Michael Wittgraf

Biography

Website: www.michaelwittgraf.com

Michael Wittgraf is an electronic music composer whose recent work explores live manipulation of feedback, interactive improvisation, and time as data.  His music has been performed in North America, Europe, Asia, South America, and Australia, and appears on the Eroica, New Ariel Recordings, and SEAMUS labels.  He has awards, commissions, and recognition from ASCAP, Modern Chamber Players, National Symphony Orchestra, Tempus Fugit, Louisiana State University, University of Minnesota, University of North Dakota, Florida State University, PiKappa Lambda, Zeitgeist, Chiara String Quartet, Bush Foundation, North Dakota Council on the Arts, and more.

Mike is a multi-instrumentalist, performing with the Greater Grand Forks Symphony Orchestra on bassoon, in a number of rock-and-roll bands on keyboards, saxophone, and electric bass, and as a solo and collaborative performer on computer.  His newest venture is with the live electronics improvisational dance/club music trio Gemstone Debris.

He holds the title of Chester Fritz Distinguished Professor at the University of North Dakota, where he is Chair of the Music Department.  His teaching specialties are music technology, composition, theory, and bassoon. He studied with Dominick Argento, Andrew Imbrie, Lloyd Ultan, Jay Alan Yim, Alan Stout, Bill Karlins, Phillip Rhodes, Alex Lubet, and Steven Syverud.  He earned the Doctor of Music degree in composition from Northwestern University, the Master of Arts degree in music composition from the University of Minnesota, and the Bachelor of Arts degree in mathematics from Carleton College.