Nick Hallett – Composer-Musician / Artist / Curator
EDUCATION:
Wesleyan University (MA Music 2025)
Oberlin College Conservatory (BA Linguistics, BMus Vocal Performance 1997)
TEACHING:
I have taught courses at The New School, Wesleyan University, and School for Visual Art
I have given guest lectures/workshops at Oberlin College, Bard College, NYU Performance Studies, NYU Composition, Mills College, University of Fine Arts Münster
RECENT WORKS AND PERFORMANCES
2024
Voice Portraits: Wayne Koestenbaum and Pamela Sneed; World Music Hall, Wesleyan University
Meta/Physical Therapy by Shana Moulton, score by Nick Hallett; Museum of Modern Art
Grapefruit Phrases, video score with flexible instrumentation, for Ensemble Pamplemousse, Crowell Concert Hall, Wesleyan University
2023
Phrases (prototype), video score with flexible instrumentation, Crowell Concert Hall, Wesleyan University
Arthur Russell’s City Park (1973) reconstruction by Nick Hallett, NYC AIDS Memorial
Necessary Change for organ, Memorial Chapel, Wesleyan University
What Problem? by Bill T. Jones/Arnie Zane Company, original score by Nick Hallett; Joinville Dance Festival, Brazil
Variations on Themes from Lost and Found: Scenes from a Life and Other Works by John Bernd, compositions by John Bernd arranged and remixed by Nick Hallett, directed by Ishmael Houston-Jones and Miguel Gutierrez, Danspace Project, New York
Study for the Portrait of Wayne, multichannel sound installation, World Music Hall, Wesleyan University
New Year’s Carol for chorus and soloist, Poetry Project New Year’s Day Marathon
2022
^ (Circumflex) for two violins, premiered by String Noise, World Music Hall, Wesleyan University
Whispering Pines 10, premiere film screening at BAM Rose Cinemas
Deep Blue Sea, by Bill T. Jones, encore performance at Mann Center, with full choral score by Nick Hallett
What Problem? by Bill T. Jones/Arnie Zane Company, original score by Nick Hallett; UCLA Center For Art and Performance; Carolina Performing Arts; The Vets Auditorium, Providence, RI; UCSB Arts & Lectures; Penn State;
2021
The Wooden People (360 VR film series + live performance) by Nao Bustamante, score by Nick Hallett; REDCAT, Los Angeles
Falcon Heene, Ascending (2009) for two bass voices and Intonarumori, Performa live broadcast conducted by Luciano Chessa
Deep Blue Sea, by Bill T. Jones premiere at Park Avenue Armory; Nick Hallett, original score and music director
2020
Whispering Pines 10, digital version premiered in full at www.whisperingpines10.com; multi-channel video installations at UCCS Beijing, Zabludowicz Collection, Fresno City College, Centre Clark Montreal, MCA Santa Barbara, and Nitja senter for samtidskunst; single channel version in collections of Museum Arnhem, and Zabludowicz Collection; online screening at Poetry Project
What Problem? by Bill T. Jones/Arnie Zane Company, original score by Nick Hallett; George Mason University, Fairfax, Indiana University, Bloomington, University of Nebraska, Lincoln
2019
Past x Present x Future = Spirit, original performance with Shana Moulton, Zabludowicz Collection, London
To Music’s Final Act concert debut, Roulette
Feed the Soul, original performance with Shana Moulton, Nuit Blanche, Paris
AI: A Bit of History, lecture-performance for Live Ideas festival, New York Live Arts, New York
Analogy: A Trilogy by Bill T. Jones/Arnie Zane Company, original score by Nick Hallett, Kennedy Center, Washington D.C., Spoleto Festival, Charlottesville, Institute for Contemporary Art, Boston
2018
Variations on Themes from Lost and Found: Scenes from a Life and Other Works by John Bernd, Fringe Arts (Philadelphia), Lumberyard (Hudson, NY), directed by Ishmael Houston-Jones and Miguel Gutierrez
