What can I say, it’s been a busy semester. Let’s see what I’ve been up to:
In addition to my normal NDSU duties this semester, I taught a class in MaxMSP at Concordia. They have pretty great facilities, including this enormous TV that defaults to the Tennis Channel when you turn it on. (Note: I figured out how to fix that, and the students REVOLTED so I changed it back). By the end of the semester, The Tennis Channel had become Pickleball TV
The comp studio released an anthology of original works from 2024, and that was part of February.
I traveled down to OKC for a CMS conference, and encountered this thoroughly optimistic poster. Your career is not an option indeed. (There was also a performance of Joyride for clarinet and alto sax).
CK was meme’d and chastised the clarinet table in the student lounge. I’m told it didn’t work.
I…what (taken while stopped at a stoplight on University Drive in Fargo)
I encountered this delightful surrogate recital poster:
My worst nightmare happened–ChatGPT figured out how to reasonably draw a bassoon.
I also planned a whole CMS conference at KU at the beginning of April (Fellow NDSU composer Martin Van Klompenberg performed two of my bassoon works, Miniwashitu for contrabassoon and piano, and Press Any Key To Continue for Bassoon and Electronics). Martin also performed NDSU Student Composer Jonathon Erickson’s Treants’ March. (No pictures, but there should be. The hotel we stayed at in Topeka was a trip unto itself.
Hey, the Boreas Trio finally released that album they’ve been working on for 4 years, which includes Earmarks.
After the ND University System blocked access to Calendly, I used ChatGPT to build a replacement, which I’ve named Ives.
And man, this kid just keeps growing.
Fargo, ND — March 2025 — Composer and sound artist Kyle Vanderburg’s work You Can’t Outrun Your Daydreams has been accepted for presentation at the 2025 SEAMUS National Conference, hosted by Purdue University from March 21–24, 2025. This selection places Vanderburg’s composition among some of the most highly regarded works in the field of electroacoustic and computer music.
The SEAMUS 2025 conference is themed ‘Spaces | Places | Traces’, exploring the intersections of sound, space, and presence in music composition, performance, and research. As digital and physical spaces continue to merge, this year’s conference will highlight new opportunities for engagement through soundscapes, environmental noise, interactive works, and immersive installations.
You Can’t Outrun Your Daydreams will be featured in the conference’s multichannel listening space, a curated setting designed to showcase cutting-edge works in immersive sound design and spatialized audio. SEAMUS (Society for Electro-Acoustic Music in the United States) is recognized internationally as one of the premier gatherings for electronic music composers, sound artists, and researchers.
SEAMUS 2025 will bring together composers, performers, and scholars from across the globe, offering a platform for innovation and collaboration in electronic and electroacoustic music. The conference will feature paper presentations, performances, installations, and listening sessions, highlighting new developments in the field.
For more information on SEAMUS 2025, visit https://purdue.link/seamus25. To learn more about Kyle Vanderburg’s work, visit https://kylevanderburg.com.
Contact: Kyle Vanderburg
hi@kylevanderburg.com | https://kylevanderburg.com
FARGO, ND—Composer and sound artist Kyle Vanderburg has been selected to present his work Joyride at the 40th Annual College Music Society (CMS) South Central Chapter Conference, held March 13-15, 2025, at Oklahoma City University in Oklahoma City, OK. The piece will be performed on Friday, March 14, at 1:00 PM in Petree Recital Hall.
A duet that refuses to behave, Joyride is an audacious musical dialogue that shifts unpredictably from boisterous and unruly to well-mannered and deceptively polite—as if caught in the act of mischief. The piece’s back-and-forth energy suggests either a complete lack of control by the performers or a gleeful surrender to chaos. Even its seemingly serene chorale moments eventually spiral out of hand, making for a wild, unpredictable, and thoroughly entertaining ride.
The CMS South Central Conference brings together composers, performers, educators, and scholars from Arkansas, Oklahoma, and Texas, as well as national and international participants. The 2025 event marks the conference’s 40th anniversary and will highlight contemporary music, performance, and research.
This year’s call for scores attracted submissions for a range of ensembles and soloists, including the Oklahoma City University Symphony Orchestra, Wind Ensemble, Percussion Ensemble, Saxophone Ensemble, String Quartet, and various chamber and solo instrumentalists. Selected works, such as Joyride, reflect the commitment of CMS to showcasing bold new compositions and fostering collaboration between composers and performers.
