Aiyana Braun (b. 1997) is a composer/sound artist whose work often confronts pressing political and social matters while often drawing upon elements of nature as she feels in times of adversary, it is important to emulate aspects of the environment around us to ground ourselves as well as be reminded of the inherent beauty of our surroundings which may otherwise go unseen, unheard, and unappreciated.
Education
Curtis Institute of Music, BM ., Milton L. Rock Fellow, Edith Evans Braun Fellow...... 2015 - 2020 (expected) Composition studies with Dr. Jennifer Higdon, Dr. David Ludwig, and Dr. Richard Danielpour. Electronic Music studies with Tod Machover (MIT Media Lab). Juilliard Pre-College, Diploma...... 2011 - 15 Composition studies with Dr. Manuel Sosa. Piano studies with Ernest Barretta. New York Youth Symphony, Composition Program...... 2013 - 14
Teaching Experience
Curtis Institute of Music, “Summerfest” Employed teaching Theory/Music History...... 2018 - 19 New York Philharmonic, Very Young Composers “Bridge Program”...... 2013 - 16 Employed as Teaching Artist working with Middle School/High School aged students writing compositions for various new music ensembles based in New York, including the Philharmonic itself.
Professional Awards, Honors, & Scholarships
Kaleidoscope International Call for Scores ( finalist)...... 2019 MusicaNova Orchestra Composition Fellow...... 2019 Berkeley Sounds (Berkeley Symphony) Composition Fellow, mentored by Anna Clyne...... 2017 - 19 Commissioned to write several works for two of the Berkeley Symphony’s seasons BMI Student Composer Award (Winner), for “Uncommon Threads” ...... 2017 From the Top ( Winner), for “Abrasions” featured on show 321 in Lake Jackson, Texas...... 2016 American Composers Forum “NextNotes” Composition Award ( Winner), for “Abrasions”...... 2015 National YoungArts Foundation (Winner), Honorable Mention...... 2014 National YoungArts Foundation (Winner), Honorable Mention...... 2014 New York Philharmonic Commission...... 2013 ASCAP (finalist)...... 2013 ASCAP (finalist)...... 2011
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N and D Sosa Scholarship, from The Juilliard School...... 2011-15 Rosenthal Foundation Scholarship, to attend The Juilliard School...... 2011-15
Notable Commissions, Select Works, & Performances
...of the earth - (Pierrot Ensemble plus Percussion and Electronics)...... 2019 To be premiered in Field Concert Hall at the Curtis Institute of Music December, 2019 Practical Water - Commissioned by the Berkeley Symphony (Chamber Orchestra, 1111 - 1111 - perc. hrp. strings)...... 2019 Performed by MusicaNova at the Musical Instrument Museum in Arizona October, 2019 Premiered in Berkeley, California May, 2019 Refractions - Written for the Curtis Symphony Orchestra (Full Orchestra, 2222 - 4221 - 3 perc. + timp. hrp. pno. strings)...... 2019 Premiered in Gould Recital Hall at the Curtis Institute of Music For Violin - Commissioned by Andrea Obiso and the Curtis Institute of Music, (Solo Violin)...... 2018 Premiered in Field Concert Hall at the Curtis Institute of Music Meditation - Written for the Zora String Quartet under the mentorship of Tod Machover (String Quartet + Electronics, 6’)...... 2018 Premiered in Gould Concert Hall at the Curtis Institute of Music One Horizon - Commissioned by the Berkeley Symphony (Chamber Orchestra - fl, ob, cl, bs, hn, tpt, perc, el gtr, hrp, 2 vlns, vla, vc, cb., 7’ 30”)...... 2018 Premiered at Berkeley Art Museum and Pacific Film Archive by the Berkeley Symphony Drop a Pebble in the Water - Written for the Curtis Symphony Orchestra (Full Orchestra, 2222 - 4221 - 3 perc + timp. hrp, amplified pno, Strings, 11’)...... 2018 Premiered at Gould Recital Hall at the Curtis Institute of Music Ruminations - Written for the Lake Champlain Chamber Music Festival (Baritone, String Quartet, 20’)...... 2017 Performed at Field Concert Hall at the Curtis Institute of Music Premiered at the Lake Champlain Chamber Music Festival Waves - Written for the Curtis Symphony Orchestra (Full Orchestra, 2222 - 4221 - 3 perc. + timp. Strings, 8’).2017 Premiered at Gould Recital Hall at the Curtis Institute of Music Uncommon Threads - (cl, vc, pno, 8’ 30”)...... 2016 Premiered at Gould Recital Hall at the Curtis Institute of Music Addressing the Sonorous - Written for the Curtis Symphony Orchestra (Full Orchestra, 2222 - 4221 - 3 perc + timp. Hrp, amplified pno, Strings, 8’)...... 2016 Premiered at Gould Recital Hall Regarding Movement - Ballet commissioned by the Curtis Institute of Music and the Rock School for Dance Education, choreographed by Justin Allen (Pierrot + Perc., 7’ 30”)...... 2015 Performed at the CAPA Performing Arts Center in Philadelphia
