Steph Richards
Stephanie "Steph" Richards (born May 2, 1982) is a Canadian-American composer, trumpeter, bandleader and producer known for her contributions to the contemporary jazz and experimental music scenes.[1] Her multidisciplinary approaches to composition, including her Supersense[2] project for scent and music with Jason Moran, Kenny Wollesen and Stomu Takeishi, have earned critical acclaim.[3] In 2014 Richards was appointed to the music faculty at the University of California, San Diego.[4]
Early life and education
[edit]Richards was born in Grande Prairie, Alberta, Canada, and grew up in Calgary, Alberta. She studied music at the Interlochen Arts Academy (Interlochen, MI), the Eastman School of Music (BMus. and Performance Certificate Honors), McGill University (MMus.), California Institute of the Arts (CalArts) (MFA).[5]
Career
[edit]Upon moving to New York City in 2008, Richards recorded and performed with notable pioneers of the avant-garde, ranging from composers Henry Threadgill,[6] Anthony Braxton, Lawrence D. "Butch" Morris and John Zorn to art-pop oriented artists Laurie Anderson, Yoko Ono, David Byrne and St. Vincent and contemporary composers John Luther Adams, Helmut Lachenmann, Nico Muhly and Louis Andriessen.[7][8][9]
As an ensemble collaborator Richards is founding member of Bang on A Can's Asphalt Orchestra[10] and has also worked with the International Contemporary Ensemble (ICE), Anthony Braxton's Tricentric Orchestra, Henry Threadgill's Kestra and alongside the Kronos Quartet. As an improviser she has worked with Ravi Coltrane, Jason Moran, Nicole Mitchell, Mark Dresser, Anthony Davis, Vijay Iyer, Tyshawn Sorey, Mary Halvorson, Ingrid Laubrock, Tom Rainey, Gerald Cleaver, Stomu Takeishi, JT Lewis, Tomeka Reid, Kenny Wolleson, Wayne Horvitz, John Hebert, Oscar Noriega, Liberty Ellman and Sylvie Courvoisier. Richards' work as a composer includes interdisciplinary elements including choreography,[11][12] film,[13][14][15] scents[16] and site specific works.[17][18][19] As a conductor, she has worked with orchestras in Mexico,[20] Europe and the US[21] employing the musical language of "Conduction," which she gained under the mentorship of the late Butch Morris and J.A. Dino Deane.
The New York Times calls Richards "an emerging maestro of extended technique"[22] and "boldly inventive."[23] Downbeat says that Richards has proven herself "a virtuoso of nonlinear trumpet playing."[24]
Selected discography
[edit]As leader
[edit]- Power Vibe (Northern Spy, 2024)
- Wind Layers (track 9: "Thyroid") (7k!, 2022)
- Zephyr (Relative Pitch, 2021)
- Supersense (Northern Spy, 2020)
- Take the Neon Lights, (Birdwatcher, 2019)
- FULLMOON, as Stephanie Richards (Relative Pitch, 2018)
As collaborator / side-artist
[edit]- Pauline Oliveros, James IIlgenfritz, Altamirage (Infrequent Seams, 2022)
- Anthony Braxton, 12 Comp Zim, (Firehouse 12, 2022)
- James Carney, PureHeart, (Sunnyside Records, 2020 (with Ravi Coltrane, Oscar Noriega, Tom Rainey, Dezron Douglas)
- Robert Erickson, Duo, Fives, Quintet, Trio (New World Records, 2019)
- Andrew Munsey, High Tide (Birdwatcher Records, 2019)
- Henry Threadgill, Dirt....and more Dirt, 14 or 15 Kestra: Agg (Pi Recordings, 2018)
- Vinny Golia, Bert Teretzky, Trio Music (pfMentum Records, 2018)
- Resonant Bodies (feat. Andrew Drury), Thaw (Different Track, 2018)
- Listen Space, Volumes I-IV (Frog Peak Peak Music, 2019)
- Deerhoof featuring Cover Band (Joyful Noise Records, 2017)
- John Zorn, There is No More Firmament (Tzadik Records, 2017)
- Anthony Braxton, TRILLIUM J: THE NON-UNCONFESSIONABLES - COMPOSITION NO. 380, (New Braxton House Records, 2016)
- Manfred Werder, 2003 (Wandelweiser Records, 2016)
- John Luther Adams, SILA, (New Yorker Presents, 2016)
- Taylor Ho Bynum, Enter The Plustet (Firehouse 12, 2016)
- Joseph C. Phillips Jr. and Numinous, Changing Same (New Amsterdam Records, 2015)
- Anthony Braxton, Composition No. 46 (+168 and Language Music), (New Braxton House Records, 2014)
- Asphalt Orchestra, Surfer Rosa (Cantaloupe Records, 2014)
- Qasim Naqvi, Progressive Youth Club (self-release, 2012)
- Patrick Bower, Pink Room, (self-release, 2012)
- Mike Kelly, The Judson Church Horse Dance (ArtPix Studios, 2011)
- Asphalt Orchestra, Asphalt Orchestra, (Cantaloupe Music, 2010)
- Ensemble Inauthentica, Music from Stanford: 541, Vol.3 (Innova Recordings, 2008)
Video Collaborations
[edit]- Zephyr[25] and Anza[26] (directed by Vipal Monga, Dakoit, 2021)
- Underbelly[27] (directed by Cossa, Pomp & Clout, 2020)
- Brooklyn Machine[28] (directed by Andrea Yasko, SwampCat, 2019)
- Gong[29] (directed by Aaron Vinton, Pomp & Clout, 2018)
- Flow State[30] (directed by Kyle Johnson, Exceptionally Decent. 2018)
Awards and recognition
[edit]Richards is a Yamaha artist.[31]
References
[edit]- ^ Whitehead, Kevin (March 12, 2019). "Trumpeter Steph Richards Follows Her Horn's Lead On 'Take The Neon Lights'". npr.org. Retrieved 2024-01-16.
