Less Short, Still Sweet

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Ben Zucker lives for acts of creative juxtaposition and speculation. As an intentionally wide-ranging composer/performer, he has contributed to experimental scenes across North America and Europe. Performance highlights include working with musicians including Anthony Braxton, Gareth Davis, Myra Melford, Karen Borca, Vocal Constructivists, Rinde Eckert, and the San Francisco Choral Artists, amongst frequent appearances as an ensemble contributor, and bandleader of experimental jazz quartet Fifth Season and creative music collective Mad Myth Science.

 

Their ““stirring compositions” (Chicago Reader) have received awards and performances by ensembles including the Mivos Quartet, Los Angeles Percussion Quartet, Khorikos, Ensemble Dal Niente, and Chicago Composers Orchestra, and appeared at DOCNYC, the Darmstadt Fereinkurse, Steppenwolf Theater, Trinity College Dublin, Nordic Percussion Festival, Ostrava New Music Days, and Ear Taxi Festival. He has been acclaimed as a "master of improvisation" (IMPOSE Magazine) and “more than a little bit remarkable” (Free Jazz Blog) for solo albums released on labels including Whitelabelrecs, Dinzu Artefacts, ears&eyes records, Slow Tone Collages, and A Red Thread.

 

Following studies at Bennington College, Wesleyan University (BA), Brunel University (MA), and Northwestern University (PhD), they currently live in Chicago. Current life includes ongoing freelance performing and composing, and curatorial and production work as the Vice President of New Music Chicago.