Dennis Bathory-Kitsz

Music

Westleaf Edition Searchable Index

Services

Composition (in person & online)

Landmark Projects

Of Interest

Me

About Me

I am a composer, author, editor, teacher, and technologist. My work engages the advancement of arts and technology from both humanist and experimental perspectives. I am available for commissions, master classes, writing & editing, teaching & presentations, seminars & performances, and music digital engraving.

My music has been commissioned more than 300 times and performed by my own ensembles and over 100 orchestras, chamber ensembles, choruses, and soloists around the world, as well as innumerable student groups and those who have anonymously downloaded and realized scores and performance artworks. My installations have appeared in numerous galleries and museums, and I have performed at venues in the U.S. and Europe. My musical scores are part of the historical Notations21 project and exhibit.

I have composed for orchestras & bands, chamber ensembles & choruses, and duos & individuals.

Please contact me for composition sessions (in person or online).
Please visit my résumé for more detail about my life and work.
Please visit my YouTube channel for performances and related videos.

I am limiting my engraving services for most score work. I will continue to take a small number of scores, preferably unusual notation and without hard deadlines. I am accepting additional students for mentoring/challenging in composition.

"Whaaaaaaaaat!?" It's My New Book!

Whaaaaaaaaat!? I Don't Get Classical Music: A Self-Help Desperation Guide is now available! Individuals, students, teachers, professors, theater or jazz enthusiasts, and anyone who might not "get" classical music: Here is the book! I was looking for a good, short introduction to Western classical music for students outside the classical realm. I couldn't find one. So I wrote it. If you have friends new to Western classical music or if you're teaching students in other areas of music who need some quick background or if you have audiences for classical music who could use some background and encouragement, then this is your book. I'm not kidding. 100 pages and 30 hours of listening!

You can get it from Amazon.com or directly from me for autographed copies! And here is the listening list to get you excited about it!

Presentation on "The Self-Promoting Artist"

Composition Sessions, In Person or Online

You can study composition with me. Composers (or those just beginning the path) find working with me refreshing and exciting. Please look at my scores and listen to my music, and then contact me and we'll talk about your interests and challenges and dreams as a composer.

I am on SoundCloud

After much resistance -- why wouldn't folks just come here to my website? -- I decided to put selected compositions on SoundCloud. So there it is. And thank you for visiting!

Looking for the NEW edition of my "Country Stores of Vermont"?

Find it at CountryStoresOfVermont.org

Music of My Youth

As a child, Hungarian records were found in the house. When we actually got a record player, I could explore them. And here they are for your listening. By the way, there is a bucketload of other news to be reported on this page, but it's been a little busy. For now, do a quick peek at various events past & present.

Brand New Electroacoustic Recordings!

Get them here!



	*Purchase all five of these CDs for $20 here and paste a copy of the order confirmation here. In return you'll receive the 24-page booklet and a bonus CD of Detritus of Mating* (while they last!).**

New Erzsébet Opera Recordings!

My Erzsébet Opera Project was a long time coming and a big deal for me. You can also get the CD or DVD premiere recordings here!

Beautiful Print Publications You Will Love!

	*O: Eleven Songs for Chorus SATB* with text by Gary Barwin from Lulu.com. These vivid settings of eleven poems by Gary Barwin are mysterious, funny, tender, inventive, rich in association, and eminently singable. From the skittering conversation of "The Birds," to the alternate Medieval world of "Sparrows' Song" and the rhythmic footsy of "Small Apes and White Feet," these songs strike a balance between thoughtful reflection and quirky off-kilter humor.
	*Erzsébet: A Monodrama* is the opera's score from Lulu.com. This large volume is the full orchestration in a beautiful presentation with Lisa Jablow as Erzsébet on the cover. The opera is complete and premiered; a DVD will be offered here shortly! Complete background on the opera and information on downloading information, purchasing T-shirts, programs, etc., as well as future performances can be found on The Bathory Opera Website.
	*Three Performance Pieces* is available from Lulu.com. Three beautiful performance scores from the 2007 "We Are All Mozart" project. One is a set of 99 performance pieces, the second a set of seven sections for French horn, and the third a set of 13 graphical scores for tenor guitar. Several of the latter are part of the "Notations21" gallery series.
	*Erzsébet: A Monodrama* is the opera's libretto available from either Amazon.com or Lulu.com. The opera is complete and premiered, and a DVD will be offered here shortly! The libretto includes the full text along with images in a beautiful commemorative volume. More info at The Bathory Opera Website
	*Country Stores of Vermont: A History and Guide* is available from The History Press. It's a really good book, with fantastic pictures and great stories as well as ten fantastic tours of Vermont. You can get it cheaper at Amazon.com -- but please try to get your copy from our local Vermont bookstores and country & general stores. Autographed copies also available..

