Aaron Cassidy // conductor


		Aaron Cassidy has been active as a conductor of choral and instrumental music for over fifteen years. His earliest experiences came as a student conductor for several choral ensembles and included conducting opportunities in France, Japan, Korea, and throughout the USA while still a young chorister. His first professional post came when he was appointed Interim Assistant Conductor of the Texas Boys Choir at age 19, which was followed by a number of positions and guest conducting engagements at several universities and churches, including significant experience with the traditional choral repertoire. Since 2000, his primary focus has been new and experimental instrumental music. From 2002-04, he served as conductor and pianist for Augenmusik (now the Open Music Ensemble), a Buffalo, NY-based chamber ensemble specializing in the performance of graphical scores and open-form works. The group's performances featured concerts at Brandeis University, the University at Buffalo (SUNY), the Hallwalls and Birchfield-Penney art galleries, the June in Buffalo festival, and with the Wandelweiser Composers Collective in Montreal. More recently, he has worked with a number of student and professional ensembles in the context of various university composition faculty positions, and has conducted numerous student works. As Co-Director of New Music Northwestern at Northwestern University, he was responsible for the concert programming of an extensive contemporary music concert series; in addition to conducting works by established composers, his position included responsibilities conducting works by student composers in performances and reading sessions by both student and visiting professional ensembles, most notably with the International Contemporary Ensemble (ICE). His recent repertoire interests have spanned a wide range of musical aesthetics and include works ranging from highly determinate, complex notation to graphical notation.

		selected 20th/21st century conducting repertoire Louis Andriessen Workers Union Augenmusik, 2003 Cornelius Cardew Autumn '60 Augenmusik, June in Buffalo, 2003 Augenmusik, Brandeis University, 2003 Augenmusik, University at Buffalo, 2003 Pablo Chin Echoes of the Steppenwolf International Contemporary Ensemble (ICE), Northwestern University, April 2007 Aldo Clementi Satz 2 New Music Northwestern, January 2007 Nomi Epstein [untitled] (world premiere) International Contemporary Ensemble (ICE), Northwestern University, April 2007 ad hoc ensemble, Northwestern University, May 2007 Jürg Frey Six Instruments, Series (North American premiere) New Music Northwestern, January 2007 Jürg Frey Stücke (world premiere) Northwestern University, November 2006 Margaret Haley Procyon University of Huddersfield New Music Ensemble, 2008 Jeff Herriott Lock: 2x2 (+1) (world premiere) University at Buffalo, March 2001 Anestis Logothetis Kulmination I Augenmusik, 2003 Anestis Logothetis Kulmination II Augenmusik, June in Buffalo, 2003 Augenmusik, Brandeis University, 2003 Augenmusik, University at Buffalo, 2003 Jeffrey Nelson Southern Harmony No. 3 International Contemporary Ensemble (ICE), Northwestern University, April 2007 Steve Reich Eight Lines University of Huddersfield New Music Ensemble, 2008 Hyun-Ah Shim untitled (world premiere) June in Buffalo Festival Ensemble, June in Buffalo 2003 Edgard Varèse Octandre University of Huddersfield New Music Ensemble, 2008 Carter Williams Whistling Window 1a, for two barytons Hauschka Ensemble, 2002

		video Cornelius Cardew Autumn '60 \| .wmv Augenmusik, June in Buffalo dress rehearsal, 2003 Nomi Epstein [untitled] \| .wmv ad hoc ensemble Northwestern University, May 2007 Anestis Logothetis Kulmination II \| .wmv Augenmusik, June in Buffalo dress rehearsal, 2003 audio Pablo Chin Echoes of the Steppenwolf \| .mp3 International Contemporary Ensemble (ICE) / Aaron Cassidy, cond.