Premiered by Accroche Note on Saturday, April 27th 2019 in the Concert Hall of Voxman Music Building at University of Iowa.

Performers -

Armand Angster, clarinet
Christophe Beau, violoncello
Wilhem Latchoumia, piano

Nima Hamidi - Conductor
Program Note -

Cipher Entropic is about a succession of transformational and oppositional states wherein the identity of each state is determined by unique pitch material (derived from harmonic and inharmonic spectra) and variable potentials for density (of articulations) and register. The individual instruments also take on evolving roles and relationships over the course of the work, shifting from foreground, middle ground, and background with each new state. The proportions of the each state also expand exponentially, with the exception of the conclusion.

Cipher Entropic For Piano Trio (Accroche Note) - 2019

Joseph Norman recently completed the Doctoral Degree in Music Composition at the University of Iowa where he also had been Research Assistant/Composer/Sound Technician to the Department of Dance for three years. Dr. Norman was advised by Dr. David Gompper. Previously, Dr. Norman studied with Dr. Joshua Levine, Dr. Nomi Epstein, and Dr. Lawrence Fritts. Dr. Norman has participated in private lessons with Laura Elise Schwendinger, Richard Causton, Mikhail Malt, Grégoire Lorieux, Ketty Nez, Dimitri Papageorgiou, Elanie Lillios, David Lang, Joseph Dangerfield, Augusta Read Thomas, and Louis Karchin. 

Dr. Norman's music has been performed at the Exchange of Midwest Collegiate Composers UMKC and University of Colorado in Boulder, the Midwest Composers Symposium in the University of Michigan and the Cincinnati College Conservatory of Music, SCI at the University of Iowa, and the Alba Music Festival in Alba, Italy. He has also had works read and premiered by the JACK Quartet, Accroche Note, LIGAMENT, Sonic Apricity, the Center for New Music at the University of Iowa, and LOUi, the Lap Top Orchestra also from University of Iowa. Additionally, Dr. Norman has composed collaboratively with actors, dancers, choreographers, and filmmakers. He is also active as a performer with experimental music duo Aligned at Variance and has taken part in IRCAM's Electroacoustic workshop in 2017.

Dr. Norman completed his Master's Degree in Music Composition at the University of Maryland while under the tutelage of Dr. Thomas DeLio and Dr. Lawrence Moss. Prior, he received his Bachelor of Arts Degree in Music Composition and Classical Guitar Performance from St. Mary's College of Maryland. While there Mr. Norman studied composition with Dr. David Froom and Dr. John Leupold, and classical guitar performance with
Dr. Orlando Roman.

Dr. Norman explores novel formal conceptions that involve organizations/transformations of multiple conceptual strata. These strata differentiate, recontextualize, and evolve towards individuated trajectories over the course of each piece. Each strata can comprise one of myriad parameters from pitch, timbre, time, texture, space, register, to density. Aesthetically, he values music that is evocative of visceral reactions and represents sonic transformation.  Dr. Norman's influences include: Chaya Czernowin, Rebecca Saunders, Brian Ferneyhough, Tristan Murail, György Ligeti, Iannis Xenakis, Karlheinz Stockhausen, Giacinto Scelsi, and Anton Webern.

Cipher Entropic For Piano Trio (Accroche Note) - 2019

Joseph Norman - Composer