Read All About Me, Me, Me!

Kyle Gann wrote a complimentary profile about me (I'm "a shadowy figure" -- yeah!) in Chamber Music Magazine in November. It was a very nice piece which you can read here (PDF).

Opera Lyrics Font

I've created a TrueType font based on 19th century opera scores. It has all the typical characters and a few more, but is missing still a few of the special characters. I'll improve it over the next few months, but if you're interested, here it is: Opera-Lyrics-Smooth. If you distribute it, please keep in mind that this version (1.65) will occasionally be updated. Click image for full-sized chart.

Build 4 U!

People have remarked for years about the imaginative character of our little New England cape, full of hand-made furniture, cabinets, closets, shelves and other interesting items. Now you can have these, too because I will build it 4 u!

Yes I am...

On Facebook and Twitter.

Getcher Bumper Sticker!

Join the nonpop "Buy Local" campaign! If you're a composer or supporter of new nonpop, you can get a bumper sticker for five bucks at CafePress, item number 80570307, or even better you can download and print it yourself. The CafePress one is only 10 inches wide, but you can use the full-size image to print a big one on 11x17 paper and trim it to standard 3.75" x 15" bumper sticker size.

Buy Local bumper sticker

Openings for Engraving and Editing

I have openings for new music engraving clients and book editing clients. Here are samples of my music engraving work, and you can find the results of some of my book editing work at the admittedly very old Transitive Empire site. Here's how to contact me.

People Have Asked...

...why I give away my music. Here is the answer.

Older News

What's in the Older News section? Stuff you can use...

My music as ringtones for download
My library of musical scores for sale
Ionic "Performer" 1973 Synth VSTi for download
Wooden Kind remix with Lee Noyes
Crosscut (2009) piano concerto announcement
Composition for Tape & Soloists (1969) score available for download
Eventide (2006) studio recording for download
Availability and samples of Vermont photography
Country Stores of Vermont (2008) announcement
Progress of and announcements about We Are All Mozart (2007)

...and much more back to 2000.

About Me

Complete Life List of Works (aka the "Biglist")
Essays
Full Résumé

Landmark Projects

We Are All Mozart:
A Composition Productivity Challenge
Erzsébet:
An Opera on Vampire Elizabeth Bathory
Echo:
A Performance Ritual in Three Parts
Plasm over ocean:
A Chamber Opera in Three Scenes
Stoneworld/Grey:
A Dadaist Performance Work
In Bocca al Lupo:
A Sound/Sculpture Installation
Wolf5:
A Performance Work for "Traveler's Rest"

Diverse Work

Engraving Work:
Samples of contemporary notation
Westleaf Edition:
Publisher of his music
The Transitive Empire:
His writing and editing partnership
Kalvos & Damian's New Music Bazaar:
Show & site where world composers meet
Vermont Alliance of Independent Country Stores:
His economic & community development work
The NonPop International Network:
New nonpop around the world

Photos, Books and Instruments

My Vermont Photos:
Prints available, framed too.
Country Stores of Vermont:
A history and guide
The Middle-Aged Hiker:
A complete book on line
The Karmora Papers:
A really bad sci-fi novel
My Original Instruments:
Over three decades.
The Ionic Performer Synth:
A source of ongoing controversy.

Beth Griffth, Bern Nix, Andrew Bolotowsky

2017 Performances and Events

Late 2017 (tentative), New York / New England: Starry Night, Tïrkíinistrá, other works and a new work performed by Panayiotis Demopoulos.
Late 2017 (tentative) São Paulo: Dance of the Fénix. Sphaera Rock Orchestra directed by Alexey Kurkdjian.
Late 2017 (tentative) Córdoba: Noitça (Byrd's Ghost). Ensemble Fractus.
Autumn 2017 (tentative) Vermont: Excerpts from Requiem. TBA.
August 2017 (TBA) Reykjavík: New Work. Frank Aarnink (cimbalom), Herdis Anna Jónasdóttir (voice). TBA.
March 11, Burlington, Vermont: Descent of the Particles. Vermont Contemporary Music Ensemble. Black Box at Main Street Landing, 7:30pm.
March 10, Montpelier, Vermont: Descent of the Particles. Vermont Contemporary Music Ensemble. Unitarian Church, 7:30pm.
March 3, Amherst: Song & March of the Sea Critters on Martian Gardens episode 877 with Max Shea - Radio4All.
February 22, Princeton: Ave Verum Corpus, Vermont Choral Union, on Classical Discoveries with Marvin Rosen. 7:30am.
February 16, Amherst: d'a'lpp on Martian Gardens episode 875 with Max Shea - Radio4All.

