Born 1963 and educated in Boston, MA USA,
Eric Zinman began piano studies at age 7. At age 11 he sang in a boy's soprano
choir in Donald Martino's opera THE DIVINE COMEDY in the 70's. He continued to
sing in musicals and choirs throughout his childhood and teenage years and
piano studies with Angel Ramon Rivera, and jazz with Paul Barringer, and Don
Hemwall. As a teenager he says he discovered Black Music and became completely
immersed in that approach. He met musician/composer Bill Dixon in 1981. Zinman considers
this the turning point in his musical life. Mr. Zinman also speaks highly of
his studies with musician/pianist/composer Naqi Qamar. He continued his studies
of modern music at the New England Conservatory of Music with Ran Blake, Jimmy
Giuffre, and George Russell where he received an MM degree in 1985.
At the forefront of creative music for more
than 20 years, Eric Zinman’s piano playing is known internationally and has
been described as a “fleet and appealing touch”. Rooted in the language of the
avant garde, his vision embraces the role of the piano in the orchestras of the
future, the piano’s relation to the trap set drums, its touch, the way it can
surround the other instruments and mark varying shifts in weight, the way the
piano can also move lyrically within the whole from varying densities of sound
masses to sparkling melodies spanning the whole keyboard.
“I am interested in the sensual nature of sound, with the piano that is first
and foremost TOUCH. FORM, then, is a manifestation from beginning to end of
dynamics and within that the phrasing, silence and an arresting balance between
the pedaled and un-pedaled sounds. Dynamics is Rhythm. Rhythm is form.”
Eric Zinman has played with, Craig Schildhauer, Marc Leibowitz, Raqib Hassan,
Toshi Makihara, Sabir Mateen, Marco Eneidi, Lisle Ellis, Peter Valsamis,
Tatsuya Nakatani, Glynis Lomon and Blaise Siwula, Ernst-Ludwig Petrowsky, Jan
Roder, Thomas Rehnert, John Voigt and Laurence Cook, Benjamin Duboc and Didier
Lasserre, Mario Rechtern, Fritz Novotny, and many others. Mr. Zinman has also
composed music for dance and theatre using verbal directives as well as graphic
scores and with painters and poets. He has written about music and musicians
and is recorded on Ayler, and Cadence Records.
In 2005 Eric Zinman founded New Language
Collaborative with cellist Glynis Loman and percussionist Syd Smart. Not
excluding his work with percussionist Laurence Cook, New Language Collaborative
has become the life blood of Mr. Zinman’s work in the US.
PRINCIPAL PERFORMANCES
Jamaica Plain Multicultural Arts Center - Jamaica Plain, MA
- Benefit for Friends of the Amazon
- arrangement of Legba Crossing by Cecil Taylor for a
12-piece orchestra 1989
New England Conservatory, Jordan Hall - Cecil Taylor Student Ensemble,
performed Burning
Poles 1989
Raphe Malik Quartet - Performed with the Quartet in 1989
Worcester Artists Group (WAG) - Performed at the space in 1991
Zachary_s at the Collonnade Hotel - Boston, MA 1992
Cambridge Adult Education - Cambridge, MA
Zeitgeist Gallery - Organized and Directed a music performance series under the name of Playground in
September of 9/95, Cambridge, MA. Also Created the Composer Ensemble with
Musician Raphe Malik
Zeitgeist Gallery - Organized and produced the Cambridge Piano Festival
Bennington College - 1995 , 1996
Autumn Uprising Festival 1997 (organized and produced by David Gross)- The
performance was recorded on the Tautology Label and bought and released by Cadence records
Boston Dance Company - performed with Dancer Adrienne Hawkins
Knitting Factory - New York City, performed with tenor saxophonist Sabir Mateen and
percussionist Mike Lopez 98,99
Studio 234 -
Founder and Director, taught workshops with bassist/composer John Voigt - produced
performances begining 2000
Jimmaize Art Club - Cambridge, MA 2002
Music of The Momment- Birmingham, Alabhama, 2002 produced by Ladonna Smith
The Tremont Theatre- Boston, MA produced by the International society 2002
composed music for a nine piece orchestra in
collaboration with THE ARTEZANI THEATRE in the production of Dionysus in Cambridge at the Zeitgeist
Gallery 4/6/02 and at the Boston Dance CO. 5/30/02
Performed at the Williamsburg Art Nexus in Brooklyn, NYC
4/27/02 at the Sound
and Form Festival with multi-reedist Blaise Siwula and Percussionist Matt
Weston.