Sunset Musicale with Nudity in Dance featuring Daisy Press, BOFFO Fire Island Performance Festival, original music by Nick Hallett
To Music: Scene 3 concert debut, ISSUE Project Room
Whispering Pines 10: Phase I by Shana Moulton and Nick Hallett, exhibition at CANADA gallery, NYC
Variations on Themes from Lost and Found: Scenes from a Life and Other Works by John Bernd, Stanford Live, Palo Alto
Whispering Pines 10 by Shana Moulton and Nick Hallett, website launch and digital exhibition at New Museum of Contemporary Art
Mixology Festival: Circuit Breakers—Nick Hallett & Daisy Press, Roulette, Brooklyn
Analogy: A Trilogy by Bill T. Jones/Arnie Zane Company, original score by Nick Hallett, Meany Center, University of Washington, Seattle
Variations on Themes from Lost and Found: Scenes from a Life and Other Works by John Bernd, original music by Nick Hallett based on compositions by John Bernd; directed by Ishmael Houston-Jones and Miguel Gutierrez; co-presented by Danspace Project, American Realness, and Gibney Dance, New York
2017
A Letter to my Nephew by Bill T. Jones/Arnie Zane Company, original score by Nick Hallett, Brooklyn Academy of Music Next Wave Festival, Brooklyn
Analogy/Ambros: The Emigrant by Bill T. Jones/Arnie Zane Company, original score by Nick Hallett, premiere at Dancers Workshop, Jackson Hole, WY; subsequent premiere of full Analogy trilogy at American Dance Festival, Durham
2016
To Music: Scene 2 (opera in-progress) music and libretto by Nick Hallett; Kaufman Music Center, produced by Experiments in Opera, New York
A Letter to my Nephew by Bill T. Jones/Arnie Zane Company, original score by Nick Hallett, ICA Boston
Variations on Themes from Lost and Found: Scenes from a Life and Other Works by John Bernd, compositions by John Bernd arranged and remixed by Nick Hallett, directed by Ishmael Houston-Jones and Miguel Gutierrez, Danspace Project, New York
Analogy/Lance: Pretty aka The Escape Artist by Bill T. Jones / Arnie Zane Company, original score by Nick Hallett, Joyce Theater, New York
Whispering Pines 10 by Shana Moulton and Nick Hallett, Museum of Fine Arts, St. Petersburg,
Analogy/Dora: Tramontane by Bill T. Jones / Arnie Zane Company, original score by Nick Hallett, Touhill Performing Arts Center, St. Louis; E.J. Thomas Hall, Akron; Williams Center for the Arts, Easton; August Wilson Center, Pittsburgh; Joyce Theater, New York, NY (Fall 2016 Tour)
A Letter/Singapore by Bill T. Jones Arnie Zane Company, original score by Nick Hallett, Singapore Festival of Arts
Analogy/Lance: Pretty aka The Escape Artist by Bill T. Jones Arnie Zane Company, original score by Nick Hallett, premiere at American Dance Festival, Durham
Every Angle is an Angel, by Shana Moulton and Nick Hallett, Palais de Tokyo, Paris
Moments from Whispering Pines by Shana Moulton and Nick Hallett, Nuit Blanche Monaco, Auditorium Rainier III, Monaco
Ursula Songs, original arrangements of Hildegard von Bingen chants, created and performed with Daisy Press, National Sawdust, Brooklyn
The Lost Films of Fred Engelberg performed by the Trimbin Band, Mass MoCA, North Adams
The Lost Films of Fred Engelberg performed by the Trimbin Band (collaboration with Mikael Jorgensen, James Merle Thomas, and William Tyler), Ecstatic Music Festival, Kaufman Music Center, New York, co-produced by NewSounds
Analogy/Dora: Tramontane by Bill T. Jones Arnie Zane Company, original score by Nick Hallett, Yerba Buena Center for the Arts, San Francisco, Dancer's Workshop, Eccles Center, Park City, Utah
Invocation x 3 for ESP TV: You Don't Say Much, Do You?, Swiss Institute/Contemporary Art, New York
2015
A Letter to My Nephew by Bill T. Jones Arnie Zane Company, original score by Nick Hallett, Maison des Artes de Créteil, Douai Hippodrome
