SHORT BIO

Elizabeth Luttinger received a BA from Bard College, where she double-majored in music composition (with Joan Tower and Kyle Gann) and modern dance (with members from the Limón, Cunningham, and Ailey companies), with an emphasis on choreography and movement for non-dancers.  She spent a year working as a dance instructor around Syracuse, New York and with the Contemporary Dance Theater in Cincinnati, Ohio, before moving to Europe. She spent two years between Madrid and Düsseldorf, working as a freelance composer, English instructor, and member of Spain’s national chorus Vía Magna (Oscar Gershensohn, dir.). Returning to the US on scholarship, Elizabeth has since completed a Masters in music composition at Syracuse University (with Andrew Waggoner and Daniel Godfrey), and then spent three years instructing music theory courses.

Elizabeth has worked regularly as a performer on piano, accordion, and double bass, and as music director, composer-in-residence, and choreographer in classical and contemporary ensembles, as well as in musical theater. She has had compositions performed by the Cassatt and Colorado quartets, upstate New York’s Society for New Music, the Da Capo Chamber Players, and the American Symphony Orchestra, and has been the recipient of BMI’s Pete Carpenter Fellowship, a New York State Foundation for the Arts SOS grant (Strategic Opportunity Stipend), and a Meet the Composer grant. Elizabeth currently resides in Los Angeles, where she continues to pursue a career in composition.

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LIST OF WORKS

2010
Counting Seeds: Percussion solo with structured improvisation, scored for nine terra cotta flower pots (pitched), bamboo wind chimes, gong, bass drum, originally co-created with modern dance choreography (11’)

Quiet Song; A Lullaby for the Chicks: Tenor and piano, with vowels and improvised sounds instead of lyrics (5’10). Also arranged for four saxophones (SATBr) and C trumpet.

Forensic Psychologist, The Whaler, The Nuke, Doc, Boys Grow Up: Main-titles for potential television shows, created with Digital Performer (each approx. 1’07)

Basketball Dreams: Orchestral and digital score for untitled short film (2’10)

Wonderment, Urbanity, Zach is a Firefly, Groove: Ambient digital pieces made with Logic (1’-3’)

Penny in the Kitchen: Lounge music for Burlesque dance classes (2’20)

Einige Kreise II: Electronic piece representing the Kandinsky painting of the same name, commissioned by Barre O’Neill (L.L.C.) as part of a project to make visual arts accessible to the blind. (1’10)

Poldclay: Midi-based electronic music for two different internet commercials (3’, loopable)

2009
Aki kaze: Three choral pieces in Japanese for nine voice parts (SSSAAATTBr) and harp (11’)

Nobody Here but Us Monkeys: C Trumpet, double bass, percussion, and dramatic acting required of the musicians (6’)

A Brief Winter, Without a Barren Wind: Two movements for Bb clarinet and viola (11’)

Herman the German: A recorded story, fragmented and turned into a digital, a cappella, techno song (2’30)

SexBeat: Digitally constructed piece based on low frequencies and the sounds their interference create (1’50)

2008
The Enchanted Dragon: Children’s chamber opera for string quartet, double bass, piano, and extensive percussion (approx. 50’)

2007
Tango Cinco and Ritmo PM: Two electronic neo-tango pieces with flute, double bass, accordion, violin, and samples from flamenco recordings (2’50, 3’30)

Take the Lively Air: Three Songs on Poems of Theodore Roethke: Soprano and piano, poems courtesy of Random House Publishers, Inc. (8’43)

Hulk: Electronic, bell and gong recordings and double bass (5’14)

Bad Dog: Woodwind quintet (5’40), also arranged for saxophone quintet

Homage Quartet: Bb Clarinet, cello, marimba, piano (7’)

Eli, Eli: Arrangement of traditional Jewish folk song for soprano, violin, ‘cello, and piano (3’30)

2006
Yellow Velvet Ribbon: Orchestral study with extensive percussion (4’30)

Sifting Sand, Finding Silver: Piano quintet (6’)

Steal Her, Beg Her: Two movements for flute, piano and double bass (5’30)

2003-2005
The End of Ford Dupri: String quartet and vibraphone score (midi-realized) for student film

Lounge Blender; Incidental orchestral music (electronic) for educational DVD menu and credits

Spanish Suite; Five tapas (little pieces) for flute, oboe, two Bb clarinets, two bassoons, guitar, tambourine and cajón (approx. 6’)

American Full: String orchestra, glockenspiel, marimba, and chimes (5’30)

Prior to 2003
Betty Sullivan McCort: String quartet (8’10)
           
Good Luck: String quartet (3’05)

67 Clock: String quartet (4’20)

Second Requiem: ‘Cello quartet (6’)

Solo Mom: Solo piano (3’15)

Around for Gumps: Solo piano (3’45)

Concerto: Solo piano sketch for concerto (2’50)

Chavez Variations: Two solo piano pieces on a theme of Chavez (1’30)

I Would: Three children’s voices (all alto range); poem by my grandfather, Richard Phillips (1’30)