For more information about Kyle Vanderburg and his work, visit kylevanderburg.com
Kyle Vanderburg is a composer and sound artist known for his inventive approach to contemporary music, spanning electronic, chamber, and orchestral works. His music has been performed at international festivals and conferences, and he serves as Composer in Residence at North Dakota State University’s Challey School of Music.
The College Music Society is an international organization dedicated to advancing music teaching, learning, composition, performance, and research. The South Central Chapter serves music professionals in Arkansas, Oklahoma, and Texas, fostering dialogue and collaboration in the field.
Contact: Kyle Vanderburg
hi@kylevanderburg.com | https://kylevanderburg.com
Fargo, ND – February 24, 2025 – Composer and sound artist Kyle Vanderburg is thrilled to announce that his electroacoustic work, Creatures from the Black Bassoon, has been selected for broadcast as part of Radiophrenia 2025, a renowned festival of radio art based in Glasgow, Scotland. The festival runs from April 7–20, 2025, featuring a 24-hour program of experimental audio works from artists around the world.
As the title suggests, Creatures from the Black Bassoon is a virtual menagerie of sonic beasts and environments, constructed entirely from processed and unprocessed sounds of the bassoon. Vanderburg employs an array of techniques—including key clicks, reed squeaks, multiphonics, and sounds produced through various stages of instrument assembly and disassembly—to craft an imaginative ecosystem of creatures. Some emerge as chirpy, fuzzy critters, while others take on a more menacing presence. The composition unfolds through a series of vignettes based on the golden ratio, with distinct sections serving as “windows” that contrast sharply with their surroundings.
Radiophrenia, broadcasting from Glasgow’s Centre for Contemporary Arts (CCA) and streaming online, is a celebration of sound art and experimental radio, providing a platform for innovative sonic storytelling. The full broadcast schedule will be available in late March on the Radiophrenia website (www.radiophrenia.scot), where listeners can tune in worldwide.
Kyle Vanderburg is a composer and sound artist known for his inventive approach to electroacoustic music. His works have been performed across North America, Europe, and Australia, blending acoustic instruments with experimental electronic elements. He serves as Composer in Residence at North Dakota State University and runs NoteForge, a music publishing venture.
Radiophrenia is a temporary art radio station dedicated to exploring the creative potential of radio through new commissions, live performances, and experimental broadcasts. Supported by Creative Scotland and other arts organizations, it provides a platform for artists pushing the boundaries of sound and storytelling.
For Immediate Release
NDSU Composers and Dr. Martin Van Klompenberg Featured in The Contrabassoon Character Piece Project at the 54th International Double Reed Society Conference
Fargo, ND – North Dakota State University (NDSU) is proud to announce that Dr. Martin Van Klompenberg, instructor of bassoon, will present The Contrabassoon Character Piece Project at the 54th International Double Reed Society (IDRS) Conference, taking place this summer in Indianapolis, Indiana. This exciting program highlights the work of NDSU composers and brings new, original repertoire to the contrabassoon, an instrument often overlooked outside the orchestral context.
In addition to his role as a collaborator, Dr. Van Klompenberg has composed a new work for the contrabassoon as part of this program. The Contrabassoon Character Piece Project also includes works by Snow Kim (DMA Candidate, University of Kansas), along with NDSU composers Kyle Vanderburg (Composer in Residence), and Jonathon Erickson (Composition student). Dr. Van Klompenberg’s own contribution to the program further underscores the depth of talent within the NDSU composition community.
The program addresses the need for expanded repertoire for the contrabassoon with piano accompaniment, and Dr. Van Klompenberg’s leadership in commissioning these new works underscores NDSU’s commitment to fostering connections between students, faculty, and professional musicians. The inclusion of current students and faculty members in this project is a testament to the collaborative spirit and creative energy that defines the NDSU Composition Program.
The IDRS Conference, renowned for its dynamic programming of recitals, masterclasses, and workshops, will provide an excellent platform for these innovative works. The presence of NDSU composers at this prestigious international conference reinforces the university’s role in shaping the future of contemporary music performance and composition.
About Dr. Martin Van Klompenberg
Dr. Martin J. Van Klompenberg is a bassoonist, composer, and educator at North Dakota State University, where he teaches bassoon and chamber music. A former member of the United States Army Band program, he holds a Doctorate of Musical Arts from the University of Arizona and degrees from Arizona State University and Western Michigan University. Dr. Van Klompenberg is an advocate for new music, commissioning and premiering works by several composers. He is the contrabassoonist for the Fargo-Moorhead Symphony Orchestra and has performed with numerous ensembles, including the Louisville Orchestra and the West Virginia Symphony.
