Bruce Hamilton (b. 1966, Philadelphia)
composes and performs music in a variety of genres. He has performed as
a percussionist, improviser, and electronic musician for over 35 years.
His music is published by Non Sequitur Music and can be heard on the
Albany, Amaranth, and/OAR, black circle, Capstone, Aural Films, Ilse,
[ink | fuel], Linear Obsessional, Memex, Phill, SEAMUS, Spectropol,
split-notes, Three Legs Duck and Mark labels.
Hamilton's creative output is eclectic, exploring multiple styles and
genre hybrids. He has received honors, awards and commissions from ALEA
III, AMC, ASCAP, PAS, Barlow Endowment, Carbondale Community Arts,
Indiana University, Jerome Foundation, National Society of Arts and
Letters, Pittsburgh New Music Ensemble, Exit 9, Whatcom Symphony,
Russolo-Pratella Foundation, and SEAMUS. Recent performances of his
music have included those at NYCEMF, NWEAMO, ICMC, Friends of Rain,
Electronic Music Midwest, JMU Contemporary Music Festival, Third
Practice Festival, SEAMUS, Festival Sonica, Arts NOW, and the
Percussive Arts Society International Convention.
Recently completed commissions include works for KOMPULZ (Slovenia), percussionist Max Gaertner (Germany), Iktus Duo and Iktus Piano/Percussion Duo (NYC), Drumartica (Slovenia),
Bellingham Chamber Music Society, Fifth Inversion (WA), and a double
concerto for INVERSE Percussion Project and Musique Militaire
Grand-Ducal du Luxembourg. He is a frequent contributor to the Sound-In
and other online music communities. Over the past twenty years Hamilton
has performed laptop-based electroacoustic music under various monikers
at the Decibel Festival, Hempfest, Sonarchy Radio, and other venues
around the Pacific Northwest. His collaborations with
choreographer/filmmaker Susan Haines have been performed and presented
in Brooklyn, Seattle, Eugene, Braga, and Dusseldorf.
He has released several full-length albums including Lanes (2017), Winding (2016); drams (2012), and Compulse (as Skiks, 2011). In 2022 he collaborated on Horizon Redux with choreographer Liz Gerring. His art rock project Jostabery has released two albums and two EPs since 2020 and he is preparing to release the debut Scrap Fiasco experimental pop album with G.T. Thomas.
Hamilton has given masterclasses and lectures in Munich, Salzburg, Strasbourg,
Frankfurt, Hamburg, Namur, Dudelange, Dinkelbuhl, Ljubljana, Portland, Seattle, Olympia, Greensboro,
Bloomington, Harrisonburg and Carbondale. A graduate of Indiana
University (BM, MM, DM), Hamilton is Professor of Music at
Western Washington University, where he teaches music theory,
composition, and directs the electroacoustic music studio (WWEAMS). He
is a co-organizer of the Sound Culture Adventures Festival, Bellingham
Electronic Arts Festival, and the Microtonal Adventures Festival. He
runs the Spectropol experimental netlabel and has served on the boards
of Make.Shift, UnTwelve, the Bellingham Alternative Library,
and the Washington Composers Forum.
