On A Can Summer Music Festival, Nief-Norf Summer Music Festival (USA), Theater Basel, BuchBasel Festival (SONX prize shortlist), Hochschule für Musik Basel (CH), Darmstadt Ferienkurse, KunstKulturKirche (DE) and the Queensland Conservatorium Griffith University (AU).
As a performer, Phoebe has been invited to perform with numerous renowned ensembles such as Ensemble Modern, Ensemble Recherche and Klangforum Wien. She also creates projects with her hybrid instrumental-performative duos– iipm project and press.any.key. Since April 2024, Phoebe has been a member of the acclaimed Freiburg-based contemporary music group Ensemble Aventure.
Phoebe is a recipient of the 2024 Fritz Gerber Award from the Lucerne Festival and grants and awards from the Foundation Nicati-de Luze, Ian Potter Cultural Trust, Hirschmann Stipendium, and Australia Council for the Arts amongst others.
Through art, Phoebe seeks to create new connections and understandings - to each other and to the world we live in.
Armond Dorsey
Armond is an interdisciplinary artist-researcher synthesizing storytelling with research to inquire “why not be free?”. Their creative work builds dream-like worlds through rituals—cyclical structured improvisations involving audience participation—to foster collective healing and actualize radical imaginations of our shared reality free from antiBlackness and oppression. Armond immerses audiences into live performance, installation, & theater settings to experience these worlds otherwise. Hence, poetry underpins their performance practices as a performer-composer and poet-playwright. Armond writes poems that transmute everyday acts in Black life into rituals, evoking soundscapes and dialogue. Born and raised in Prince George’s County, MD, Armond amplifies intergenerational memory within their Black communities by drawing from archives of how Black folks have lived & dream of living.
The principal instructors who have shaped their work include Ashley Fure, César Alvarez, Allie Martin, Taylor Ho Bynum, avery r. young, Carmen Rivera-Tirado, William Britelle, Samita Sinha, Sangwook "Sunny'' Nam, and Seth Parker Woods. Armond holds a M.A. in Digital Musics and a B.A. in Music modified with Neuroscience with a African and African-American Studies minor from Dartmouth College: armonddorsey.com
Recent honors, commissions, and festival performances include: New Amsterdam Records Composer Lab, Atlantic Center for the Arts (#191), Dramatic Question Theater’s PlayTime Workshop, New York Theater Workshop Company-in-Residence (JAG Productions, Production Dramaturg); International Contemporary Ensemble’s 2022 EVO; Dartmouth College 2022-2023 New Music Festivals; New Media, Arts, and Sound Festival; 2022 Nief-Norf Summer Festival; 2020 Frost & Dodd Playwriting Festival.
Elijah J. Thomas (he/him/his) is a Black Philadelphia-born, Harlem-based flutist, multi-instrumentalist, educator and composer/experimentalist. Elijah studied woodwind performance/improvisation with Dick Oatts, Tim Warfield, Jr., Walter Bell, and Dr. Cynthia Folio; composition with Kevin Rodgers, Dr. Cynthia Folio, and Dr. Maurice Wright; and music education studies with Dr. Rollo Dilworth and Dr. Allison Reynolds. Elijah has held teaching positions with Temple University Music Prep, Settlement Music School, Tune Up Philly (Philadelphia Youth Orchestra), Education Through Music, and BASIS Independent Schools. He creates what he calls “enuff music”: music for Black healing and spiritual transcendence. Notable works include the commission and premier of his site-responsive work For Harlem for the new music organization Music At The Anthology (debuted at the Kente Royal Gallery in Harlem, NYC, October 2021); work with the International Contemporary Ensemble for their “Ensemble Evolution” partner program with The New School (2020-2022); winner of “Best Film Score” at the Pure Magic International Film Festival for the documentary short Fan of Cory (awarded February 2021 in Amsterdam, The Netherlands); and selection as one of ten commissioned composers of color to participate in the inaugural “Composing Inclusion” program, a joint collaboration between The Juilliard School, New York Philharmonic, and American Composers Forum (powered by the Sphinx Venture Fund, 2022). Elijah is Musical Director of the global street band performance organization Honk NYC!, whose mission is to “make events that reclaim, reuse, and redefine public space and connect communities through music-making, pageantry, audience participation, and education.”