2016 Performances and Events

November 25, Toronto: Scalar Rainbows . Alison Cerutti, piano. Gallery 345. Time TBA.
October 2, Montpelier, Vermont: I Come With My Face Burnt. Vermont Virtuosi. Unitarian Church, Main Street, 3:00pm.
October 2, Bennington, Vermont: Scalar Rainbows and Air. Listening Shires with Thomas Toscano, WBTN-AM. 8:00am.
October 1, Brattleboro, Vermont: I Come With My Face Burnt. Vermont Virtuosi. St Michael's Episcopal, Bradley Avenue, 7:30pm.
September 30, Burlington, Vermont: I Come With My Face Burnt. Vermont Virtuosi. First Baptist, 81 St. Paul Street, 7:30pm.
September 11, Hillsdale, New York: Centered Again. Emerald Trio. Hillsdale Library, 3:00pm.
September 10, Burlington, Vermont: Great North Country Electronic Music Festival, co-organizer and performer. ArtsRiot, 12:00-7:00pm.
March 30, Princeton: Icecut, Josh Perschbacher, arr. on Classical Discoveries with Marvin Rosen. 7:30am.
April 25, Johnson, Vermont: The Lake Isle of Innisfree . Chelsea Gibbs with Meghan McCormack and Mary Jane Austin. Johnson State College, Dibden Hall, 1:00pm
April 16, Burlington, Vermont: Three Elastic Experiences . Vermont Contemporary Music Ensemble. Black Box at Main Street Landing, 7:30pm.
April 15, Montpelier, Vermont: Three Elastic Experiences . Vermont Contemporary Music Ensemble. Unitarian Church, 7:30pm.
April 10, Haymarket, NSW: She Who Saves . Michael H. Dixon Trio. CHIME Music Studio, 3:30pm.
April 3, New Paltz, New York: Clouds of Endless Summer with The Poné Ensemble. Location TBA.
March 20, Montpelier, Vermont: Centered Again. Emerald Trio. Unitarian Church, 3:00pm.
March 13, Montpelier, Vermont: Encircled by You . Vermont Virtuosi. Unitarian Church, 3:00pm.
March 12, Brandon, Vermont: Encircled by You . Vermont Virtuosi. Brandon Music, 7:30pm.
March 11, Colchester, Vermont: Encircled by You . Vermont Virtuosi. Elley-Long Center, 7:30pm.
February 18, New York City: ...daar zaten wij.... Beth Griffith, voice. Firehouse Space, 246 Frost Street, Brooklyn, 7:30pm
January 14, New York City: iota. Tzu-En Lee, violin. Gallery MC, 549 W 52nd St., 7:30pm
January 13, Princeton: The Lake Isle of Innisfree and Unhigh Fives on Classical Discoveries with Marvin Rosen. 5:30-11:00am.

Detritus of Mating CD available: Get it from CD Baby!
Sex and Death: Offerings, sculpture by Pavel Kraus.
Detritus of Mating was created for this exhibit.
Exquisite Corpse Gallery, Burlington, Vermont.

Zonule Glaes II limited-edition CD is available
Performed by Styx-Q V.I.P. Positive Quartet
For ordering info, please use the Contact Form
Sex Death Offerings, sculpture by Pavel Kraus.
Zonule Glaes II was created for this exhibit.
Mánes Museum, Prague.

Old CD Releases and Covers can still be had. Some used to be on MP3.com and others were private releases. Here they are.

