Catherine Lamb facts for kids

Catherine Lamb was born in 1982 in Olympia, Washington, USA. She is a talented American composer and a violist, which means she plays a string instrument similar to a violin. In 2020, she won a very important award called the Ernst von Siemens Composer Prize for her music.

About Catherine Lamb's Music

Catherine Lamb creates music that explores how sounds interact. She looks at how different tones combine to create new "shapes" and "shadows" of sound. Her music often uses a special tuning system called just intonation, which makes the notes sound very pure and clear.

In an interview, Lamb explained her ideas about sound. She believes that the most powerful sounds are not always the loudest. She said that sounds don't need to be pushed or played very loudly to be strong. Instead, when tones are played in a calm and relaxed way, they can "blossom" and become more expressive. This means her music often has a gentle, unfolding quality.

Working with Others

Catherine Lamb has worked on many exciting projects. She composed music for the film Anhe Ghore Da Daan. She has also teamed up with other famous musicians like Eliane Radigue and Marc Sabat.

Many groups have asked her to create new music for them. These include the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra, the London Contemporary Orchestra, and Yarn/Wire. She has also received awards and grants from places like the Foundation for Contemporary Arts.

Her Education

Catherine Lamb studied music at CalArts with teachers like James Tenney and Michael Pisaro. She also learned from Mani Kaul. Later, she earned her master's degree from Bard College.

Notable Musical Works

Catherine Lamb has composed many interesting pieces. Some of her well-known works include:

• divisio spiralis (from 2019)
• curvo totalitas
• Parallaxis Forma (from 2016)
• muto infinitas (from 2016)
• Point/Wave (from 2015)
• Matter/Moving (from 2012)
• The Prisma Interius series (which she started in 2015 and continues to work on)

In 2023, the BBC asked her to compose a piece called Portions Transparent/Opaque. This piece was performed for the first time at the 13th concert of the 2023 BBC Proms, a famous music festival.

Music Albums and Recordings

Catherine Lamb's music has been released on several albums, especially on the British experimental music label Another Timbre. Some of her recordings include:

• three bodies (moving)
• Viola Torros, with Johnny Chang
• point/wave
• Atmospheres Transparent/Opaque, featuring Ensemble Dedalus
• Muto Infinitas
• String Quartets, with the JACK Quartet
• parallaxis forma featuring Explore Ensemble, Exaudi Vocal Ensemble, and Lotte Betts-Dean
• Prisma Interius VIII
• Curva Triangulus featuring Ensemble Proton
• interius/exterius, with Ghost Ensemble