Jaz Thomasian (they/them) is a Cleveland-based composer, performer, and sound artist for whom experimentation and collaboration are vital. Their creative work examines materiality and relational dynamics, with each piece forming around a core question or musical object. Many of their pieces involve improvisation or theatrics. As a performer, they tend to work with mundane objects, in combination with amplification, electronics, and field recordings/found sounds. Jaz’s recent projects include a fully acoustic work for large chamber ensemble (premiered by Ensemble Linea, 2024), a percussion trio for amplified handmade ceramic instruments and webcams (premiered by line upon line percussion, 2024), a darkly comical solo performance using amplified household objects, found sound recordings, and voice (premiered in Austin, TX, 2024), and an ongoing opera project that showcases everyday people’s stories of growing up or raising children in dysfunctional family situations. Jaz holds an MA in Composition from the Eastman School of Music and is pursuing a PhD in Composition & Music Technology at Northwestern University.
Marcella Keating (she/her) is a composer, administrator, trumpet player and vocalist based in London, UK. Her work is interested in the collision of composition, improvisation, performance rituals and interdisciplinary artistic practices, most commonly the visual arts and text. The practice of making physical objects have become integral for her work: her compositions are often led by hand-drawn scores, with performers encouraged to engage with whatever means they have and want to make sound with. Themes of connection and of trust between performers, the audience, and the composer(s) are pivotal to her pieces. She studied composition with Christian Mason and Darren Bloom at the University of Cambridge (Newnham College), graduating with an undergraduate degree in Music in 2022. Her music has been performed by andPlay, the Cambridge University Opera Society, and the Minerva Festival. She has collaborated with artists including Erika Tan and Sophie Madden, and has performed with ensembles including (Im)Possibilities. She is currently working on a collection of open score ‘postcard’ pieces for mixed ensembles, and is exploring how to fuse her background in textiles with her composition and performance practices. Alongside her compositional practice, she works as the Events and Marketing Manager at Nonclassical, an event promoter and record label platforming experimental, electronic and contemporary classical music.
Ana Luisa Díaz de Cossío
Rocío Díaz de Cossío (they/them) is a Mexican cellist, composer, and improviser. They are dedicated to exploring the sonic possibilities of their instrument, implementing prepared cello and live electronics. Their performances encompass improvisation, solo and ensemble acoustic and electroacoustic pieces, interdisciplinary collaboration, and collective compositions. Rocío has collaborated with Matana Roberts, Frank Gratousky, Wilfrido Terrazas, Kyle Motl, José Solares, Stephanie Richards, Adriana Hölzky. Rocío has participated at Darmstadt Summer Course, the International Ensemble Modern Academy at Klangspuren, Red Ecología Acústica México, Festival Expresiones Contemporáneas, The Center for Advanced Musical Studies at Chosen Vale, Red Ecología Acústica México and has been a visiting artist at CalArts. Recent commissions include works by Anne Lebaron, Guadalupe Perales, and a solo/duo piece for them and Madison Greenstone by Wilfrido Terrazas. Rocío concentrates their practice in New York City and México, focusing on performer-composer practices and teaching cello.
Shinya Lin is a performer, composer, and improvisor. He is also a co-founder of Chaospace, a community that supports the curation of Asian artists in New York City. Shinya's musical style encompasses various genres, including new music, jazz, improvisation, and electroacoustic music. He focuses on playing the piano, prepared piano, and electronics, drawing inspiration from artists such as John Cage and Cecil Taylor. He believes in embracing whatever comes as a consequence of life and finding enjoyment in exploring the soundscape informed by life and nature. Shinya places great emphasis on "being present" in his music, as it is inseparable from ordinary life. He believes that music brings people together and helps them connect naturally, leading to a realization of life's purpose. Shinya graduated from Berklee College of Music and now holds a Master of Music degree from The New School's Performer-Composer program. He has embarked on a creative path, collaborating with various art communities in New York.
