Copyright 2017 Jenece Gerber.
All Rights Reserved.
Jenece C. Gerber, Ph.D
Jenece's work may also be found at:
http://www.societyofcomposers.org/members/JeneceC.Gerber
EDUCATION:
Jenece earned the Ph.D in Music Composition from the State University of New York at Buffalo, the Master of Music degrees in Music Composition and Vocal Performance from the University of Akron, and the Bachelor of Arts in Ethnomusicology from Bowling Green State University. Her studies in ethnomusicology led her to study Balinese Gamelan music with Pak Wayan Suweca on the island of Bali, Indonesia. She studied voice with Tony Arnold and Deborah Kavasch and music composition with Marilyn Shrude, Burton Beerman, Donald Wilson, Wallace DePue, Jeffrey Stadelman, Jonathan Golove, and David Felder. She has also participated in workshops, festivals, and summer programs such as the June in Buffalo Festival, Summer in Sombor program in Serbia, Brevard Music Center, and the Weill Music Institute of Carnegie Hall.
COMPOSITION:
Jenece's compositions have been commissioned and performed by diverse groups and soloists worldwide, including the the New York Virtuoso Singers, pianist Alison d’Amato, soprano Tony Arnold, cellist Jonathan Golove, soprano Dana Schnitzer, Quince Vocal Ensemble, Abraxas New Music Ensemble, Westminster Presbyterian Church choir (Buffalo), the Barton Workshop, Cleveland Chamber Symphony, Marginal Buzz Machine, the Holland/Weissman Duo, Season String Quartet, flutist Sabatino Scirri, cellist Emmalee Hunnicut, guitarist William DeHaro, multi-instrumentalist Nicholas "The Bard" Andrea, trombonist Trevor Bjørklund, the harp/flute duo of Jocelyn Chang and Michael Leese, pianist John-Reuben Piirainen, soprano Robyn Lanier, pianist Sarah Evans, La Catrina String Quartet, itch contemporary ensemble of Brevard Music Festival, percussionist John Bacon, University of Akron Woodwind Quintet, soprano Amanda DeBoer, percussionist Kyle Price, cellist Kathleen Ashwill, clarinetist Christopher Culp, flutist Alicia Poot, percussionist Bill Sallak, pianist James Cross, University at Buffalo Woodwind Quintet, Bowling Green State University Theatre Department, and violinist Jeffrey Leigh. Jenece also regularly works with dancers, actors, and performance artists to create interdisciplinary multimedia performance works.
Jenece Gerber is an active composer, singer, sound healer, harpist, conductor, Reiki Master, and instructor. She currently serves as staff singer, Associate Conductor, and Composer-in-Residence for the Westminster Presbyterian Church in Buffalo NY, with Organist and Director of Music Garrett Martin. Jenece teaches private and group voice and music composition lessons and leads workshops in vocal freedom. She is highly skilled in improvisatory technique and employing sound in spiritual practice and is regularly engaged in classical, experimental, and improvisatory performances and collaborative interdisciplinary creative projects.
PERFORMANCE:
An accomplished performer, Jenece is experienced in both classical and contemporary art music performance. She has performed as a vocalist with Tony Arnold for the International Contemporary Ensemble solo recital series ICETank in New York, the Cleveland Orchestra Chorus, Buffalo Master Chorale, The Westminster Schola, Harmonia Chamber Singers, Blossom Festival Chorus, Babel experimental vocal ensemble, Joan Szymko's Viriditas women’s chorus, the Open Music Ensemble, the Reactionary Ensemble, the Buffalo Improvisers Orchestra and Lawrence “Butch” Morris, Beyond/In Western New York International Arts Exposition, Abraxas New Music Ensemble, Maelstrom Percussion Ensemble, Surround: Audio/Visual multimedia performances, Portland Trinity Episcopal Cathedral choir, First Fridays at the Albright Knox Art Gallery, Alison Knowles, Hallwalls Contemporary Arts Center, Buffalo Infringement Festival, as staff singer at Hudson United Methodist Church and St. John’s Grace Episcopal Church and Westminster Presbyterian Church, with Macushla & Friends in the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, in Celtic Kirtan events in New York and North Carolina, and in improvisational performance.
In Summer 2016 Jenece composed the graphic score for and produced and performed in the premiere of an innovative and interactive sound journeying work, entitled "ELEMENTAL: Sound & Movement Meditation" at the Center for Art & Spirit at St. George in Asheville, North Carolina with multi-instrumentalist Nicholas "The Bard" Andrea, cellist Emmalee Hunnicut, and guitarist William DeHaro. This work marks a pivotal new direction in her work, as she continues to explore new concert modalities that encourage audience engagement with sound and movement. This work was also performed in conjunction with the Buffalo Infringement Festival in the summer of 2016 at Dreamland Studio & Gallery.
About Jenece Gerber - biography