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Wikipedia entry
Introduction
La Monte Thornton Young (born October 14, 1935) is an American composer, musician, and theorist recognized as one of the first American minimalist composers and an important figure in post-war avant-garde music. He is best known for his exploration of sustained tones, beginning with his 1958 composition "Trio for Strings." His works have called into question the nature and definition of music. Despite having released very little recorded material throughout his career—much of it currently out of print—some sources have described him as "the most influential living composer today". The Observer wrote that his work has had "an utterly profound effect on the last half-century of music."Young played jazz saxophone and studied composition in California during the 1950s, and subsequently moved to New York in 1960, where he was a central figure in the downtown music and Fluxus art scenes. He then became known for his pioneering work in drone music (originally called dream music) with his Theatre of Eternal Music collective, alongside collaborators such as Tony Conrad, John Cale, and his wife, the multimedia artist Marian Zazeela. Since 1962, he has worked extensively with Zazeela, with whom he developed the Dream House sound and light environment. Beginning in 1970, he studied under Hindustani singer Pandit Pran Nath. Perhaps Young's best known work is The Well-Tuned Piano, an ongoing, improvisatory composition begun in 1964 and performed throughout subsequent decades.
Wikidata
Q432822
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Getty record
Introduction
A proponent of experimental music created by the use of extended drones. Educated at the University of California, Los Angeles (1957-1958), he completed his graduate studies in composition at the University of California, Berkeley. An avid jazz musician, Young performed with Ornette Coleman and Don Cherry. In the mid-1960s he formed the Theater of Eternal Music with Marian Zazeela, Angus MacLise and Billy Name; Tony Conrad and John Cale joined later. His use of long tones at high volume was an important influence on other group members, especially Cale, who went on to form the Velvet Underground.Young studied with world-renowned North Indian vocal master Pandit Pran Nath in the 1970s. Young and Zazeela later created the Dream House, a sound and light installation.
Nationality
American
Gender
Male
Roles
Artist, Composer, Musician, Performance Artist
Name
La Monte Young
Ulan
500081186
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Information from Getty’s Union List of Artist Names ® (ULAN), made available under the ODC Attribution License
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