Judy Klein facts for kids

Judy Klein was born on April 14, 1943, in Chicago. She is an American composer and a music teacher. She started the Computer Music Studio at New York University. She also led this studio in the 1980s. Judy Klein creates music mainly using electronic sounds. Her work includes pieces for electronic devices, sound art displays, and music for plays. She also works with visual artists.

Judy Klein's Education

Judy Klein studied at the University of California, Berkeley. She earned her first degree there in 1967. Later, she continued her music studies in Basel, Switzerland. She received a diploma from the Music Academy there in 1977.

She then went to New York University. In 1987, she earned her Master of Arts degree. She learned from famous composers like Thomas Kessler and Ruth Anderson. Judy Klein also studied how to make music using computers. She learned this at the Brooklyn College Center for Computer Music with Charles Dodge.

Musical Career and Contributions

Judy Klein began teaching music made with electronics and computers. She started at New York University in 1985. She later created and directed the New York University Computer Music Studio. This studio was a place for students to learn and create electronic music.

She also helped the New York Public Library for the Performing Arts. This library is located at Lincoln Center. From 1990 to 2006, she helped build their collection of electronic music. Judy Klein has been a visiting artist at many places. These include the Bregman Studio at Dartmouth College and the Elektronische Musik Studio in Switzerland. She has also been a guest composer and speaker. She visited places like the Brooklyn College Center for Computer Music and the Computer Music Center at Columbia University.

How Judy Klein Creates Music

Judy Klein mainly uses computer programming to create her music. She uses the C programming language and a special music language called Csound. Her music mostly uses sounds that are heard without seeing where they come from. This is called acousmatic music.

She often combines her interest in sound with her care for animal rights. She talked about this in an interview about her piece "The Wolves of Bays Mountain." Judy Klein lives in New York City today. She helps judge music competitions and festivals. She is also part of the New York City Electroacoustic Music Festival. She writes for The Open Space Magazine and Perspectives of New Music. Her music can be found on CDs from groups like ICMA and SEAMUS.

Musical Works

Judy Klein has created many unique musical pieces. Here are some of her selected works:

• Dead End (1979) – music made with tape recordings
• Little Piece (1979) – music made with tape recordings
• Dream/Song (1980) – music made with tape recordings
• Journeys (1982) – music made with tape recordings, also a sound art display; she worked with B. Nathan
• God Bites (1983) – music made with tape recordings
• The Mines of Falun, part 1 (1983) – music made with tape recordings
• The Tell-Tale Heart (1983) – music for a film; directed by H. Marti
• From the Journals of Felix Bosonnet (1987) – music made with tape recordings; performed at a big computer music conference
• Elements 1.1: sulphur, phosphorus; diamond (1992) – music made with tape recordings
• 88” for Nick (1992) – music made with tape recordings
• Elements 1.2 (1993) – a sound art display; she worked with C. Furukawa and N. Yatsuyanagi
• The Wolves of Bays Mountain (1998) – music made with tape recordings
• Railcar (2008)

Discography

You can find Judy Klein's music on these recordings:

• The Wolves of Bays Mountain, Open Space 15 #OS015 – released in 2004
• From the Journals of Felix Bosonnet, ICMC 1989 #38161665; Christoph Gaugler was the reader – released in 1989
• 88” for Nick, Transforms: The Nerve Events Project, Cuneiform Records #43302512 – released in 1993
• Elements 1.1: sulphur, phosphorus; diamond, Music from SEAMUS vol. 4 (a digital re-release from 1994) – re-released in 2022
• Railcar, Music from SEAMUS vol. 20 – released in 2011