Maryanne Amacher

From the 1970s until at least the final years of the 1990s, American composer Maryanne Amacher devoted herself almost entirely to the construction of large-scale multimedia installations. These works integrate sculptural elements with dense strata of amplified sound and deep, vibrating frequencies. Her technical development occurred chiefly across Europe, where she tested the sonic properties of diverse built environments. Mills College named her its inaugural Rosekrans Artist in Residence in 1993. Performances have included tours alongside David Behrman, Merce Cunningham’s longtime associate, a 1985 collaboration with Mark Trayle for San Francisco’s Capp Street Project, and joint projects with composer Alvin Curran. In 1999 the Tzadik label issued Sound Characters (making the third ear), a collection of pieces selected by Amacher herself for the compact-disc format.