Toni Mora, born in Palma (Spain) in 1996, discovered his passion for jazz and improvisation at 15, studying piano, harmony, and arranging with Pep Lluís Castaño. He graduated in jazz piano from the Escola Superior de Música de Catalunya (ESMUC) in 2020 under Lluís Vidal. Then he moved to Madrid, joining its vibrant music scene. He has released albums with the quartet Big Babo and "Sol," a collection of original piano compositions. He also collaborates with various projects, including Magalí Datzira’s band, María Sedano’s jazz-folk quintet, and "Sonetos del amor oscuro," a poetry and jazz-flamenco concert directed by Pep Tosar. He also has worked as musical director for "La breve pausa" theater company, composing the music for productions like "The golden dragon" and "The other shore." Currently, he is pursuing a master's degree at The New School in New York City, continuing his musical journey.
Sadie Powers
Jonathan Reisin is a Brooklyn-based saxophonist, composer, and improviser born in Israel, His artistic vision revolves around crafting original music deeply influenced by Contemporary music, Jazz, and the Avant-Garde. Throughout his career, Jonathan had the opportunity to collaborate with notable artists such as Francisco Mela, Kris Davis, Anat Fort, Val Jeanty, Cooper Moore, and many more, with appearances at the Vermont Jazz Festival, Forward Festival (Brooklyn), Yearot Menache Festival (ISR), Gangneung International Art Festival (South Korea) and venues around the world. In 2022, Jonathan released his highly acclaimed debut album, "Option B," through Habitable Records, garnering widespread praise from critics and music enthusiasts alike. In October 2023, Jonathan was set to embark on another exciting musical venture as he collaborated with his esteemed mentor, the great drummer Francisco Mela, on a new album titled 'Earthquake,' on 577 Records.
Ben Rempel is a Los Angeles based percussionist, improviser, and composer whose practice spans experimental music, improvised music, western classical music, jazz, Brazilian music, songwriting, and more. He has a master’s degree in music from UC San Diego where he studied with Steven Schick and bachelor’s degrees in percussion performance and computer science from Oberlin College where he studied with Michael Rosen and Jamey Haddad.
Fernando Egido studied composition with José Luis de Delás at the School of Music of the University of Alcalá de Henares and received musical training in workshops with composers, analysts, and interpreters around the LIEM or the GCAC with Lachenmann, Spahlinger, Muraill, Sciarrino, Ferneyhough, Kagel, Haas, Dodge, Hidalgo, Sotelo, Hubert, etc... He studied Electronic Music around LIEM courses, especially with Emiliano del Cerro. He holds a licentiate degree in philosophy from UNED University. For several years he taught the subject Fundamentals of Electroacoustic and Computer Music in the Superior Conservatory of Balearic Islands. He is dedicated to experimental music, instrumental, and electronic music, and sound art. He has published several papers at international conferences and a book “Towards an Aesthetics of Cognitive-Parametric Music”.
His works have been performed at festivals and conferences such as; International Computer Music Conference 2023 in Shenzhen, .abeceda Institute, Ars Electronica Linz, La hora acusmática, Convergence 2022 conference in Leicester, Atemporánea Festival in Buenos Aires, Artificial Intelligence Music Creativity 2022 in Tokyo, Audio Mostly 2022 Conference in Sankt Pölten, the Sound Kitchen 2022 inside World Stage Design, Sur Aural, EVO 2021, as OUA Electroacoustic Music Festival 2020 in Osaka, International Society for Music Information Retrieval 2020 in Montreal. The Seoul International Electroacoustic Music Festival 2019, the Australasian Computer Music Conference 2019 conference in Melbourne, SID ( Sound, Image, Data) 2015 conference in New York, Venice Vending Machine III, New York City Electroacoustic Music Festival (2016 –2017- 2020), JIEN in the Auditory 400 National Museum Art Center Reina Sofía, SMASH Festival, Encontres Festival in Palma Of Majorca, ACA, the Fundaçió Pilar i Joan Miró and, Nomad Roots.
