COMPOSER

Oboist · Composer · Bay Area

  • Proximity, Affect (2020) for English horn and live electronics (13′). Premiered 11.14.20 by the composer; CNMAT, Berkeley.

    An Extruded Introversion for Blixa Bargeld (2016) for English horn and live electronics (21’). Premiered 1.21.17 by the composer; Littlefield Concert Hall, Mills College, Oakland.

    A Spurious Autobiography for John Barth (2015) for oboe/English horn and live electronics (8-14’). Premiered 2.4.16 by the composer; Music of the Americas Concert Series, Keller Hall, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque.

    Cadenza and Degradations (2015) for bassoon and live electronics (13’). Premiered 9.11.15 by Dana Jessen; David H. Stull Recital Hall, Oberlin.

    A Fuzzy Monolith for James Turrell (2015) for oboe and live electronics (18’). Premiered 7.9.15 by the composer; International Society for Improvised Music conference, Château d’Oex, Switzerland.

    Gasps & Fissures (2004) for oboe/English horn and live electronics (c. 30’). Premiered 8.7.04 by the composer, sfSound Series, ODC Theater, San Francisco.

  • Color x Theory x Practice (2025) Audio/video fixed media, collaboratively composed with Christopher Burns (7′). Premiered 10.15.25, University of the Pacific, Stockton.

    Hide self, view (2021) Audio/video fixed media, collaboratively composed with Christopher Burns (9′). Premiered as part of Infrequent Seams Streamfest, June 2021.

    October 2020 (Fallen Leaf Lake) (2020) Fixed media. Premiered 3.11.21, Shinkoskey Noon Concert, Anne E. Pitzer Center, UC Davis.

    A Perforated Kakemono for Henri Michaux (2020) Fixed media for 8-channel diffusion. Premiered 2.16.20, Surround Sound Salon Series, Center for New Music, San Francisco.

    Predictable Epiphanies (2016) Fixed media for 8-channel diffusion. Premiered 1.6.17, San Francisco Tape Music Festival, Victoria Theater, San Francisco.

    Four Investigations of a Dubious Premise (2012) Released in 2013 as part of Technological Music Vol. 1 (Entr’acte); performed 7.13.14 in collaboration with video artist Elise Baldwin, Shapeshifters Cinema, Temescal Arts Center, Oakland.

    Orgone Accelerator (2010) Fixed media, 8-channel diffusion (8’). Premiered 1.8.11, San Francisco Tape Music Festival, Z Space, San Francisco.

    Teem (2009), collaborative work with Olivia Block. Recorded with double reeds, accordion, pump organ, piano, field recordings, and electronics (40’). Part III premiered 1.30.09 at the San Francisco Tape Music Festival.

Bruckmann composes solo, small ensemble, and fixed media works for acoustic and electro-acoustic instrumentation. He is dedicated to a "composer/performer" paradigm, foregrounding collaborative process and employing modular forms to frame the improvisational voices of specific colleagues. While he writes primarily for groups he leads, he has also composed for performers including sfSoundGroup, bassoonist Dana Jessen, flutists Diane Grubbe and Brittany Trotter, and Earplay.

SELECTED WORKS LIST

  • Sift (new no normal) (2021) for English horn and viola with electronics (13′). Premiered 3.11.21 by the composer and Ellen Ruth Rose; Shinkoskey Noon Concert, Anne E. Pitzer Center, UC Davis.

    Clutterfields (filthy quilt) (2019) for oboe and bass clarinet with electronics (8′). Premiered 1.12.20 by the composer and Matt Ingalls; San Francisco Tape Music Festival, Victoria Theatre, SF.

    Ununisonorous (2019) for oboe, bassoon and percussion with electronics (7′). Premiered 11.9.19 by the composer, Sara Schoenbeck and Christopher Froh; Festival of New American Music, California State University Sacramento.

    So Loopy the Language | There’s Muck in Between (2019) for oboe/English horn and percussion with electronics (17′). Premiered 10.20.19 by the composer and Timothy Daisy; Frequency Series, Constellation, Chicago.

    Parallax Errors (2018) for English horn and percussion with electronics (8′). Premiered 10.19.18 by the composer and Christopher Froh; Ann E. Pitzer Center Recital Hall, UC Davis.