For more information about Dr. Van Klompenberg, see https://martinvanklompenberg.com.
About NDSU Composition Program
The NDSU Composition Program is dedicated to nurturing the next generation of composers, fostering an environment where students engage with the creative process, collaborate across disciplines, and contribute to the future of contemporary music.
For more information about the NDSU composition program, see https://ndsucomposition.com.
Dear Kyle,
We have now had time to review your submission for this year’s Radiophrenia broadcasts.
After careful consideration we are pleased to inform you that we have selected your work (Creatures from the Black Bassoon) for broadcast.
We very much appreciate the time you took in sending us your ideas. We will be in touch again if we require any further information from you. It will take us some time to contact everyone who took part in the open call so we’d appreciate it if you didn’t share this news on social media, etc. until the end of January.
The schedule of programmes will appear on our website towards the end of March. There will be a search function so you can find when the work will be broadcast.
Just in case the message hasn’t reached you please note that the broadcast dates have now been rescheduled to April 7th – 20th.
Many thanks and best wishes,
The Radiophrenia team
I set out to do a monthly update at the end of November, but then finals week got the best of me. So here’s November AND BONUS December.
November started out with a trip to the annual College Music Society conference in Washington, DC. I had a tape piece (The Earth Shall Soon Dissolve Like Snow) on one of the CMS concerts, and a demonstration for the Association for Technology in Music Instruction side of the conference. This was the one conference that I allowed myself to go to this year (aside from the regional CMS that I hosted during a blizzard in March). It was great to get back into the researchy-creativey side of things.
Later, I was able to run out and do a bit of sightseeing. Here’s a view of Capitol Hill from the Library of Congress.
Here’s a closer picture of the Washington Monument. I didn’t really plan to go here, I was just on the subway heading back to the airport and was looking for a public restroom, and the restroom situation on the Washington Metro is a whole saga unto itself.
Oh and also the conference hotel (the Washington Hilton) was where Reagan was shot.
The paper/demonstration I gave was about a program I’ve been writing for tracking the composition process–essentially, it’s an app that has a bunch of buttons you push while composing to track your progress, and then it gives you a transcript and stats. It turns out I take way more breaks than I thought. WAY MORE. Here’s what the app looks like on the right monitor. (Also this is clearly a staged shot, because my desk was not previously and has not been since this clean.)
Meanwhile in Fargo, progress continues on our building addition to the Challey School of Music. Cassie is moving into one of the new offices on the second floor; I’m moving to an office that will be vacated also on the second floor. My plans for a composition emporium on the third floor were rejected.
Bartleby and Erin are getting along.
Tape Piece showed up on an album that was released.
I got the paperwork started to teach a music tech course at Concordia this spring, due to Doug Harbin’s sabbatical. I had to look up “Precept.” I also have to remember what it’s like to not know all the insane idiosyncrasies of MaxMSP.
We drove the cats and the kiddo to Montana for Christmas. Bart was thrilled. (Also, we have a second cat, Lorraine, who doesn’t appear here because all her pictures are blurry or because she is hiding at any given time. At this point in the trip, she was in the back passenger floorboard.)
Erin got to ride a horse!
And I finished a couple of pieces. Hey! Composing! (Miniwashitu for Contrabassoon and Piano (for Martin Van Klompenberg), and Last-Minute Waltz for solo flute (for a 15-minutes of fame call for scores featuring Lisa Bost-Sandberg)). Note to self: do more of this in 2025.
It’s going to be a good year.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Kyle Vanderburg
Email: info@kylevanderburg.com
Website: https://KyleVanderburg.com
Fargo, ND – 12/19/2024 – Composer and sound artist Kyle Vanderburg is proud to announce the release of his fixed media work, Tape Piece, on Electronic Masters Vol. 10, which became available worldwide on November 29, 2024. The Electronic Masters series from ABLAZE Records is celebrated for highlighting cutting-edge electronic compositions and providing a global platform for exceptional artistry.
Chosen from submissions spanning the globe, Tape Piece stands out for its immersive sonic quality. ABLAZE Records’ Douglas Knehans remarked, “The piece has a great atmosphere, excellent realization, immense subtlety, and beautiful audio quality. Congratulations on a wonderful work!”
The Electronic Masters series has earned high praise as a platform for new and experimental works. Recent reviews have celebrated its “positively vibrant” contributions to contemporary electronic music, affirming its role as an essential series for modern listeners.
