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Fulkerson, James (b. July 2, 1945, Streator, Illinois). American composer, now resident in The Netherlands, of mostly stage, orchestral, chamber, vocal, piano, electroacoustic, and multimedia works that have been performed throughout Europe and the USA; he is also active as a trombonist.
Mr. Fulkerson received his musical training at Illinois Wesleyan University, where he earned his BMus in 1967, and the University of Illinois, where he earned his MMus in 1968. His principal compositional teachers were Herbert Brün, Kenneth Gaburo, Lejaren Hiller, Ben Johnston, and Salvatore Martirano and his principal trombone teachers were Carmine Caruso and John Silber, although he had additional studies with Ernst Giehl, Robert Gray, Edward Kleinhammer, Donald Miller, and Donald Reinhardt.
As a trombonist, he is esteemed for his performances of experimental music. More than 200 works have been composed for him, including two by John Cage. He has recorded for the Attacca Babel, Deutsche Grammophon, Etcetera, Lovely Music, Mode, and Nonesuch labels. In addition, he founded the Barton Workshop in Amsterdam in 1989, an ensemble whose goal is to perform works on the leading edge of contemporary music, including some that are not notated, and has since served as its director and trombonist. It has collaborated with many composers, including Nicolas Collins, Philip Corner, Frank Denyer, Alvin Lucier, and Christian Wolff, and has also given premières of works by Henryk Mikołaj Górecki, Jerry Hunt, Ernstalbrecht Stiebler, and Galina Ustvolskaya, among many others.
Mr. Fulkerson is also active in other positions. He worked as a composer-performer at the Center for the Creative and Performing Arts at the State University of New York in Buffalo from 1969–72. He has spent periods as composer-in-residence to the New York State CAPS Program in 1970, the Deutscher Akademischer Austauschdienst in Berlin in 1973, the Victorian College of the Arts in Melbourne from 1977–79, the Dartington College of the Arts in Devon from 1981–86, and the School for New Dance Development in Amsterdam in 1986.
He has taught composition at the Dartington College of the Arts, the European Dance Development Center in Arnhem and the University of Nottingham, where he also served as director of the Computer and Electronic Music Studios and the Leverhulme Research Project in Computer Music.
He has lived in The Netherlands since 1989.
Donemus, Edition Modern and Seesaw Music publish some of his music.
CONTACT INFORMATION
E-mail address: J.Fulkerson@inter.NL.net
Street address: Mr. James Fulkerson, Dorpsstr. 68, 1454 AN Watergang, The Netherlands
Telephone/fax: + 312 0436 1957
COMPLETE LIST OF WORKS
STAGE: Form and Movement (incidental music, presentation by industrial designer John Hanna, choreography by Mary Fulkerson O'Donnell), tape, 1969; Sound Environment No. 2 (dance music, choreography by Willis Ward), photoelectric oscillators, photoelectric switches, tape, 1969; Pathways, active audience, 1970; A Second Look at Pathway, active audience, 1971; Music for Audience, Movement for Musicians, active audience, 1971; Kinetic Sculpture No. 1 (theatre without actors), tape, 1971; Performance Kit No. 2, mime, any player, 1971; Eros and Psyche (incidental music, play by John Argue), 1972; Kinetic Sculpture No. 2 (theatre without actors), tape, 1972; Empty Whispers (dance music, choreography by Mary Fulkerson O'Donnell), voice, live electronics, 1972; Traveling Companion (dance music, choreography by Christopher Banner), tape, 