Marilyn Nonken is one of the most celebrated champions of the modern repertoire of her generation, known for performances that explore transcendent virtuosity and extremes of musical expression. Upon her 1993 New York debut, she was heralded as "a determined protector of important music" (New York Times). Recognized as "one of the greatest interpreters of new music" (American Record Guide), she has been named “Best of the Year” by the nation’s leading critics (Boston Globe, 1997-2002, and The Washington Post, 2005).
Marilyn Nonken's performances have been presented world over, at such venues as Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, IRCAM, the Theâtre Bouffe du Nord, the ABC (Australia), Guggenheim Museum, Rockefeller Foundation, Kettle's Yard, Cleveland Museum of Art, Phillips Collection, Menil Collection, Miller Theatre, DaCamera of Houston, and Mid-American Center for Contemporary Music. Composers who have written for her include Milton Babbitt, Chris Dench, Pascal Dusapin, Michael Finnissy, Tristan Murail, and David Rakowski. As a chamber musician, she plays with Ensemble 21 (New York) and Elision (Melbourne); she also has appeared as a guest with the Group for Contemporary Music, MusicNOW (Chicago Symphony), Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center, Speculum Musicae, and Boston Modern Orchestra Project. Festival appearances include Résonances and the Festival d'Automne (both, Paris), Musica Nova (Helsinki), Aspects des Musiques d’Aujourd-hui (Caën), Messiaen 2008 (Birmingham, UK), New Music Days (Ostrava), Musikhøst (Odense), When Morty Met John (New York), Works and Process (New York), Music on the Edge (Pittsburgh), and the William Kapell International Piano Festival and Competition. Highlights of her 2008-2009 season include world premieres of works by Drew Baker, Liza Lim, Richard Festinger, and Jason Eckardt, and performances at the Helsinki Festival, Toronto’s Music Gallery, New York’s Lincoln Center and Miller Theatre, and the Rothko Chapel.
She has recorded for New World Records, Mode, Lovely Music, Albany, Metier, Divine Art, Innova, CRI, BMOP Sound, New Focus, Tzadik, and Neos. "American Spiritual," a CD of works written for her, was released in 2001; other solo discs include “Morton Feldman: Triadic Memories” and “Tristan Murail: The Complete Piano Music.” Recent releases include music of Chris Dench, Charles Wuorinen (with ‘cellist Fred Sherry) and William Albright (with the PRISM Saxophone Quartet).
A student of David Burge at the Eastman School, she received a Ph.D. degree in musicology from Columbia University. Her writings on music have been published in Tempo, Perspectives of New Music, Contemporary Music Review, Agni, Current Musicology, Tempo, Ecological Psychology, and the Journal of the Institute for Studies in American Music. Marilyn Nonken is a Steinway Artist.
E85.2185. Piano Literature and Repertoire: Aesthetics, Reception, and Performance Practice
E85.1056/E85.2356. Private Piano (Undergraduate/Graduate)
E85.1080/E85.2034. Chamber Music (Undergraduate/Graduate)
"Brian Ferneyhough: La Chute d'Icare, Les Froissements d'Ailes de Gabriel." Marilyn Nonken with Elision. Neos, 2008 (forthcoming).
"Roger Reynolds: The Angel of Death." Marilyn Nonken with the Slee Sinfonietta. Mode, 2008 (forthcoming).
"David Laganella: The Schuykill at Night, The Persistence of Light." Neos 2008 (forthcoming).
"David Rakowski: Persistent Memory." Marilyn Nonken with the Boston Modern Orchestra Project. BMOP Sound, 2008 (forthcoming).
"Chris Dench: Beyond Status Geometry." Tzadik CD tz 8044, 2008.
"William Albright: Music for Saxophones." Marilyn Nonken with the PRISM Quartet. Innova CD 687, 2007.
"Charles Wuorinen: Adapting to the Times." Albany, Troy 871, 2006.
"Louis Karchin: Matrix," Albany, Troy 895, 2006.
"Tristan Murail: The Complete Piano Music," Metier MSV-CD 92097, 2005.
"Morton Feldman: Triadic Memories," Mode CD 136, 2004.
"Jason Eckardt: Out of Chaos" (with Ensemble 21), Mode CD137, 2004.
"David Rakowski: Martian Counterpoint," Albany, Troy 187, 2004.
"American Spiritual: Works by Babbitt, Nichols, Eckardt, Finnissy," CRI 877, 2001.
"Alvin Lucier: Still Lives," Lovely Music LCD 5012, 2001.
"David Rakowski: Hyperblue," (with Ensemble 21), CRI 831, 2000.
"Salvatore Martirano: Cocktail Music," New World Records 80535-2, 1998.
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