“Riveting with his incredible technique and mastery of the instrument,” (JG Thirlwell) violinist Tom Chiu–noted for his broad contributions to contemporary music and sound art–has premiered over 200 works by influential musicians such as Muhal Richard Abrams, Virko Baley, David Chesky, David First, Fast Forward, Leroy Jenkins, Oliver Lake, Wadada Leo Smith, Alvin Lucier, Michael Schumacher, and Henry Threadgill. He has also shared the stage with such musical luminaries as Ornette Coleman, Jessye Norman, and Paul McCartney, among others. As a composer/improviser, Chiu has collaborated with artists working in a variety of disciplines, including choreographers Pam Tanowitz and Eun-Me Ahn, film/video artists Phill Niblock and Ken Jacobs, vocalists Jaap Blonk and Thomas Buckner, balloonist Judy Dunaway, visual artist Matthew Barney, and theater troupe Mabou Mines. Chiu is thrilled to collaborate once again with the OpenEnded Group on Blackletter, after prior projects with OEG commissioned by EMPAC, the Museum of the Moving Image, and the Gardner Museum.
As founder of the FLUX Quartet, Chiu has led an influential new-music ensemble which has become “legendary for its furiously committed, untiring performances.” (Alex Ross) A recipient of the Chamber Music America Commissioning Grant, Chiu has dedicated compositions toFLUX, Joan La Barbara, Bobby Few, Sylvere Lotringer, J/C/C Trio, the Downtown Ensemble, Mount Tremper Arts, and OEG, with performances at BBC, Park Avenue Armory, Roulette, Walker Art Center, Bang-On-A-Can Marathon, MOMA PS1, EMPAC, and Anthology Film Archives. His extensive discography includes recordings for the Asphodel, Innova, Koch, Mode, Mutable Music, New Focus, New World, Sombient, Tzadik labels, and his latest solo album, THE LIVE ONE, was recently released on XI Records. He has also produced and designed sonic environments for special events, including gala openings at the Park Avenue Armory, the Noguchi Museum, and Renzo Piano’s New York Times Building. Chiu holds degrees in chemistry and music from Yale and Juilliard, and has appeared as a cultural commentator, consultant, and panelist in a variety of artistic contexts.