1973; Small Brown Shell (dance music, choreography by Mary Fulkerson O'Donnell), amplified bottles, 1973; Soft Verges (dance music, choreography by Richard Alston), tape, 1974; Co-Ordinative Systems No. 6, 1-6 dancers, 4 players, 2 tapes, 1974; Put your Foot down, Charlie (dance music, choreography, text by Mary Fulkerson O'Donnell), speaker, 3 dancers, amplified tenor saxophone, amplified trombone, electric guitar, electric piano, 1982; Rats (dance music, choreography, text by Mary Fulkerson O'Donnell), voice (+ piano), speaker (+ trombone), 6 dancers, guitar (+ banjo), 1982–83; Paganini (text by Mary Fulkerson O'Donnell), speaker-dancer, flute, clarinet, violin, cello, piano, 1984; Supreme Fictions (text by Mary Fulkerson O'Donnell), amplified speaker-actress, amplified flute, amplified French horn/trombone, amplified viola, live electronics, 1984
STAGE: Music for Sybrig (dance music), tape, 1987; Music for Mary (dance music), tape, 1987; Rivers (dance music), tape, 1987; Met dank aan... (dance music), dancer, trombone, tape, 1988–89; The Marionette Theatre (dance music, choreography by Mary Fulkerson O'Donnell), any player, tape, 1989; Whose Wings are Those? (dance music, choreography by Mary Fulkerson O'Donnell), tape, 1989; Used, Abused and Cheap Imitations (dance music), tape, 1989 (also incorporated into Used, Abused and Cheap Imitations II); D1 (dance music, choreography by Rosemary Butcher), tape, 1989 (also incorporated into D2); D2 (dance music, choreography by Rosemary Butcher), tape, 1990 (incorporates D1); Consistency of Air (dance music, choreography by Pauline de Groot), tape, 1990; Curtain (dance music, choreography by Mary Fulkerson O'Donnell), tape, 1991; Timing and Strategy (dance music), tape, 1991; Shadows and Walls (dance music, choreography by Rosemary Butcher), dancer, film, 1991; Faust (dance drama, text by Mary Fulkerson O'Donnell, after Fernando Pessoa), tape, 1993; Antigone (dance drama, choreography by Mary Fulkerson O'Donnell), tape, 1994; The Wanderer (dance music, choreography by Eli Vilanger), tape, 1995
ORCHESTRAL: Globs, 4 orchestral groups, tape, live electronics, 1968; Something about Mobiles, 1969; Planes, Pts, 4 orchestras, 1969; Behind Closed Doors, 1971; Concerto, guitar, orchestra, 1972; Patterns X, orchestra/wind ensemble, 1972; ...to see a thing clearly, 1972; for we don't see anything clearly, 1972; Concerto, trombone, orchestra, 1973; Orchestra Piece, bass clarinet, bass trombone, piano, string orchestra, 1974; Stations, Regions and Clouds II, bass trombone, small orchestra, 1977; Concerto, amplified cello, small orchestra, 1978; Stations, Regions and Clouds IV, amplified trombone, orchestra, 1979; Symphony, 1980; Concerto (...fierce and coming from far away), 1981; Concerto, amplified violin, small orchestra, 1992; Structures II, improvisational big band, 2000; Structures III, improvisational big band, 2000; Black Ferrets, big band, 1986–2001; Structures VII, violin, cello, small orchestra, 2002; Double Concerto (in memoriam Earle Brown), 2 pianos, orchestra, 2002
