John Aylward Artistic Director

Composer and pianist John Aylward is Assistant Professor of Music Theory and Composition at Clark University in Worcester, Massachusetts. He is the winner of the 2008 International Society of Contemporary Music (ISCM) Composition Competition. Informed by his work as an active pianist, his music features a combination of rigorous technique with experimental formal, textual and harmonic concepts. At home with acoustic and electronic media, Aylward’s work strives to capture the energy of our contemporary zeitgeist.

Aylward’s compositional work has been performed within the U.S and abroad by numerous ensembles including the New York New Music Ensemble, The Lydian String Quartet, Third Angle, The Bard Symphony Orchestra, Juventas, and The Aspen Contemporary Ensemble. His work has also been championed by internationally touring soloists Steven Gosling, Elizabeth Keusch, and Karina Sabac. Current projects include works for guitarist Dieter Hennings, the Swiss group Ensemble Zora and a project with the Gotra Ballet from Holland.

As a theorist, Aylward’s most recent research has dealt with the innovations in Elliott Carter’s later style, from 1995 to today. Most recently, Aylward has presented research on Carter’s music at the American Innovator’s Series and the New England Conference of Music Theorists. During the summer of 2008, Aylward was a fellow in residence at the Paul Sacher Stiftung in Basel, Switzerland, where he researched the sketchbooks of Elliott Carter’s most recent compositions.

As a pianist, Aylward regularly performs contemporary music worldwide. Recent concert dates include The American Composers Forum in Washington, DC, the University of Campinas in Sao Paulo, and Distler Hall at Tufts University.

Before his post at Clark University, Aylward taught music theory and composition at Brandeis and Tufts Universities. John lives in Brookline, Massachusetts and is originally from Tucson, Arizona. website