Steve Parker | |
|---|---|
| Born | United States |
| Nationality | Lebanese American |
| Education | Oberlin College (BA), Rice University (MM), University of Texas at Austin (DMA) |
| Known for | Sound art, sculpture, performance, music composition |
| Awards | Rome Prize, Creative Capital Award, Pollock-Krasner, Fulbright Program, National Endowment for the Arts |
| Website | steve-parker |
Steve Parker is an American artist, musician, and composer whose work blends sound sculpture, public performance, and interactive installations. His projects explore themes of ritual, ecology, and collective listening, often using salvaged musical instruments and custom-built sonic devices. [1]
Parker is the recipient of honors including Creative Capital Award, [2] the Rome Prize, [3] a Fulbright Fellowship, [4] and grants from the National Endowment for the Arts. [5]
Raised in Chicago, Parker is of Lebanese descent. [6] He earned a double major in music and mathematics from Oberlin College and Conservatory, graduating in 2002. [7] Initially trained as a trombonist, he later developed an interest in experimental and technology-driven art practices, including computer programming and neural networks. [8] He subsequently earned advanced degrees in music from Rice University and the University of Texas at Austin. [9]
After completing his studies, Parker became active in Austin's arts community as both a trombonist and organizer. He curated SoundSpace, a multidisciplinary music series at the Blanton Museum of Art that brought together performers from diverse genres in immersive, site-specific events. [10] In 2021, he was awarded the Rome Prize in Design by the American Academy in Rome, where he developed Futurist Opera, a multimedia performance incorporating wearable sound suits and experimental instruments. [11]
Parker is the Artistic Director of Collide Arts, an organization that supports interdisciplinary performance and public art. He also serves as an associate professor of music at the University of Texas at San Antonio, where he leads the trombone studio and directs new music initiatives. [12]
His artistic practice spans sculpture, composition, and performance. Drawing on salvaged musical instruments and found materials, Parker creates interactive installations and performances that often incorporate community participants, including marching bands, choirs, and urban wildlife such as bat colonies and flocks of grackles. [13] These works frequently explore systems of control, sonic meditation, and interspecies communication, and emphasize audience engagement and participation. [14]
As a trombonist, Parker has premiered over 200 new works, with a focus on extended techniques and electronic augmentation. He is a frequent collaborator with the contemporary ensemble Signal in New York and has performed at institutions and festivals including the Guggenheim Museum, Lincoln Center Festival, the Los Angeles Philharmonic's in/SIGHT series, the Lucerne Festival, MASS MoCA, SXSW, and Tanglewood. [15] His multidisciplinary collaborations blend elements of installation, public ritual, and experimental sound performance. [16]
Parker's work is influenced by avant-garde music and historical sound practices. He has cited the Deep Listening philosophy of composer Pauline Oliveros as a significant influence on his approach to sound and audience engagement. [25] His projects often incorporate concepts of attentive and participatory listening, as advocated by Oliveros. [26]
Parker's work also references early 20th-century experimental art and music, including the Italian Futurists and composer John Cage. [27] As part of his Rome Prize project, he incorporated influences from Futurist sound experiments and Guglielmo Marconi's early radio innovations to design new sonic performances. [28]
Many of Parker's installations examine the historical use of sound in warfare and surveillance, incorporating elements such as World War II acoustic radar devices, coded military signals, and propaganda techniques.His work frequently repurposes tools originally developed for conflict—such as sirens, megaphones, and communication towers—to explore their use in community-building, protest, and social engagement. [29]