During his visit to the beach, a man is pulled underwater by a strong undertow, and after twelve minutes without oxygen, he never regains consciousness. Nothing in the Nothingness is an operatic monologue that explores what it means to be alive and functioning in a vegetative state when consciousness is not possible.

Music by Daniel Zajicek
Libretto by John Grimmett
Video, Daniel Zajicek

Alex Rosen, MAN
Lisa Villegas, NURSE

Evan Withner, alto sax
George Heathco, electric guitar
Benjamin Stoehr, cello
Victor Valkov, piano
Luke Hubley, drum set
Conducted by Hsiao-Lan Wang

NOTHING IN THE NOTHINGNESS

Daniel Zajicek is a composer and video artist. Most interested in beauty and the bizarre, his musical output consists of solo, chamber, choral, electronic, video, installation, operatic, orchestral, and theater music. Performances of his music have taken place throughout the United States, the Czech Republic, and the Far East-most notably at the International Computer Music Conference, the SEAMUS national conference, Diverse Works Flikerlounge, Society of Composers Inc., Imagine II, Florida Electro-acoustic Music Festival, Most Significant Bytes, Lewis University Bytes concert series, the NewTown Pasadena/SCREAM Sounding Images program, MusicAcoustic 2005: Mix (Beijing), the University of Missouri-Kansas City’s Musica Nova, and the Mckinney Repertory Theater. He has been the recipient of the Bertha Mallard Scolarship for Music Composition, the Richard and Candice Faulk Composition Scholarship, the Merrill Ellis Memorial Composition Scholarship, and as a pianist, Daniel was given a scholarship from the National Federation of Music Clubs. Additional honors for his music have come from the Missouri State Music Teachers National Association, the National Guild of Piano Teachers, and ASCAP.
 
Video works by Daniel have been shown at Newtown’s Pop-Up films, Diverse Works Flickerlounge, 4D DREAM-a-thon, Sounding Images, and Most Significant Bytes, among others. His video Self Portrait is released on the first installment of Buffet DVD (buffetdvd.com).
 
Daniel holds degrees from the University of Missouri-Kansas City (BM Composition & BM Piano Performance), the University of North Texas (MM Composition), and Rice University (DMA Composition). He has taught music technology and music theory at Rice University, The Art Institute of Houston, and Collin County Community College. While at the University of North Texas, he served as audio/visual specialist for the College of Music and helped oversee the construction and operation of the College of Music Computer Lab Recording Studio.

NOTHING IN THE NOTHINGNESS

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