Performing with the Dashuki Music Theatre at New Jersey State Museum

Appearing with Green Mountain Micro in Princeton

Appearing with Apple Hill Chamber Players

Appearing with the Vermont Symphony Orchestra

Directing the Roxbury Union Congregational Church Choir

Performing Detonacy 1976 at Delaware Valley Avant-Garde Festival

Performing Somnambula at New Jersey State Museum

Performing Memento Mori at Feedback Studios

Essays, Papers, Presentations, Polemics, and Stuff

The Cheap $31 Folding Jig (2005), build a jig for folding scores and booklets -- only $2 if you've already got a paper cutter!
Imagination and Exploitation: Some History of Digital Technology in My Music-Making (2004), talk by the composer about computer music, then and now.
Thoughts on the Small Form (2004), a brief commentary about very short pieces of music.
The Cheap Under $15 Jecklin Disk (2003), build an impossible-to-find and better-than-professional Jecklin Disk for live recording in an hour or two.
The Cheap Under $5 Microphone Shockmount (2003), save that $60-per-piece price for commercial products and build a flexible mount in an hour.
Everybody's Gotta Trust ... But Verify? (2003), polemic about copy protection and corporate delusion.
Preserving the Future's Past: EA Artists Must Take Care of Their Own Archives (2002), conversation and recommendations about archiving audio artworks.
Riding the Cheap Electron (2002), paper presented at Dartmouth College about a composer's history with synthesis.
The Pros and Woes of Being a Self-Taught Composer (2002), article on the topic for New Music Box.
No Denial of the Bête Familiale (2001), paper presented at Dartmouth College about the role of the computer musician.
Xenakis: The Continuing Composer -- A Personal Reflection on Iannis Xenakis (2001), article on the influence of Iannis Xenakis.
The Curse of Love (2000), paper presented at Dartmouth College about eclecticism, copyright, and interactivity.
How to Get Here from There (Stomach Music to Sourian Slide) or Is There a Reason You've Canceled My Premiere Yet Again? (2000), paper presented at Goddard College about my life and work.
Road Ahead, Road Behind (2000), original article for Slashdot revealing the creation of No Money (Lullaby for Bill) from Bill Gates's voice.
Destined for Obscurity Again -- How Partch Influenced Me (2000), article reflecting on Harry Partch.
The Patron Saint of Mediocrities (1999), paper presented at Bregman Studios of Dartmouth College about my life and work.
Turning Sausage Back Into The Pig: The Year 2000 Problem in Northfield, Vermont (1999), a look at Year 2000 problems and how they are affecting my local community.
'Our Demented Therapeutic Culture' (1998), essay written for Kalvos & Damian on the erosion of cultural daring.
A Challenge for Richard Branson (1998), a letter suggesting Branson transform the landscape of contemporary music.
The Churchill Society Debate: A Futile Correspondence (1998), an exchange with the Churchill Society on the state of new music.
Your Music on the Web: Ways, Means, Rights, and the Old West: New Concepts, Paradigms and Fears (1997), article outlining techniques for presentation and protection on the Web.
I Don't Know How -- or Why: Night Thoughts on the Process of Composition (1995), including a link to an audio version.
A Cloak for the Lord of Cats (1995), a short-short story about vampiress Báthory Erzsébet, a true historical figure. This story forms the basis of a scene in a proposed opera.
You Still Make Me Bleed: Letter to a Casual Critic (1994), fierce letter defining the position on the composer in mid-1990s Vermont.
It's Time to Bury the Dead (1992), intense article calling for the end of performances of older concert music and a revision in thinking and sensibility.
Composing a New Language (1992), proposal presented at MedArt International by Barbara S.J. Balch and me to replace lost language skills with musical language developed through interaction and virtual reality.
Construal of Music Process Architecture (1992), paper presenting personal views and reports on musical composition in Europe.
Why Do It?: Replies to the Vermont Composers Consortium Questionnaire (1989), answers to strange questions posed by a strange organization.
The Clinic: A Dream Writ Down (1988), an actual, cold-sweat-inducing dream recorded the next morning as a short story.
Variations on the Notion of Variation: Questioning the Whys of Composing (1987), internal conversations about the art of composing.
The Image Behind the Glass (1986), talk to ID Expo in Boston on light pens and touch screens that presages modern palmtops, handwriting recognition, and artificial intelligence features.
The Impact of the Microprocessor (1982), prophetic and political talk about microprocessor technology and philosophy, presented to the ACM at Rensselaer in Troy, New York.
The Microprocessor as a Modern Odysseus (1982), similar talk with a personal sidelight about music and the arts, presented to the IEEE in Burlington, Vermont.

Contact Form

Dennis Báthory-Kitsz home · composer · engraver · author · editor · photographer · contact

Music

Services

Landmark Projects

Erzsébet: The Opera (2011)

We Are All Mozart (2007)

Komposer Kombat (2005)

Ought-One Festival (2001)

Zonule Glaes II (1999)

Amsterdramm (1998)

Detritus of Mating (1997)

Kalvos & Damian (1995-2010)

Wolf5 (1991)

In Bocca al Lupo (1986)

Echo (1985)

Plasm over ocean (1977)

Stoneworld/Grey (1977)

Trans/Media (1973-78)

Of Interest

Me

About Me

"Whaaaaaaaaat!?" It's My New Book!

Presentation on "The Self-Promoting Artist"

Composition Sessions, In Person or Online

I am on SoundCloud

Looking for the NEW edition of my "Country Stores of Vermont"?

Music of My Youth

Brand New Electroacoustic Recordings!

New Erzsébet Opera Recordings!

Beautiful Print Publications You Will Love!

Read All About Me, Me, Me!

Opera Lyrics Font

Build 4 U!

Yes I am...

Getcher Bumper Sticker!

Openings for Engraving and Editing

People Have Asked...

About Me

Landmark Projects

Diverse Work

Photos, Books and Instruments

2017 Performances and Events

2016 Performances and Events

Essays, Papers, Presentations, Polemics, and Stuff