Master's portfolio

performed by:
Clara Giner Franco, alto flute/piccolo
Isaac Roth Blumfield, objects
Miriam Paschetta, harp
Anastasia Agapova, viola
recorded live at the Grosser Saal of the Musik Akademie Basel on March 28th, 2022

like a stain only you see | for alto flute/piccolo, viola, harp, and objects (2021-22)

composed, recorded, and mixed by Isaac Roth Blumfield 
mastered by Moritz Wetter 
first broadcast: SRF 2 Kultur, June 29, 2022 as a part of collaboration between SRF and Elektronisches Studio der Musik-Akademie Basel

Program note:
"Worn like a map" moves through imaginary spaces, synthesizing disparate worlds into an evolving landscape. It continually searches for a deeper memory than what appears on the surface, pushing itself to uncover sounds which both undermine and enrich one another. It's inspired by dreams – not the simple ones which tell a story, but the ones which are confusing, where images and people appear in ways which contradict each other, where one has the feeling that some hidden depth is just around the corner, but it always remains inaccessible and out-of-reach.

link to press, including my interview about the piece: https://www.srf.ch/kultur/musik/studierende-komponieren-musik-aus-stimmen-und-schritten-ueber-den-schotter

full broadcast: https://www.srf.ch/audio/neue-musik-im-konzert/classical-and-jazz-talents-live-aus-dem-srf-auditorium?id=12198833

Worn like a map | for fixed media (2022)

performed by Schallfeld Ensemble at the Bludenzer Tage zeitgemäßer Musik on October 8th, 2022 in Bludenz, Austria

Flute - Elisa Azzarà
Bb / Bass Clarinet – Szilárd Benes
Soprano/Baritone Saxophone – Matej Bunderla
Accordion – Mirko Jevtović
Piano – Patrick Skrilecz
Percussion – Manuel Alcaraz Clemente
Violin – Lorenzo Derinni
Viola – Francesca Piccioni
Cello – Myriam García Fidalgo
Double Bass – Margarethe Maierhofer-Lischka
Conductor – Leonhard Garms
Sound engineer - Davide Gagliardi

recorded by Chris Swithinbank
mixed by Isaac Roth Blumfield

commissioned by the Bludenzer Tage zeitgemäßer Musik with the support of the Ernst von Siemens Music Foundation􏰙􏰗 􏰎􏰓􏰍 􏰏􏰈􏰝􏰕􏰍􏰌􏰣􏰍􏰋 􏰤􏰊􏰠􏰍 􏰣􏰍􏰅􏰎􏰠􏰍􏰘􏰥􏰦􏰍􏰋 􏰧􏰝􏰖􏰅􏰨 􏰢􏰅􏰎􏰓 􏰎􏰓􏰍 􏰖􏰝􏰑􏰑􏰇􏰋􏰎 􏰇􏰡 􏰎􏰓􏰍 􏰩􏰋􏰌􏰖􏰎 􏰞􏰇􏰌 􏰐􏰅􏰍􏰘􏰍􏰌􏰖 􏰧􏰝􏰖􏰅􏰆 􏰪􏰇􏰝􏰌􏰕􏰊􏰎􏰅􏰇􏰌 􏰢􏰋􏰅􏰎􏰎􏰍􏰌 􏰡􏰇􏰋 􏰐􏰆􏰓􏰊􏰈􏰈􏰡􏰍􏰈􏰕 􏰩􏰌􏰖􏰍􏰘􏰙􏰈􏰎􏰓􏰍 􏰏􏰈􏰝􏰕􏰍􏰌􏰣􏰍􏰋 􏰤􏰊􏰠􏰍 􏰣􏰍􏰅􏰎􏰠􏰍􏰘􏰥􏰦􏰍􏰋 􏰧􏰝􏰖􏰅􏰨 􏰢􏰅􏰎􏰓 􏰎􏰓􏰍 􏰖􏰝􏰑􏰑􏰇􏰋􏰎 􏰇􏰡 􏰎􏰓􏰍 􏰩􏰋􏰌􏰖􏰎 􏰞􏰇􏰌 􏰐􏰅􏰍􏰘􏰍􏰌􏰖 􏰧􏰝􏰖􏰅􏰆 􏰪􏰇􏰝􏰌􏰕􏰊􏰎􏰅􏰇􏰌 􏰢􏰋􏰅􏰎􏰎􏰍􏰌 􏰡􏰇􏰋 􏰐􏰆􏰓􏰊􏰈􏰈􏰡􏰍􏰈􏰕 􏰩􏰌􏰖􏰍􏰘􏰙􏰈􏰍
Program note:

“End of summer, light between your eyes” deals with memory: not as something which flows easily and envelops you like a dream, but as a series of sensations, zoomed in, never able to regain the momentum or consistency of experience. 

Only the essence of the feeling, the strange details that remain after years, more present than the significant moments which always seem to disappear and reappear without reason, without a thread to hold them together. 

It deals with memory as distraction, as the inability to stay present in a moment, as a kind of zig-zag through realities both present and obscure; as something which binds together and something which is irredeemably isolating, which constantly presses on the ability to share anything at all.

End of summer, light between your eyes  |  for ensemble (2022)

performed by and commissioned by ex-sentia trio

live recording from June 21, 2022 in Grosser Saal of Musik Akademie Basel

Miguel Fernández - tenor saxophone
Jacob Mason - piano
Santiago Villar Martín - percussion
Isaac Roth Blumfield - mixer

recorded and mixed by Isaac Roth Blumfield

Once in your life | for saxophone, piano, percussion, and mixer (2022)

performed by Francesco Palmieri, June 28th, 2022

Always | for electric guitar and electronics (2020-21)

contact: isaac.blumfield@gmail.com

Isaac Roth Blumfield is a composer from Saint Paul, Minnesota, currently based in Cambridge, Massachusetts. He writes experimental music for acoustic and electronic instruments which explores resonance, materiality, and memory through expanded sonic approaches towards instruments and objects. His music looks for the strange spaces between subjective and unconscious experience, exploring uncanny places between beauty, pain, and strangeness.
His music has been influenced through  through work with performers such as ensemble sonic space basel alumni, Schallfeld Ensemble, violinists Austin Wulliman and Chris Otto, line upon line percussion trio, Ensemble Modern, Barcelona Modern Ensemble, guitarist Francesco Palmieri and Jamie Monck, and Quartetto Maurice at programs such as the Bludenzer Tage zeitgemäßer Musik, the Banff Centre for Creativity, Yellow Barn Young Artists Program, New Music on the Point, Valencia International Performance Academy, Ticino Musica Festival and Freie Universität Berlin im Sommer.  
His music has been broadcast on Swiss Public Radio and supported by the Ernst von Siemens Music Foundation, Fondation Nicati - De Luze, and the Hirschmann Stiftung. He graduated with his Bachelor's degree in composition at New England Conservatory in Boston and a Master's degree in composition at the Hochschule für Musik FHNW in Basel, Switzerland and is currently pursuing post graduate studies at the Universität für Musik und Darstellende Kunst in Vienna. His primary teachers have included Stratis Minakakis, Timothy McCormack, Caspar Johannes Walter, Svetlana Maras, and Clara Iannotta. He is currently a PhD candidate at Harvard University, studying with Chaya Czernowin and Hans Tutschku.