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Premiered at Field Concert Hall at the Curtis Institute of Music Abrasions - Commissioned by Jon Deak and Eric Bartlett of the New York Philharmonic (Cello Quartet, 14’). .2014 Recorded in Gould Recital Hall at the Curtis Institute of Music Performed at Berkeley Art Museum and Pacific Film Archive by members of the Berkeley Symphony Performed at the Clarion Music Center in Lake Jackson, Texas for National Public Radio Program “From the Top” Performed at Macalester College for the American Composers Forum “NextNotes” High School Composition Awards performance Ceremony Performed at Paul Hall at The Juilliard School Premiered at “Cellofest!” by musicians of the New York Philharmonic,Royal Stockholm Philharmonic Orchestra, Kiev Philharmonic, and the New York City Ballet Orchestra Drifting - Written for the New York Youth Symphony (Chamber Orchestra, 2222 - 2100 - 1 perc + timp., hrp, strings)...... 2014 Read at the DiMenna Center for Classical Music by the New York Youth Symphony and De Capo Chamber Players Memories in Sand - Commissioned by the New York Philharmonic (Full Orchestra, 2222 - 4221 - 2 perc. + timp. strings)...... 2013 Performed in Paul Hall at The Juilliard School (String Quintet Transcription) Premiered in David Geffen Hall (previously Avery Fisher Hall) by the New York Philharmonic under the baton of Case Scaglione
Radio & TV Broadcasts
WHYY/PBS - Mini-documentary about an interdisciplinary work-in-progress of Aiyana Braun’s inspired by Philip Larkin’s poem, “Ignorance”...... 2019 Currently filming NewMusicBG “Living American Composers: New Music from Bowling Green” - Abrasions, Movement III. .2019 To be released “On Stage at Curtis” WHYY/PBS, “Ruminations”...... 2019 “On Stage at Curtis” W HYY/PBS, “Uncommon Threads”...... 2018 “On Stage at Curtis” W HYY/PBS, “Regarding Movement”...... 2017 From the Top - Abrasions, Movement III, Show 321...... 2016-17 Released April 18, 2016; November 7, 2016; July 3, 2017, 2019 dates tbd
Professional Affiliations
ASCAP (Writer/Publisher)
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Short Bio
Aiyana Braun is a composer who studies under full scholarship at the Curtis Institute of Music with Dr. Jennifer Higdon. She has been commissioned/performed by many distinguished ensembles/orchestras such as the New York Philharmonic, Berkeley Symphony, Curtis Symphony Orchestra, MusicaNova Orchestra, New York Youth Symphony, members of the New York City Ballet Orchestra and the Minnesota Opera Orchestra, among others. She frequently collaborates with choreographers/dancers/and visual artists as she is very passionate about interdisciplinary collaboration.
Aiyana is a recipient of many awards/scholarships such as the BMI Student Composer Awards, the American Composers Forum NextNotes competition and has been featured on the National Public Radio Program “From the Top” as well as several episodes of WHYY/PBS’s “On Stage at Curtis.” She was a composition fellow for the Berkeley Symphony’s 2017/18 and 2018/19 seasons after being selected from a nationwide search. WHYY is currently producing a mini-documentary about a work-in-progress of Aiyana’s based upon Philip Larkin’s poem “Ignorance,” which will be an interdisciplinary work for large ensemble featuring dancers from the Pennsylvania Ballet to be released in 2020.
Aiyana taught in the New York Philharmonic’s Very Young Composers “Bridge Program” for three years while attending The Juilliard School’s Pre-College Division as a composition major from 2011-2015. She premiered her first composition as part of the Marian Anderson Awards, an event honoring Norman Lear and Maya Angleou. Maya Angelou afterwards expressed Aiyana’s music “touched me deeply.”
Professional References:
Dr. Jennifer Higdon - 267-205-2288, j [email protected]
Dr. David Ludwig - 215-292-1101, d [email protected]
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