CHAMBER MUSIC: Quintet No. 1, flute, oboe, clarinet, French horn, bassoon, 1965; Quintet No. 2, flute, oboe, clarinet, French horn, bassoon, 1966; Quintet, tenor saxophone, bass trombone, double bass, amplified harpsichord, percussion, 1967; Quartet for Dancers or One Thing Leads to Another, bassoon, trombone, violin, piano, 1967; Patterns I, flute, 1967 (may be performed with Structures, tape); I Should Have Called it Something... for String Quartet, any 4 players, 1968; String Quartet No. 1, 1968; Morphosis I, jazz ensemble, 1969; Patterns III, tuba, 1969; SDTQ, 1-4 flutes, 1-4 bass trombones, 1-4 double basses, 1-4 percussion, 1969; About Time, wind ensemble, 1969; Now II, trumpet, trombone, amplified clavichord, sound modulator, 1969; Mobiles and Loops, 4 percussion, tape, 1969; Morphosis II, 4 trombones, 1970; Morphosis III, 4 trombones, 1970; Two Activities, any number of players, 1970; Five Pages for Petr K., any ensemble, 1970; For Betty Johnston, any ensemble, 1970; Two Activities II, ensemble, 1971; Patterns II, guitar, 1971; Patterns IV, double bass, 1971; Patterns VI, percussion, 1971; Line Studies, tuba, double bass, prepared piano, 1971; Line Studies II, tuba, guitar, double bass, 1971; Line Studies III, percussion, 1971; Patterns VII, any player, 1972; Patterns IX, sustained-tone ensemble, 1972; Two Activities III, ensemble, 1972; Chord, any number of players, 1972 (also version for any number of voices); Co-Ordinative Systems No. 2, string quartet, 1972; Patterns VIII, trombone, 1972
CHAMBER MUSIC: Film (FFF), percussion, 1973; Co-Ordinative Systems No. 4, ensemble, 1973; Co-Ordinative Systems No. 5, 4 double basses, 1973; Co-Ordinative Systems No. 3, bass clarinet, bass trombone, cello, 2 double basses, 1973; Co-Ordinative Systems No. 7, any 3-8 players, 1974; Patterns V, bass flute/viola, 1974; Patterns XI, bass trombone, 1975; Music for Brass Instruments I, French horn, 2 trumpets, trombone, tuba, tape, 1975; Music for Brass Instruments II, bass trombone, tape, 1975; Stations, Regions and Clouds I, trombone, piano, tape, 1975; Co-Ordinative Systems No. 9, trombone, synthesizer, 1975; Chamber Musics I, flute/viola, tuba, guitar, double bass, electric piano, percussion, 1975; Chamber Musics II, flute/viola, tuba, guitar, double bass, electric piano, percussion, 1975; Co-Ordinative Systems No. 8, variable ensemble, 1975; Chamber Musics III, flute/viola, tuba, guitar, double bass, electric piano, percussion, 1976; Chamber Musics IV, flute/viola, tuba, guitar, double bass, electric piano, percussion, 1976; Chamber Musics V, flute/viola, tuba, guitar, double bass, electric piano, percussion, 1976; Co-Ordinative Systems No. 10, trombone, tape delay system, 1976 (also incorporated into Force Fields and Spaces); Chamber Musics VI, alto flute/bass flute, tape, 1976; Bombs, bass trombone, prepared piano, 1976; Space Music IV, variable ensemble, 1976; Chamber Musics VII, viola, tape, 1976; Chamber Musics VIII, guitar, tape, 1976
CHAMBER MUSIC: Patterns XII, any player, 1977; In a Quest of Silence, trombone, piano, vibraphone, 1977; Music for Brass Instruments III, 12 brass, 1978; Music for Brass Instruments IV, 12 brass, piano, 3 percussion, 1978; Music for Brass Instruments V, 4 trumpets, 1978; Music for Brass Instruments VI, trumpet, ensemble (4 trumpets), 1978; Antiphonies and Streams, trombone, tape delay system, ring modulator, 1978; Stations, Regions and Clouds III, trombone, 4-track tape, 1978; Suite, amplified cello, 1978–79; From Eric Dolphy, bass clarinet, tape delay system, 1979; Stationary Fields...Moving Fields, amplified trombone, amplified cello, tape delay system, 1979; From the Last Few Pages, trombone, live electronics, 1979; Fields and Traces, trombone, tape, live electronics, 1979; Memoirs of..., bass clarinet, prepared piano, 1979; Elective Affinities, amplified trombone, amplified cello, ensemble, tape, live electronics, 1979–80; Force Fields and Spaces, dancer ad libitum, trombone, tape, tape delay system, 1980–81 (incorporates Co-Ordinative Systems No. 10); String Quartet No. 3, amplified string quartet, 1982; Sonata A, flute, clarinet, violin, cello, piano, 1982; Sonata B, flute, clarinet, violin, cello, piano, 1982; Louison, soprano saxophone, alto trombone, guitar, electric piano, 1982; Suite for Solo Violin, 1983; Track Follows, trumpet, trombone, tape, tape delay system, 1983; Mini-Concerto, trombone, ensemble (French horn, 3 trumpets, 2 trombones, tuba), 1984
