Matthew Goodheart – Piano, Computer-controlled metal percussion
Matthew Ostrowski – Electronics, Fluorescent Lights
Matthew Goodheart (piano, computer-controlled metal percussion) and Matthew Ostrowski (electronics, fluorescent lights) perform solo compositions based on computer control of musical and non-musical objects, while also performing together as an improvising duo for the first time.
Goodheart’s work centers on transducer activated metal percussion, deriving and designing sounds tailored to each instrument’s the unique acoustic properties, often integrating them with his idiosyncratic pallet of solo piano techniques. Derived entirely from the amplified and processed sounds of a quartet of fluorescent lights, Ostrowski will present Negative Differential Resistance No 2. Limited to a minimalist palette of white light and 60-cycle hum, this work creates an optical and aural theater whose ultimate topic of investigation is our own awareness: as pattern maker, cognitive agent, and embodiment of time. The second half of the evening will feature a duo from these two seasoned improvisors, pairing Goodheart’s piano and extended transducer work with Ostrowski’s gesturally-controlled digital electronics.
Matthew Goodheart is a composer, improviser, and sound artist currently residing in New York. Following an early career as a free-jazz pianist, he has developed a wide body of work that explores the relationships between performer, instrument, and listener. His diverse creations range from large-scale microtonal compositions to open improvisations to immersive sound installations. Goodheart’s approach results in a “generative foundation” for exploring issues of perception, technology, cultural ritual, and the psycho-physical impact of acoustic phenomena. He is currently a Mellon Postdoctoral Fellow at Columbia University.
A New York City native, Matthew Ostrowski has been creating art with electronic and digital media for over twenty years, having worked as a composer, performer and installation artist, exploring work with music, multimedia, video and theater. Using digital tools and formalist techniques to engage with quotidian materials — sonic, physical, and cultural – Ostrowski’s work explores the liminal space between the virtual and phenomenological worlds. His work ranges from live electronic performance to installations incorporating video, multichannel sound, and computer-controlled objects. Ostrowski has collaborated with a large number of artists in the US and abroad, including David Behrman, John Butcher, Diamanda Galás, more.