Catherine Kontz
Catherine is active as a freelance composer, writing and collaborating with musicians and visual artists in London. Among others, she has written music for Henri Vaxby, Rhodri Davies (www.rhodridavies.co.uk) and Ebba Erikzon (www.ebba.tv). She is currently work-shopping ideas with BJ Cole for whom she is writing a piece for pedal steel (www.bjcole.co.uk).
Also, as part of her research for a PhD in Composition at Goldsmiths College with Roger Redgate, Catherine is in the process of finishing a large-scale music theatre work (MIE) which also involves mimes and an acrobat.
She hopes to put up a performance of MIE in Autumn 2006. MIE also features a glass harmonica, a fantastic instrument mastered beautifully by Alasdair Malloy from whom she learns about the lands of glass. (www.alasdairmalloy.com)
As a pianist and cellist, she regularly performs within the contemporary music and free improvisation scene in London with appearances at INTERLACE (www.incalcando.com/interlace) and more recently at the MUSIC WE'D LIKE TO HEAR concert series and the Melbourne Arts Festival in Derbyshire. She also records and performs regularly with CARTRIDGE alongside Tom Farncombe, Dave Smith and Henri Vaxby (www.cartridgetheband.com). She has also performed with Icons of Elegance (www.iconsofelegance.com), Woodchuck (www.teamwoodchuck.com), Mika Sellens (www.mikasellens.com), the Wedding Present and the Bays.
Influences
Alessandro Baricco - Hayao Miyazaki - Japanese theatre - David Lynch - Gilles Deleuze - La Grande Vadrouille (the best film ever ever ever) - sea sounds and smells - Tim Burton - 11 o'clock tea (it helps me think like Mma Ramotswe) - Mathematics - dEUS - Charlies Angels (the old ones) - John Tilbury - Seagulls and Bugs- Ben Folds - Jigsaw Puzzles - Vladimir Horowitz - côte d'or chocolate