Adrienne Schoenfeld is a composer and bassist based in New York City. Her work is based upon collaborative and improvisational practices. Alongside members Leah Micheal Whalen and Jake Miles, she founded the experimental new music trio, kon.trip. She has created music for a number of dance collaborations with artists Weichen Cui, Lu Wang, Tshedzom, and Rafailia Bampasidou. In 2022, she participated in Ensemble Evolution led by International Contemporary Ensemble as a bass player and composer. Some of her recent bass performances include at the IRCAM Forum, with Noise Catalogue, and with DUO BEAL/SCHOENFELD.
In May 2023, she graduated with a Masters in Concert Composition from NYU Steinhardt. She wrote the song cycle, Wildfire, on the life and work of Mary Shelly for Cristina Gallo’s concert program Lost Narratives collaborating with librettist Demree Mcgee Her music has been performed by Roadrunner Trio, The Rhythm Method, Hypercube, and BlackBox Ensemble, amongst others. Since 2023, she has been the Executive Director of BeComEnsemble.
Murphy Severtson (b. 1999) is a composer, administrator, teacher, theater artist, vocalist, and accordionist. Based in New York City, they make art centered in care, reciprocity, and human connection. Their music has been performed by the Rhythm Method, the International Contemporary Ensemble, and the St. Olaf Band, at Lincoln Center, the Dimenna Center, and National Sawdust. They currently teach at the New York Philharmonic's Very Young Composers' program.
Anjali Shinde is an artist who is deeply invested in sharing intimate moments of connection, understanding, and growth through music. In solo and chamber performance, improvisation, composition, teaching, and mentorship, she channels her innovative spark to create engaging experiences for everyone involved. She is a current fellow in Ensemble Connect, and frequently performs high-level chamber concerts at Carnegie Hall and The Juilliard School. An advocate for new music, she has premiered works by composers including Valerie Coleman, Nathalie Joachim, Tanner Porter, inti figgis-vizueta, and Levy Lorenzo. She also works as a teaching artist bringing interactive performances to schools across the NYC area and upstate NY.
Originally from Orlando, Florida, Anjali holds a bachelor’s degree from the Frost School of Music at the University of Miami, where she studied with Trudy Kane, Valerie Coleman, and Jennifer Grim.
Lulu West (she/her) is a sound and performance artist based in NYC. Lulu is deeply invested in heavy music and performance art. She is a harsh noise, hardcore and power electronic creator as well as a soundscape sculptor. She also performs performance art sets that physically challenge trans bodies. Currently, she is focused on an audiovisual project that explores how trans and gender non-conforming artists situate their work in rural areas of the Rocky Mountains (where she is from). She also has an electro-acoustic vocal and prepared guitar/bass solo practice merging traditional queer folk melodies with free improvisation. Lulu’s main collaborative projects at the moment consist of a folk/classical guitar duo project entitled Polsky West with collaborator Maya Polsky, a noise rock trio called Duchess, a movement and theater based practice with movement artist Mack Lawrence, and a free-improv trio called mudmudmud with fellow sound artists astrid hubbard flynn and Deven Carmichael.
Lulu’s compositional works have been performed by ensembles and individuals such as, The International Contemporary Ensemble, The New York Philharmonic Orchestra, Yo-Yo Ma, The Akropolis Reed Quintet, Kinan Azmeh, Quartetto Indaco, The Playground Ensemble, Russell Greenberg, The Neave Trio, The Akropolis Reed Quintet, The Sequoia Reed Quartet and others. Very importantly, Lulu’s main mentors and teachers in her sound related endeavors have been Meredith Monk, Wendy Eisenberg, Jon Deak, Anthony Cheung, Lu Wang, Erik DeLuca, Kristina Warren, Conrad Kehn and Eric Nathan. For her other performance work she has worked with Kirsten Johnson, Talley Murphy, Patricia Ybarra and more!
Lulu is currently a teaching artist for the New York philharmonic’s Very Young Composers Program and Phil Schools Program, Community-Word Project, Young Audiences New York (YANY) and a musician for the Misty Copeland Foundation’s Be Bold program.