CHAMBER MUSIC: Music of Parts, clarinet, violin, cello, piano, tape, 1986; Elective Affinities III, trombone, live electronics, 1987; Traces and Moments, trombone, tape, live electronics, 1987; For Morty, trombone, piano, tape, live electronics, 1987; Temenos, trombone, 1989; Temenos II, trombone, tape, 1989; Temenos IIa, trombone, tape, 1989; String Quartet No. 4, 1990; Used, Abused and Cheap Imitations II, ensemble, tape, 1990 (incorporates Used, Abused and Cheap Imitations); For Morty Feldman II, tuba, piano ad libitum, vibraphone ad libitum, tape, 1991; String Quartet No. 5, string quartet, tape, 1992; Studs, 4 percussion, 1992; Pessoa III (Concert for Trombone), trombone, tape, live electronics, 1992–93; Studs II, 4 percussion, 1994; Symphony No. 2, bass guitar, 2 percussion, MIDI-ensemble, 1996; Ruth, trombone, live electronics, 1999; Studs III, 6 percussion, 1999; Wood, Stone, Desert, trumpet, tape, live electronics, 2000 (also version for trombone, tape, 2001); Three Pieces, violin, variable ensemble, tape, 2000; Co-Ordinative Systems No. 14, baritone saxophone, live electronics, 2001; Structures IV, bass flute, bass clarinet, improvisational ensemble, 2001; Structures V, bass flute, bass clarinet, improvisational ensemble, 2001; Structures VI, bass flute, bass clarinet, improvisational ensemble, 2001; Co-Ordinative Systems No. 1, any player/ensemble, 1972– (ongoing work)
CHORAL: Chord, any number of voices, 1972 (version of chamber work); He Was Silent for a Space, mixed chorus, percussion, 1978; Pessoa I, 15 mixed voices, variable ensemble, 1992
VOCAL: Passages, voice, bass clarinet, 1965; ...whiteness...specks of..., soprano, bass trumpet, viola, 2 pianos, 1967; For Norma, soprano, flute, French horn, double bass, piano, percussion, 1968; Antiphonies and Streams II, tenor, live electronics, 1979; Elective Affinities II, soprano, 4 trombones, cello, percussion, tape, 1982; The Archaeology of Silence, mezzo-soprano, tape, 1990; The Cry of the Unconscious (text by Fernando Pessoa), bass-baritone, flute, percussion, 1995; The Wind High, bass-baritone, flute, vibraphone, 1997
PIANO: Space Music, any number of pianos, 1970; TRIAD, any number of pianos, 1971; Space Music II, 9-88 pianos, 1971; Folio, 1971; Space Music III, 1972; Stretching, toy piano, live electronics, 2000; Études 1-21, 2004; Three Pieces for Dante and JC, piano (+ electric piano), tape, digital reverberation system, 2004
ELECTROACOUSTIC: Structures, 2-track tape, 1968 (may be performed with Patterns I, flute); Hallway Environments No. 1, 10 tapes, 1968; Planes, Pts, 4-track tape, 1969; Tape, tape, 1973; Tangential Patterns I, tape, 1974; Tangential Patterns II, tape, 1974; Tangential Patterns III, tape, 1974; Wind Song, tape, 1982; Night Falls, tape, 1984; Stones, tape, 1989