- ^ "An audio introduction to Steph Richards - The Wire". The Wire Magazine - Adventures In Modern Music. Retrieved 2024-01-16.
- ^ Pareles, Jon; Russonello, Giovanni; Zoladz, Lindsay (2020-10-23). "Ariana Grande Is in Love, and 11 More New Songs". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2024-01-20.
- ^ "Stephanie Richards". music-cms.ucsd.edu. Retrieved 2024-01-19.
- ^ "Stephanie Richards". music-cms.ucsd.edu. Retrieved 2024-02-05.
- ^ "Dirt... And More Dirt, by Henry Threadgill 14 or 15 Kestra: Agg". Henry Threadgill. Retrieved 2024-01-19.
- ^ "Stephanie Richards". LA Phil. Retrieved 2024-01-19.
- ^ Jazz, All About (2019-06-26). "Stephanie Richards: Creative Music article @ All About Jazz". All About Jazz. Retrieved 2024-01-19.
- ^ "An audio introduction to Steph Richards - The Wire". The Wire Magazine - Adventures In Modern Music. Retrieved 2024-01-19.
- ^ "Musicians". Bang on a Can. Retrieved 2024-01-19.
- ^ Schweitzer, Vivien (2010-08-05). "Not Your Ordinary Marching Band". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2024-01-20.
- ^ "Lincoln Center Out Of Doors". The New Yorker. Retrieved 2024-01-20.
- ^ "Pomp&Clout". Vimeo. Retrieved 2024-01-20.
- ^ Steph Richards - Zephyr (Music Video), retrieved 2024-01-20
- ^ Steph Richards - Brooklyn Machine, retrieved 2024-01-20
- ^ Steph Richards' Supersense and Sounds for Butch & Dino, retrieved 2024-01-19
- ^ Rotations: Music for 8 Musicians and Carousel (stephanie richards), retrieved 2024-01-20
- ^ "Press Release - Asphalt Orchestra Commission - Center for the Arts - Wesleyan University". www.wesleyan.edu. Retrieved 2024-01-20.
- ^ Sila: The Breath of the World, retrieved 2024-01-20
- ^ Stephanie Richards Ensamble | By Instituto Contemporáneo de Música de B.C. | Facebook, retrieved 2024-01-20
- ^ "Steph Richards' Supersense and Sounds for Butch & Dino". Roulette. Retrieved 2024-01-20.
- ^ Pareles, Jon; Russonello, Giovanni; Zoladz, Lindsay (2020-10-23). "Ariana Grande Is in Love, and 11 More New Songs". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2024-01-19.
- ^ Russonello, Giovanni (2019-01-15). "At the NYC Winter Jazzfest, Learning How Less Can Be More". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2024-01-19.
- ^ "DownBeat Reviews". downbeat.com. Retrieved 2024-01-19.
- ^ "Steph Richards - Zephyr (Music Video)" – via www.youtube.com.
- ^ "Steph Richards - Anza (Music Video)" – via www.youtube.com.
- ^ Jazz, All About. "Jazz video: Underbelly". All About Jazz Songs.
- ^ "Steph Richards - Brooklyn Machine" – via www.youtube.com.
- ^ "Steph Richards Music Video - "GONG"" – via www.youtube.com.
- ^ "Flow State: Body and Sound with Stephanie Richards and Liam Clancy" – via www.youtube.com.
- ^ "Stephanie Richards | Yamaha Artists". www.yamaha.com.