Performed at the Institute of Contemporary Art in
Boston with Bassist John Voigt and Percussionist Laurence Cook 10/7/02 as part
of the Autumn
Uprising Festival 2002
Performed with C.O.M.A. (Citizens Ontological Musical
Agenda) at ABC
NO-RIO in NYC 10/02
Performed with Ian Mackinnon of the Artezani
Theatre at the Zeitgeist Gallery in The Bush/Cheney Christmas 12/23/2003
Performed at the Artists At Large Gallery in Hyde Park,
Boston 4/9/2004 with Raqib Hassan and the Interdimensional Science Research Orchestra
Performed and cowrote concept and music with
Ian Mackinnon of the Artezani Theatre at the Zeitgeist Gallery in The Apotheosis of George W. Bush
6/27/2004
Deep Listening Space in Kingston, New York with percussionist Laurence Cook and bassist
John Voigt 4/14/2005
Vermont Jazz Center in Brattleborough, Vermont with percussionist Laurence Cook and
bassist John Voigt 4/15/2005 sponsored by Green River Data Analysis
Cafe Olympic Rue
Leon, Paris, France with percussionist Didier Lasserre and bassist Benjamin
Duboc September 27, 2006
Stralau 68
Berlin, Germany with percussionist Thomas Rehnert, bassist Jan Roder, and
Saxophonist Ernst Ludwig Petrowski October 10, 2006
Espace Culturel de L'Universite d'Angers Angers, France with percussionist Didier Lasserre and
bassist Benjamin Duboc October 13, 2006
L’Atelier Tampon 14 Rue Jules Valles 75012 Paris, FRANCE with percussionist Didier
Lasserre and bassist Benjamin Duboc Sep.16, 2007
With
percussionist Makot Sato and Clarinetist Michael Marcus October 11, 2007
Alten Schmiede
with the Reform Art Unit Schonlaterngass
9 1010 Vienna, Austria September 22 Saturday @ 4pm 2007
The
Reform Art Unit (septet and diverse)
Seven for Art
Walter Mali
soprano saxophone and drums
Eric Zinman
piano
Mario Recthern reeds
Karl Wilhelm Krbavac viola da gamba and piano
Karl Vossner oboe damiara
Monika Staedler harp
Fritz Novotny soprano saxophone (leader and director)
Alt Stralou 68, 10245 Berlin, -S- Treptowerpark/Ostkreuz Germany September 30, Sunday 9pm
Das Quartet
Ernst-Ludwig Petrowsky tenor saxophone/ Eric Zinman piano/ Jan
Roder bass/ Michael Griener drums
Satchmos [Reinhardstrasse 25-27]
Boston-Berlin Ensemble Mittwoch 3 Oktober 20.30 uhr
Matthias Muller trombone/ Eric Zinman piano/
Berit Jung bass/ Christian Marien drums
Brecht Forum NYC February 17th 2008 with Laurence Cook drums and John Voigt
bass
14.April, 2009 Celeste Bar/Hamburgerstr.18/1050 Wien
with Mario Rechtern-reeds, Hannes Krebs-drums, Kilian Schrader-electric bass
2009 TOUR with Pirates South East: Mario Rechtern,
Federico Ughi, Renato Ciunfrini, and Christiano de Fabritiis
V:NM
Festival Graz,Austria April 16, 2009
Scuola Popolare Di Musica IVAN ILLICH April
25, 2009
Via Giuriolo, 7 40129 Bologna,
Italy
February 25 @theOUTPOST in Cambridge,
MA
NEW LANGUAGE COLLABORATIVE
Glynis Lomon cello
Syd Smart drums
Eric Zinman piano
EUROPEAN TOUR WITH ROCKS IN THE SEA 2010
March 4, 2010
Centro Cultural Matadero
Avda. Martinez de Velasco, 6, Huesca
March 5, 2010
CASINO DE JACA.
Calle
de Echegaray 13, Jaca. - 974 36 01 94 ESPAGNE.
March 6 2010
ARTACTS 2010 festival for Jazz and Improvised music
Alt Gerberei/St. Johann/Tyrol, Austria
ROCKS IN THE SEA
Benjamin Duboc contrabasse (F)
Didier Lasserre drums(F)
Mario Rechtern saxophones(A)
Eric Zinman piano and Euphonium (US)
March 9 Celeste Bar/Hamburgerstr.18/1050 Vienna
Mario Rechtern-reeds,
Hannes Krebs-drums,
Kilian Schrader-electric
bass
Eric Zinman piano
14.(16h)and 16.march (19h) 2010:reformARTunit plays the GOLEM
Story live at the
ALTE SCHMIEDE
Schönlaterngasse 9 1010 WIEN
johannes GROYSBECK groysophon,el.bass guitar
hans HEISZ drums
sepp MITTERBAUER trumpet
fritz NOVOTNY reeds
eric ZINMAN piano,bass fluegelhorn.
March 19 Gallex
Paris, France
Eric Zinman piano
Yarom Rosillio bass
Makoto Sato drums
Educational
Resume For Eric Zinman
Masters Degree in Music - New England Conservatory of Music
piano studies - Ran Blake
Lydian Chromatic Concept - Goerge Russell
composition - Jimmy Giuffre
Bachelor of Arts - Bennington College
Black Music Major - Music Major with a concentration in Black Music Aesthetics
Studies in Composition and Performance - Bill Dixon
Piano Studies
- Nadi Qamar ( Spaulding Givens), Lionel Nowak
EXPERIENCE
Experience with small and large ensembles
both as Composer and Performer
Dance Accompanist for Harvard Dance Program -
Claire Mallardi, Director
Private piano instructor
Radio at WBRS-FM in Waltham - 20th Century
Music Show