Marilyn Nonken, Director Piano Studies
Dr. Marilyn Nonken has emerged as one of the most gifted young musicians dedicated to the modern and contemporary repertoires. 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 regularly is named "Best of the Year" by some of the nation's leading critics (Boston Globe, 1997-2002, and Washington Post, 2005).
Dr. Nonken's performances have been presented by Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, IRCAM, the Theâtre Bouffe du Nord, ABC (Australia), Guggenheim Museum, Rockefeller Foundation, Kettle's Yard, Cleveland Museum of Art, Smithsonian Institution, Miller Theatre, Phillips Collection, Menil Collection, and universities and conservatories around the world. Composers who have written for her include Milton Babbitt, Mario Davidovsky, Chris Dench, Pascal Dusapin, Jason Eckardt, Michael Finnissy, and Tristan Murail. She has toured with the complete piano music of Boulez, Murail, and Schoenberg and been presented in the U.S., France, Canada, Denmark, Australia, Italy, the Czech Republic, England, Belgium, and the Netherlands. An acclaimed chamber musician, she plays with Ensemble 21 (the New Music group of which she is Artistic Director), the Group for Contemporary Music, and Elision (Melbourne); she has also appeared as a guest with MusicNOW (Chicago Symphony), the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center, and Speculum Musicae. Recent and upcoming festival appearances include Résonances and the Festival d'Automne (both, Paris), New Music Days (Ostrava), Musikhost (Odense), When Morty Met John and Works and Process (both, New York), Music on the Edge (Pittsburgh), Piano Festival Northwest (Portland), Music at the Forefront (Bowling Green State University), and the William Kapell International Piano Festival and Competition (University of College Park, Maryland).
Dr. Nonken has recorded for New World, Mode, Lovely Music, Albany, Metier, CRI, Innova, and Tzadik. "American Spiritual," a CD of works written for her, was released in 2001. Other releases include Feldman's "Triadic Memories," Rakowski's "Martian Counterpoint," Eckardt's "Out of Chaos,” and "Tristan Murail: The Complete Piano Music.” Forthcoming recordings include chamber music of William Albright (Prism Saxophone Quartet) and Brian Ferneyhough (Elision), and Rakowski’s Piano Concerto, to be premiered and recorded in Fall 2007 with the Boston Modern Orchestra Project.
A student of David Burge at the Eastman School, Dr. Nonken received a Ph.D. in music from Columbia University. Her writings have been published in Perspectives of New Music, Agni, Current Musicology, and the Journal of the Institute for Studies in American Music. She also guest edited "Performers on Performance," a special issue of Contemporary Music Review.
Dr. Nonken is a Steinway Artist.
Department of Music and Performing Arts Professions - 35 W. 4th Street, Suite 777 - New York, NY 10012 - (212) 998-5424
NYU Steinhardt - Music and Performing Arts Professions - 35 W. 4th Street, Suite 777, New York, NY 10012