C. P. First

C. P. First (Craig P. First), American composer of the avant-garde, was born (March 16, 1960) in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. Recognized primarily for his chamber music, he also has composed opera, orchestral and electronic music. His music is characterized by its taut and often disturbing drama and carefully calculated, discordant atonal language.

Biography
Whilst still in his early teens, C. P. First began composing works of an experimental nature. After completing his primary education, he pursued composition studies in Chicago, Illinois where he studied at the American Conservatory, then at the University of Chicago where he studied with Shulamit Ran. He earned his Doctoral degree (1990) from Northwestern University. During his years as a graduate student, he became deeply entrenched in the electronic and computer media that often reside at the core of his compositional output.

Whilst an undergraduate student, First was commissioned by Charles Moore and the ACM Chamber Opera to write the one-act opera, The Soul of Rose Dede. His work caught the attention of influential cultural figures in Chicago, including J. Ingrid Leslie, Chief of Arts and Letters for the city of Chicago and impressario Dalia Kuceanas who introduced the young composer to important European musicians. These introductions led to the commission of several works, including Two by One (solo violin) for the pre-eminent Russian violinist, Raimundas Katillus. Soon after Katillus performed the composer's music at Carnegie Hall. Immediately following his debut at Carnegie Hall, performances of First's works appeared throughout Europe and the major performance centers in the U. S. Among the important European musicians with whom First came in contact was the brilliant Greek virtuoso, Dimitris Marinos. Perhaps First's most well-known work, Tantrum, was written for Marinos who performed the work widely in Europe and the U.S. including Carnegie Hall. The two musicians, Marinos and First, collaborated on two other works Epiphany and Contrapuntal Variations I commissioned by Commissioning Music/USA.

Although in recent years somewhat reclusive, the composer periodically emerges with new works that invariably receive critical acclaim. Most recently, his collaboration with New York filmmaker Matt Marello on the eccentric multi-media collaboration, The Eternal Return (2002), received world-wide attention, including performaces on the America in Berlin exhibit at the Berlin Academy of Art.

In addition to his work as a composer, C. P. First has contributed to the introduction of new works. In 1992, First and conductor Gui Bordo formed The Chicago 21st Century Music Ensemble, which remains an important new music ensemble in Chicago. From 1990 until 1995, First served as a Lecturer in Theory and Composition at Northwestern University and DePaul University. In 1995, he accepted a post at the University of Alabama where he is Professor and Chair of Composition and Theory.

Honours
Octavo Concurso Internacional de Composición Musical Spain
ASCAP Plus Awards
American Composers Forum Sonic Circuits X Competition Winner
National Foundation for Advancement in the Arts-Astral Composition Award
World Music Days Competition-Luxembourg
American Composers Forum Sonic Circuits VIII Competition Winner
California Institute of the Arts/Alpert Award in Music--1 of 3 Nominees
American Composers Forum Sonic Circuits VI Competition Winner
National Foundation for Advancement in the Arts--Astral Composition Award
World Music Days Competition--England
Commissioning Music/USA Commissioning Competition
Fourth Annual International Spectri Sonori Composition Contest
International Society for Contemporary Music National Composers Competition
National Association of Composers, U. S. A. 12th Annual Composition Competition
Padrone-Kantscheidt Composition Competition--First Prize
William T. Faricy Composition Contest--First Prize
ACM Orchestra Composition Competition of Chicago--First Prize

Discography
Of Time and Place: Prominent Voices in New Chamber Music-Capstone Records (CPS-8728)

Extended Resources-Capstone Records (CPS-8626)

Works

Opera
The Soul of Rose Dede (Chamber Opera)
Film
The Eternal Return (Five Films and Five Ensembles)
Chamber Music
String Quartet
Two by One (Violin Solo/ Arrangement for Alto Sax)
Shadow Play (Piano Solo)
Intimate Voices (Violin, Cello, and Piano)
Black Sun (Violin and Piano)
Tantrum (Amplified Mandolin and Tape)
Mosaics (Saxophone Quartet)
Flights of Fantasy (Chamber Orchestra)
Zu wissen was kein Engel weiß (Double Orchestra and Four-Channel Tape)
Summer Knowledge (Flute, Violin, Cello, and Piano)
Drame lyrique (Guitar)
Contrapuntal Variations I (Mandolin and Tape)
Contrapuntal Variations II (Violin)
Contrapuntal Variations III (Cello)
Time's Dedication (Soprano, Narrator, and 8 Instruments)
Chimera (Viola and Harpsichord)
Scatterbrain (Cello Solo)
Three Scenes for a Mad Clarinet (Clarinet and Piano)
Dream Music for Guitar and Cello
Lo, the Solace Passed (Alto Saxophone and Large Chamber Ensemble)
The Apocryphal (Violin Duo)
Jetz (Double Bass and Piano)
Orchestral Music
Flights of Fantasy (Chamber Orchestra)
Zu wissen was kein Engel weiß (Double Orchestra and Four-Channel Tape)
Concerto for Chamber Orchestra
Sun Devil (Soprano Saxophone and Orchestra)
Electronic Music
Zu wissen was kein Engel weiß (Double Orchestra and Four-Channel Tape)
I ' vidi in terra angelici (Soprano and Two-Channel Tape)
Epiphany (Amplified Violin, Mandolin, and Two-Channel Tape)
Tantrum (Amplified Mandolin and Tape)
Fever 103o (Two-Channel Tape)
Invariance (Two-Channel Tape)