Whispering Pines 10 Remix (live performance) by Shana Moulton and Nick Hallett, Infini Puissance Cube, Le Confort Moderne, Poitiers
Moments of Whispering Pines 10 (single channel video) by Shana Moulton and Nick Hallett, The Averty Show, Le Confort Moderne, Poitiers
La Distancia Real by Luciana Acuña (co-director, choreographer, performer) and Nick Hallett (co-director, composer, performer), Centro de Experimentación del Teatro Colón, co-production of Festival Internacional de Buenos Aires, El Jardín Sahel, and Richard B. Fisher Center for the Performing Arts (Bard College)
On John Cage's Water Music, lecture-performance at Whitney Museum of American Art, part of 99 Objects series
Florence performed by Sexual Energies School (collaboration with Zach Layton and Luke Dubois), Free State Festival, Lawrence, Kansas
Violence by Chelsea Knight (artist) and Nick Hallett (original music, performance), New Museum of Contemporary Art, New York
Analogy/Dora: Tramontane by Bill T. Jones Arnie Zane Company, original score by Nick Hallett. Peak Performances at Montclair State University, Montclair New Jersey; Dancer's Workshop, Jackson Hole, Wyoming, American Dance Festival, Durham
SPF 2015 by Shana Moulton, original music performed by Nick Hallett, Museum of Modern Art, New York; Yerba Buena Center For the Arts, San Francisco
To Music: Scene 1, (opera-in-progress) music and libretto by Nick Hallett, Roulette, Brooklyn, New York, produced by Experiments in Opera
2014
Hallettiade (Liederabend featuring 12 vocalists, piano, strings), Joe’s Pub, New York
Whispering Pines 10, Cricoteka, Krakow, Poland
Inside the Dreamachine for William Burroughs and Brion Gysin (collaboration with Brock Monroe), Free State Festival, Lawrence, Kansas
Fishkill: Movements 1-45 by Bill T. Jones Arnie Zane Company, original music by Nick Hallett, Fishkill Correctional Facility, New York
2013
"Black is the Color" (arr. Hallett) as part of 24-Hour Ballad, Courtesy the Artists, Recess Gallery, New York
Pulse and Pony Solo as part of Community Action Center live soundtrack, The Kitchen, New York
London performed by Sexual Energies School, The Kitchen, New York
Rainbow Passage, Portland Institute of Contemporary Art TBA Festival, Portland
Rome performed by Sexual Energies School, Incubator Arts at Saint Marks Church, New York
Rainbow Passage, Avant Music Festival / Wild Project, New York
Whispering Pines 10, Off The Wall series / Warhol Museum, Pittsburgh
2012
Joshua Light Show soundscore performed by New Reality Band, Parrish Museum, New York
Joshua Light Show soundscore, Domo Digital/Mutek, Mexico City
Whispering Pines 10, SFMOMA, San Francisco (opera collaboration with Shana Moulton)
Whispering Pines 10, Memorial Hall / Carolina Performing Arts, Chapel Hill, NC
Joshua Light Show soundscore, Transmediale / CTM Festival / Haus der Kulturen der Welt, Berlin
2011
Joshua Light Show Fulldome soundscore, AMNH Hayden Planetarium New York
Whispering Pines 10, Portland Institute of Contemporary Art, TBA Festival, OR
Threeway: for Xenia, Calder Foundation/LMCC/Art International Radio (opera collaboration with Brock Monroe)
Whispering Pines 10, New Museum of Contemporary Art, New York
2010
Leningrad performed by Sexual Energies School, Performa Red Party, New York
Quebec City performed by Sexual Energies School, ISSUE Project Room, New York
Falcon (Heene), Ascending, TransArt Festival, Rovereto, Italy
Whispering Pines 10, The Kitchen, New York (opera collaboration with Shana Moulton)
Frankfurt performed by Sexual Energies School, The Stone New York
2009
Falcon (Heene), Ascending, Town Hall/Performa, New York (for two bass voices and Intonarumori)
Man In the Matriarchy, Joe’s Pub New York (song cycle)