    Dear Everyone (2017) for two vocalists, oboe/English horn, alto saxophone, percussion, electric bass, and live electronics (70’). Premiered 5.20.17 by Degradient; the Lab, San Francisco.

    Centripetals/Centrifugals (2017) for alto flute, English horn, bass clarinet, marimba, and viola (9’). Premiered 5.15.17 by Earplay; ODC Theater, San Francisco.

    Mitigating Factors (2014) for oboe, Bb clarinet, alto saxophone, bassoon, bass clarinet, and electronics (12’). Premiered 10.24.14 by Splinter Reeds; L@TE series, BAM/PFA, Berkeley.

    Following Orders (2014) for oboe, alto saxophone, and bass clarinet (8’). Premiered 8.24.14 by sfSound; San Francisco Conservatory of Music, sfSound Series.

    Red Balloon (2014) for English horn, clarinet/tenor saxophone, electric guitar, electric bass, percussion, and electronics (11’). Collaboration with filmmaker John Slattery for Mission Eye & Ear Series. Premiered 6.27.14, Artists’ Television Access, San Francisco.

    …Awaits Silent Tristero’s Empire (2013) for oboe/English horn, bass clarinet, trumpet, trombone, viola, bass, and percussion (58’). 2012 Chamber Music America New Jazz Works commission, premiered 7.27.13 by Wrack; Outsound New Music Summit, Community Music Center, San Francisco.

    Fall of a Sudden / 失驚無神 (2012) for oboe/English horn, percussion, and electronics (60’). Music for dance performance, collaboratively developed with PC Muñoz & choreographer Allen Lam. Premiered 7.20.12, San Wai Ho Civic Center, Hong Kong.

    On Procedural Grounds (2010) for oboe, bass clarinet, saxophone quartet, percussion, viola, contrabass, and two live electronics players (30’). Premiered 10.1.10 by Wrack+Rova w/ Tim Perkis and Gino Robair; Community Music Center, San Francisco.

    Cell Structure (2009) for oboe and Bb clarinet with electronics (11’15”). Premiered 4.2.09 by the composer and Matt Ingalls (sfSound); University of Wisconsin Milwaukee, Peck School of the Arts, Unruly Music Series.

    Tarpit (2009) for soprano saxophone, alto saxophone, bass clarinet, trumpet, piano, percussion, viola, cello, and electronics (12-16’). Premiered 2.28.09 by sfSound Group with Lê Quan Ninh and Michel Doneda; sfSound microFestival of New and Improvised Music, ODC Theater, San Francisco. Revised 2010 for oboe, bass clarinet, alto saxophone, piano, percussion, violin, viola, cello, and electronics.

    Ratchetforms (2006) for English horn and cello (4’). Premiered 9.26.08 by the composer and Monica Scott (sfSound); University of Wisconsin Milwaukee, Peck School of the Arts, Unruly Music Series.

  • For the composer on oboe/English horn with Jen Clare Paulson, viola; Jason Stein, bass clarinet; Anton Hatwich, contrabass; and Timothy Daisy, percussion:

    No Mean Feat (2012) 8’ – Premiered 2.15.12, Immediate Sound Series, Chicago

    Exacerbator (2010) 6’; NJBC (2010) 9’; Fair to Middling (2009) 8’; The Dishevelator (2007) 7’; Notwithstanding (2007) 13’; A Shambles (2007) 10’30” – Premiered 6.10.10, Elastic Arts Emerging Improvisers Series, Chicago

    Intents and Purposes (2006) 13-15’; Slippery Disciplines (2006) 8’; Hot Bother (2006) 6’; Further Ado (2005) 6’; Despite All Evidence to the Contrary (2005) 7’; The System Cannot Withstand Close Scrutiny (2004) 5’30”; Inasmuch As (2004) 6’ – Premiered 10.8.06, The Hungry Brain, Chicago

    For the composer with Jen Clare Paulson, viola; Jeb Bishop, trombone; Kurt Johnson, contrabass; and Timothy Daisy, percussion:

    Sins of Omission (2002) 5-7’; Gearshifts and Parentheticals (2002) 9’; Rather Dour (2002) 6’30”; Extenuating Circumstances (2002) 11’; Elegy for a Boiled Frog (2001) 11’30” – Premiered 9.13.02, Mostly Music at NEIU, Chicago