Vanderburg’s music, which often navigates the relationship between nostalgia and innovation, explores familiar sounds in unexpected contexts. Tape Piece uses the sounds of adhesive tape–masking, scotch, aluminum, packing, and duct–to transform a mundane office supply to a new sonic world.
Kyle Vanderburg (b. 1986) is a composer and sound artist based in Fargo, ND. His music blends nostalgia with innovative sonic worlds, often recasting familiar sounds in fresh and unexpected contexts. His work has been presented globally at festivals and conferences such as ICMC, SEAMUS, and NYCEMF. He is currently Composer in Residence at North Dakota State University’s Challey School of Music. Learn more at KyleVanderburg.com.
ABLAZE Records is a premier platform for emerging voices in contemporary classical and electronic music. Through its Electronic Masters series, ABLAZE provides a global stage for composers who redefine and expand the possibilities of sonic artistry. Learn more at AblazeRecords.net.
Electronic Masters Vol. 10 was released on November 29, 2024, and is available worldwide on streaming platforms including iTunes, Naxos Music Library, Amazon MP3, and Spotify, with physical copies distributed through ABLAZE Records.
For more information and updates, visit: KyleVanderburg.com.
I didn’t take a ton of interesting pictures the past two months–lots of teaching and organization and tech support. But here’s the interesting bits of the middle of the fall semester.
I finished writing a piece for Bassoon and Electronics. This isn’t what it’s called now, but it was called this very briefly (more info on that piece coming up in the next few days)
I started work on a contrabassoon piece, and I’m using a tool I developed for tracking the composition process (which I have a presentation on next week at CMS, which I need to finish). Here’s a quick shot of me composing while on an NDSU Press field trip (staying at Nineteen26 Campground and Lodging in Steele, ND).
(That same field trip, the NDSU Intro to Publishing class printed, folded, collated, and trimmed 275 copies of this year’s chapbook. I drove the van and drank a lot of coffee.) Here’s a photo of the group (courtesy Allan Burke):
A few weeks later, we took the same class to Altona, Manitoba, to tour Friesens Corporation. Friesens is one of Canada’s largest book printers. Here we are next to several tons of rolls of paper. I drove the van and drank a lot of coffee.
We turned Festival Concert Hall into a Black Box theatre again for our fall Thundering Heard! student composers recital. This year we’re trying to build an audience with New Music Punchcards.
Ooh! Also, the NDSU University Symphony Orchestra premiered my work The Uncertainty of Joy. (https://vimeo.com/1018999619, at about 50:30. Updates to the website coming soon!)
Back at home, we got a new gate for the backyard (we lost the old one when we expanded the garage door at the beginning of covid times)…
I hit 1,450 days on Duolingo…
Bartleby claimed more of Erin’s furniture…
And Erin went for a stroll.
Next week I’m off to the 2024 College Music Society/Association for Technology in Music Instruction conference, at the Washington, DC, Hilton. That’s right. Washington, DC. During election week. I can only assume that the conference hotel was cheaper for those dates.
From the inbox:
Dear composers,
Thank you all for your submissions to the Trans-Pacific Trio call for scores! We would like to extend a special thank you to those who composed music specifically for our ensemble. Part of our reason for this call for scores was simply the lack of repertoire for our instrumentation, and it means a lot to us that you took this opportunity to create more pieces as options for us to play! We also want to acknowledge that many of you wrote worthy pieces that we were unable to program this season, but certainly hope to play in the future!
2024-2025 is rare in that the Trans-Pacific Trio is all residing in the same location for the entire season. For this reason, we wanted to give preference to submissions that included all three members of our group. The works we have selected for our “Trios Only” concert in early February are the following:
For Clarinet, Bassoon, and Piano:
Angelo Bruzzese – Lumen
David Snow – A Baker’s Tale
David Vayo – Seis Cosechas
Bernie Walasavage – Trio
For Voice, Clarinet, and Piano:
Carter Crosby – Enacting Travesty
Nicole Knorr – Waiting to Speak
Kyle Vanderburg – Letters to the Poetry Editor (III and VI)
Because we received so many excellent pieces, the Trans-Pacific Trio has decided to incorporate several of them into an additional concert in May. The pieces we have selected for that concert include:
Paul Ayres – The Cloths of Heaven
David Crumb – Soundings
Allen Molineux – A Terse Terzetto
Concert dates and venues are being finalised, and will be posted on the Trans-Pacific Trio page of my website once confirmed:
https://www.marialordknivetonmusic.com/trans-pacific-trio
We will be in touch with those of you whose pieces we have programmed for this season!
Maria Lord-Kniveton
Trans-Pacific Trio