MULTIMEDIA: Six Studies for Lights, Sounds and Dancers, 1967; Music for Queen Elizabeth I, 5 shouters, voice-guns, 7 dancers, 2 players, 2-track tape, tape delay system, 1968; Episodes, choreographer, sculptor, filmmaker, 1968; Connections, Directions and Drones, audience, photoelectric oscillators, cylinders, lights, 1970; Patterns and Processes – A, ensemble, slides, 1971; Patterns and Processes – B, percussion, slides, 1971; Projections, ensemble, slides, 1971; What is Performance?, trombone, tape, slides, film, 1973; Between the Lines, any player, tape, film, 1977; Raucasity and the Cisco Kid...or, I Skate in the Sun, any player, tape, slides, film, 1977–78; Vicarious Thrills, amplified trombone, pornographic film, 1978–79; Cheap Imitations, Parts I-V (Madwomen), any player, tape, films, 1980; Interesting Actions, Objects and Texts, shakuhachi (bamboo flute), tape ad libitum, live electronics, film, slides, movement, 1985; Letters, amplified trombone, film (by Grahame Weinbren), 2002; G for John Cage, speaker, bass clarinet/contrabassoon, film (by Grahame Weinbren), 2002; Letters from America (texts from random Internet sources), speaker, any ensemble, tape, film (by Grahame Weinbren), 2003
RADIO PRODUCTIONS: Kinetic Sculpture No. 3, 1973; Kinetic Sculpture No. 4, 1974; Kinetic Sculpture No. 5, 1974
FILM SCORE: Bugaboos, 1969 (animation)
DISCOGRAPHY (Barton Workshop) (note that most of the discs are given according to their title and are not listings of individual works contained therein)
The Barton Workshop Plays Galina Ustvolskaya. (Etcetera: KTC 1170, 1993)
The Barton Workshop Plays John Cage. (Etcetera: KTC 3002, 1998)
The Ecstasy of the Moment (Morton Feldman). (Etcetera: KTC 3003, 1998)
I Like to Think of Harriet Tubman (Christian Wolff). (Mode Records: 69, 1999)
Finding Refuge in the Remains (Frank Denyer). (Etcetera: KTC 1221, 1999)
Ruth; Exercise 17; Dark as a Dungeon; Tuba Song; For 1, 2 or 3 People; Peggy (Christian Wolff). (Etcetera: KTC 1227, 2000)
The Fives (x) (John Cage). (Megadisc Classics: MDC 7815, 2002)
Morton Feldman: Voices & Instruments (1949–1971). (Mode Records: 107, 2002)
Composer Portrait, Jos Kunst. (Donemus: CV 124, 2003)
(Re):Making Music (Christian Wolff). (Mode Records: 133/34, 2004)
Postal Pieces (James Tenney). (New World Records: 80612, 2004)
Jerry Hunt: Phalba. (Tzadik: 7093, 2004)
Composing by Numbers: The Graphic Scores of Morton Feldman, Volume 1. (Mode Records: 146, 2005)
Eight; Two; One4 (John Cage). (Megadisc Classics: MDC 7803, 2006)
Extreme Positions (Philip Corner). (New World Records: 80659, 2007)
Bass Trombone-Bass Flute-Bass Clarinet-Cello-Contrabass (Manfred Werder). (Timescraper, due in 2008)
Composing by Numbers: The Graphic Scores of Morton Feldman, Volume 2. (Mode Records, due in 2008)
SELECT DISCOGRAPHY (as trombonist)
Ryoanji; Solo for Sliding Trombone (from Concert [piano]); Two5 (John Cage). James Fulkerson, trombone; Frank Denyer, piano (Etcetera: KTC 1137, 1992)
Force Fields and Spaces (first movement); Elective Affinities III (James Fulkerson); Maknongan (Giacinto Scelsi); December 1952 from Folio (Earle Brown); Syntagma (A) (Alfredo Del Mónaco); Rage, rage against the Dying of the Light (Louis Andriessen). (Attacca Babel: 9477, 1994)
Antiphony IV (Kenneth Gaburo). (New World Records: 80585, 2002)
In the Same Breath. David Murphy, clarinet, soprano saxophone, alto saxophone, tenor saxophone; Mick Green, soprano saxophone, tenor saxophone, bass ashtray (saxophone pipe with a Turkish bowl on the end); James Fulkerson, trombone (with tenor saxophone mouthpiece, bassoon reeds) (FMR Records: FMRCD208, 2007)
SELECT DISCOGRAPHY (as composer)
Force Fields and Spaces. James Fulkerson, trombone (Etcetera: KTC 1175, 1994)
Improvisation; Wood, Stone, Desert (original version). Arjan Kaufmann, trumpet; James Fulkerson, trombone (FMR Records: FMRCD151, 2004)
Force Fields and Spaces (excerpts). Jörgen Van Rijen, trombone (Channel Classics: CCS SA 2305, 2004)
(Last updated on November 29, 2007)
