Mathew Rosenblum's music is a synthesis of diverse musical elements derived from classical, jazz, rock, and world music traditions. Most notably, his current music uses two tuning systems, the normal twelve note equal tempered system, and a twenty one note-to-the-octave "just" system designed to be used in conjunction with the twelve note equal tempered system. Together, the two tuning systems provide a wide variety of intervalic and harmonic possibilities allowing for strong harmonic and stylistic contrasts. His music explores how seemingly independent musical voices and traditions may be woven together into a newly expressive whole.
Mathew Rosenblum was born in New York City in 1954. His works have been performed throughout the United States, South America, and Europe including the ISCM World Music Days in Oslo, the Gewandhaus in Leipzig, De Ijsbreker in Amsterdam, the Tonhalle in Düsseldorf, the Bing Theater in LA, Sala Nezahualcóyotl in Mexico City, and at the Sonic Boom Festival, the Kitchen, Merkin Hall, Symphony Space, the Guggenheim Museum, and Miller Theatre in New York City by ensembles including the California Ear Unit, Newband, Opera Theater of Pittsburgh, the Boston Modern Orchestra Project, the Rascher Saxophone Quartet, the New York New Music Ensemble, the Chicago Contemporary Players, the Calmus Ensemble of Leipzig, the Pittsburgh New Music Ensemble, Sequitur, Speculum Musicae, and others.
The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette called his multi-media chamber opera RedDust “a sweeping emotional experience” with “many moments of brilliance.” Commissioned by Sequitur, Opera Theater of Pittsburgh, and Meet The Composer Commissioning Music/USA, RedDust was premiered at the Andy Warhol Museum’s “Off the Wall” performance art series in May 2007. Other recent commissions include Double Concerto for Baritone Saxophone, Percussion, and Orchestra, commissioned by the Boston Modern Orchestra Project, Falling for the Pittsburgh New Music Ensemble, Yonah’s Dream commissioned by the Harry Partch Institute, Under The Rainbow for flute and computer generated sound commissioned by Patti Monson, Shadow Waltz commissioned by Eric Moe, and Möbius Loop for Saxophone Quartet and Chamber Orchestra commissioned by the Rascher Saxophone Quartet and premiered in Düsseldorf Germany.
In the fall of 2001 he was a core participant in the American Composers Orchestra’s Orchestra Tech Festival and Conference in New York City where his piece Nü kuan tzu, for singers, samplers, and chamber orchestra, was one of twenty works featured on the festival. In 2009 he was a Senior Faculty Composer at the June in Buffalo Festival. Other honors include four Pennsylvania Council on the Arts Music Fellowship Grants, a Heinz Endowments Creative Heights Award, two Fromm Foundation Commissions, a National Endowment for the Arts Music Fellowship Grant, and a New York Foundation for the Arts Artists Fellowship Grant. He has also received awards and fellowships from the New Jersey State Council on the Arts, the Institute of Contemporary American Music, the Rockefeller Foundation, BMI, the MacDowell Colony, the Djerassi Foundation, the Virginia Center for the Creative Arts, and Yaddo.
His music has been recorded by Newband, the California EAR Unit, the Prism Players, pianist Loretta Goldberg, flutist Patti Monson, pianist Eric Moe, percussionist Michael Lipsey, cellists Theodore Mook and Michael Finckel and others for the Mode, Opus One, Albany, Capstone, and CRI Emergency Music labels, and is published by C.F. Peters Corporation.
He received degrees in composition from the New England Conservatory of Music and Princeton University and is currently Professor of composition and Chair of the Department of Music at the University of Pittsburgh where he also co-directs the Music on the Edge new music series.