Auroville, New Museum of Contemporary Art New York (media ritual collaboration)
Whispering Exercises, New Museum of Contemporary Art New York
AWARDS, GRANTS & RESIDENCIES
2022 NY Dance & Performance “Bessie” Award , with Bill T. Jones/Arnie Zane Company
2018 Mount Tremper Arts, for To Music (Scene 3)
2017 New York Dance and Performance "Bessie" Award, with Ishmael Houston-Jones, Miguel Gutierrez, Jennifer Monson
2015 KQED Arts Best Live Performance 2015, with Shana Moulton at YBCA
2015 Bard College Residency, with Luciana Acuña
2015 Foundation for Contemporary Art Emergency Grant
2015 El Jardin Sahel residency, with Luciana Acuña
2013 Kunsthuis SYB, with Shana Moulton
2013 Creative Capital Grantee, with Shana Moulton
2013 Casement Fund Triangle Grant
2012 Oregonian: Best of Visual Art 2011: Whispering Pines 10
2010 Harvestworks: Van Lier Residency, with Shana Moulton
2009 New Museum of Contemporary Art Re:New Re:Play Artist Residency
AS PERFORMER
2023
Anthony Braxton, Thunder Mountain Music, world premiere at Darmstadt
2017
Anthony Braxton, Syntactical Ghost Trance Choir compositions, recording released by Tri-Centric Foundation
2016
John King, A-R-S, Avant Music Festival, New York
2015
Annie Dorsen, Yesterday Tomorrow, Théâtre Gennevilliers: Festival d'Automne (Paris), Théâtre Garonne (Toulouse)
John Colpitts, 100 Disciplines, Brooklyn Museum / Red Bull Music Academy
2014
Karlheinz Stockhausen, Originale (Street Singer), The Kitchen, New York
Anthony Braxton, Trillium J (opera), Roulette, Brooklyn
2013
Taylor Ho Bynum, Ingrid Laubrock works with Tri-Centric Orchestra, Roulette, Brooklyn
Lisa Coons - MESH (with International Contemporary Ensemble), Mount Tremper Arts, New York
2012
Lisa Coons – MESH (with International Contemporary Ensemble), Baryshnikov Arts Center, New York
2011
Neil Rolnick – Mono, EMPAC and Gershwin Hotel/Contagious Sounds, New York
Anthony Braxton – Trillium J, Ghost Trance Choir, Roulette, Brooklyn
James Ilgenfritz – The Ticket That Exploded, ISSUE Project Room and CUNY, New York
2010
Daria Faïn – Working with Stockhausen's Stimmung, Danspace at St. Mark's Church, New York (with Magic Names)
Anthony Braxton – Trillium E recording with Tri-Centric Orchestra
2009
Joe Diebes – Hypatia, LMCC, New York
Matthew Welch – Borges and the Other, Roulette, New York
Meredith Monk – Our Lady of Late, New Museum of Contemporary Art, New York
Karlheinz Stockhausen – Stimmung (with Magic Names), New Museum of Contemporary Art
2008
Music of Arthur Russell with Alex Waterman, The Kitchen. I subsequently organized and performed at events honoring Russell at Le Poisson Rouge, Housing Works Bookstore Café (coordinated for the Arthur Russell Symposium at NYU), and Santos Party House. These events united a number of primary collaborators to Russell— Elodie Lauten, Peter Zummo, Ernie Brooks, Peter Gordon, and Gary Lucas (among others)—with a younger generation of artists, including Joel GIbb, Mira Billotte, Jens Leckman, JD Samson, and Nat Baldwin,
2007
Meredith Monk – Our Lady of Late (excerpts), Performa Finale, New York
Since 2004, Darmstadt’s annual performance of Terry Riley, In C
RECENT CURATORIAL
2019
Darmstadt Essential Repertoire: The Music of Sylvano Bussotti, directed by Luciano Chessa, Roulette
2017
Joshua Light Show, NYU Skirball Center: Man Forever, Kaitlyn Aurelia Smith, Boss Hog, Dave Harrington Group
2015
Joshua Light Show at the Exploratorium with Linda Perhacs and Julia Holter
2014
Darmstadt Essential Repertoire: Stockhausen: Originale, The Kitchen, New York
Bishi: Albion Voice, The Kitchen, New York
2013
Darmstadt Essential Repertoire: John Cage and Lejaren Hiller's HPSCHD, Eyebeam Center for Art and Technology, co-produced by ISSUE Project Room and Electronic Music Foundation
