Jonathan Bepler is an American composer of
experimental music perhaps best known for his collaborative work with artists and choreographers, including many years of work with visual artist
Matthew Barney. He is also multi-instrumentalist, singer,
installation artist, and teacher.
Early life and education
Bepler was born in
Media, Pennsylvania. He was self-taught on many instruments by the time he finished high school. His early interests included folk dance music, ancient and world music, jazz, and improvisation. In 1993 he received and M.F.A from
Bennington College in
Vermont, where he studied composition with
Louis Calabro,
Joel Chadabe and
Vivian Fine, singing with Frank Baker and
Theodor Uppman as well as musical performance with
Milford Graves,
Bill Dixon und
Min Tanaka. In the later period of his studies he directed and sang in productions of
Baroque opera such as
Gluck'sOrfeo ed Euridice. He currently resides in Berlin.
Career
From 1985 to 1996, Bepler was guitarist with the Glenn Branca Ensemble, touring with them through Europe, the United States and Asia. Starting in 1987, his first operas were composed. From 1993, Bepler also dedicated himself to sound installations, as well as to music for drama and dance. He is the composer for
The Cremaster Cycle, a series of films created from 1996 to 2002 by
Matthew Barney. In 1997, Bepler was baritone soloist at the world premiere of the opera Der Venusmond by
Burkhard Stangl at the
Empire State Building. He received a Foundation for Contemporary Arts Grants to Artists award in 1999.[1]
S, music for the dance drama by
Sasha Waltz. Berlin, 2000[9]
Cremaster 3, Music for film by
Matthew Barney. New York, 2002
Transient Symphony: Oratorio for Hillside and Valley, mobile sound track for the Echigo-Tsumari Art Trienniale. Japan, 2003
The Rape of the Sabine Women, video opera project with
Eve Sussman. Greece and New York, 2005
Gezeiten, music for the dance drama by
Sasha Waltz. Berlin, 2005
Fascia, concert piece for orchestra, children's choir, opera soloists and foley artists.
Ensemble Modern. Frankfurt, 2006
Aliens, score for Dance by Luc Dunberry. Grand Theatre Luxembourg, 2008
Les Assistantes, collaboration with choreographer
Jennifer Lacey. Paris and Montpellier, 2008
REN Los Angeles, Drum and Bugle Corps, Choir, Mariachi Divas featuring Lila Downs. Site specific performance by Matthew Barney and Jonathan Bepler. Los Angeles, 2008[10]
Jimmy, concert piece for Guitar, Trombone, Viola, Accordion, 2009
Same Unknown, sound score for 9 channel video installation by Ann-Sofi Siden. 2009
Guardian of the Veil, chamber orchestra, marching snares, baglamas, suonas, featuring the
Basel Sinfonietta.
Theater Basel, 2009
KHU Detroit, operatic multi-site Performance in collaboration with Matthew Barney. Detroit, 2010[11]
Tool is Loot, Trombones, strings, woodwinds, percussion, singer (Bepler). score for Dance with Jennifer Lacey and Wally Cardona. The Kitchen, NYC. 2011[12]
BA New York, 300 voices, Banjo ensemble, String ensemble. performance in collaboration with Matthew Barney. Brooklyn Navy Yard Dry docks, 2013
Divided Chamber Music, for strings, brass, choirs and bodies.
Zeche Zollverein, Essen, Germany, 2014
Within Between, live score for dance by
John Jasperse. 6 channel sound. NYLA, NYC, 2014[13]
River of Fundament, 6-hour work with many musical ensembles. Operatic film by Matthew Barney and Jonathan Bepler.
Munich and NYC, 2014[14]