2012
Synth Nights, The Kitchen: Oneohtrix Point Never and Musica Elettronica Viva
Joshua Light Show, NYU Skirball Center: Evelyn Glennie & Zeena Parkins; Terry Riley, John Zorn, Lou Reed, Milford Graves, Bill Laswell & Gyan Riley; Ben Goldwasser & Andrew VanWyngarden
Darmstadt Institute 2012, ISSUE Project Room: Pauline Oliveros 80th Birthday, Gordon Mumma, Eli Keszler, John Cage Centennial Concert, Karlheinz Stockhausen Musik Im Bauch (at Central Park Bandshell), Gamelan Son of Lion, Chris Mann and Either/Or & Object Collection, Man Forever, Anthony McCall & David Grubbs among others
Instrumentals (part of Carnegie Hall’s American Mavericks series), The Kitchen: Tristan Perich, William Basinski, Mary Halvorson, Arthur Russell’s Instrumentals)
2011
Darmstadt Essential Repertoire, ISSUE Project Room: Morton Feldman, Karlheinz Stockhausen Cosmic Pulses (New York premiere), Terry Riley
Darmstadt Institute 2011, ISSUE Project Room: Alvin Lucier Queen of The South, Terre Thaemelitz Soullessness, Louis Andriessen Hoketus (at New York Stock Exchange), John Moran & Saori In Thailand, and Mother Mallard’s Portable Masterpiece Company among others
Aluminum Music, The Kitchen: Love of Life Orchestra, George Lewis, Z’EV, Bush Tetras
2010
Darmstadt Essential Repertoire, ISSUE Project Room: Luciano Berio, Karlheinz Stockhausen, John Cage, Christian Wolff, Tom Johnson, Philip Glass
Darmstadt Institute 2010, ISSUE Project Room: Anthony Braxton, Z’EV, Grouper, Zs, William Basinski, Luc Ferrari performed by David Grubbs/Ensemble Pamplemousse, Talibam!, Kenneth Gaburo among others
Joshua Light Show, Abrons Arts Center: Spectrum, Dean + Britta, Silver Apples, Oneida, Woods, MV + EE, Steve Moore, itsnotyouitsme
Rhizome New Silent at The New Museum of Contemporary Art: Big Art Group Cinema Fury
RECENT FILM/VIDEO SOUNDTRACKS
2015 Nao Bustamante, Soldadera
2013 Nao Bustamante, Tableau
2013 Joshua Thorson, Tell Me Everything
2011 Joshua Thorson, Divorce 2.0
2010 AL Steiner and AK Burns, Community Action Center (original music and sound design)
RECORDINGS
2015 Men, Women, and Children soundtrack (WARP, Warner Music), featuring "I Feel Love” performed by The Plantains
2013 The Orchestra of Futurist Noise Intoners (Sub Rosa)
2010 The Plantains, Career Retrospective (I, Absentee)
WRITING
Interviews for BOMB magazine: Tristan Perich by Nick Hallett (November 2009), Peter Gordon by Nick Hallett (October 2010), Annie Dorsen by Nick Hallett (January 2016); additional contributions BOMB, W Magazine, Interview, Art In America, Rhizome, The Believer, and Sound American, among others.
VOCAL PEDAGOGY / COACHING
Open Source Singing Method — Nick Hallett's vocal technique is cultivated from the exercises of the Bel Canto and—in equal measure—applied concepts of acoustics and biomechanics, to formulate a practice for artists of all kinds interested in strengthening their voices. His group workshops connect technical training with more proverbial ideas of the voice, opening up the creative practice through the body. Please inquire directly about private study.
2015 Voice Workshop, Double Mouth Feedback, Recess Gallery
2015 Escuchar Nuestras Verdaderas Voces, Centro de Experimentación del Teatro Colón
2015 Vocal Coaching for Timelining by Brennan Gerard and Ryan Kelly, Guggenheim Museum
2015 Intro to Open Source Singing Method, Abrons Arts Center
2014 Vocal coach for Vidas Perfectas by Robert Ashley, directed by Alex Waterman, Whitney Museum of American Art
2014 The Impossible Convention, Oberlin College
2013 Songs Without Words, Communication Beyond Language, workshop-seminar at Portland Institute of Contemporary Art, Portland
Since 2000 Private voice lessons
