Christopher Dobrian is a composer of both instrumental and computer music. His work in computer music focuses on the development of "artificially intelligent" interactive systems for composition, improvisation, and cognition.
His music is available for purchase on three solo albums — Artful Devices: Music for Piano and Computers, Interproviplaytions: Music for Flute and Computer, and Stratagems: Interactive Music for Instruments and Computer.
Scores and recordings are available upon request by email or by U.S. mail.
I Dreamed of Naïma (2023) for vibraphone and interactive computer system. Premiered by Aiyun Huang in The Array Space, Toronto, Ontario.
Indignant Minority Scheme (2019) for flute and iPad; with Nicole Mitchell. Premiered by Nicole Mitchell and Christopher Dobrian in the Irvine Barclay Theatre, Irvine, CA.
Touch and Go (2017) for iPad-controlled piano (Yamaha Disklavier), premiered by the composer at the Carol Carter Recital Hall, Statesboro, GA.
Passages (Sixes for Saxes) (2016) for soprano sax, alto sax, tenor sax, and computer. A composition/improvisation for three saxophonists and six-channel computer sound diffusion system, based on a 32-bar tune. Premiered by Molly Jones, Richard Savery, and George Wheeler in the Center for Interesting Noises, Ayala Science Library, Irvine, CA.
Point of No Arrival (2015) for cello and computer. Premiered by Margaret Parkins in the Gassmann Electronic Music Series, Winifred Smith Hall, Irvine, CA.
0^0 (2015) for percussion and computer. Premiered by Aiyun Huang in the "Wired Percussion" concert of the Gassmann Electronic Music Series, Winifred Smith Hall, Irvine, CA.
One Is Many (2014) for flute, bells, and computer; with Nicole Mitchell. Premiered by Nicole Mitchell and Christopher Dobrian in the "Interactive Instrumentation" concert of the Gassmann Electronic Music Series, Winifred Smith Hall, Irvine, CA.
...now lie in it (2014) for guitar and computer. Premiered by Christopher Dobrian in the "Interactive Instrumentation" concert of the Gassmann Electronic Music Series, Winifred Smith Hall, Irvine, CA.
Upon Reflection (2013) for digital piano and computer. A solo version of a composition originally written for piano four hands in which one part is played by a computer interactively synchronized with a live player. Premiered by Daniel Koppelman in Greenville, South Carolina.
Gestural (2012) for digital piano and computer. Premiered by Daniel Koppelman at the 2012 International Computer Music Conference, Kino Šiška, in Ljubjlana, Slovenia.
Unpredictable You (2012) for Disklavier and computer. Premiered by Kei Akagi in the "Computer-Mediated" concert of the Gassmann Electronic Music Series, Winifred Smith Hall, Irvine, CA.
Sueño (2012) for guitar and computer. Premiered by Christopher Dobrian in the "Computer-Mediated" concert of the Gassmann Electronic Music Series, Winifred Smith Hall, Irvine, CA.
Echo Chamber (2009) for voice and computer. Premiered in the "Latent Potentials" concert at the 2009 Digital Arts and Culture conference by Christopher Dobrian in Irvine, CA.
Tautology for Two (2009) for trumpet, trombone, and computer, with the instrumentalists located in different cities. Premiered in the "Latent Potentials" concert at the 2009 Digital Arts and Culture conference by Edwin Harkins, Michael Dessen, and Christopher Dobrian in Irvine, CA and San Diego, CA.
Eve's Rapture (2009). Original music composed for the play of the same name by Bryan Reynolds. Premiered at the Hayworth Theater in Los Angeles, CA.
Cycles Interrupted (2006) for soprano, tenor saxophone, piano, and computer. Premiered by Tamara Matthews, Matt Olson, and Daniel Koppelman at the Live Sampling Festival in Greenville, SC.
JazzBot (2005) for Yamaha Disklavier (MIDI enabled piano) and computer-controlled percussion robots. Composed in collaboration with Kei Akagi. Premiered by Kei Akagi at the Beall Center for Art + Technology, Irvine, California.
Mannam (Interproviplaytion VI) (2003) for daegum (Korean flute) and interactive computer audio processing. Premiered by Se-rin Hong in the Seoul International Computer Music Festival, KNUA Hall, Korean National University of Arts, Seoul, Korea.
Trans (Interproviplaytion V) (2003) for electric guitar and interactive computer audio processing. Premiered by the composer in the Nong Electronica concert series, KNUA Hall, Korean National University of Arts, Seoul, Korea.
In Tongues (Interproviplaytion IV) (2002) for flute and interactive computer audio processing. Composed in collaboration with James Newton. Premiered by James Newton in the Primavera en la Habana 2002 festival of computer music, Museo de las Bellas Artes, Havana, Cuba.
Distance Duo (2001) for Yamaha Disklavier (computer controlled piano) and interactive computer improviser; premiered by Kei Akagi simultaneously in Winifred Smith Hall, Irvine, California and (playing a Disklavier remotely) in the Center for Research in Computing and the Arts (CRCA), La Jolla, California.
Play for Me (Interproviplaytion III) (2001) for flutes and interactive computer audio processing. Premiered by Beate-Gabriela Schmitt in Winifred Smith Hall, Irvine, California.
Invisible Walls (2001) for dancers, motion tracking system, and computer-controlled synthesizer. Premiered at the Bucksbaum Center for the Arts, Grinnell, Iowa.
The Prince (2001). Original music for the play of the same name by Robert Cohen. Premiered in Winifred Smith Hall, Irvine, California.
Direct Current (2000) with Kei Akagi, for synthesizer. For the dance work Jam Nation by Donald McKayle. Premiered at Arts Week 2000, Irvine Barclay Theatre, Irvine, California.
Insta-pene-playtion (Interproviplaytion II) (2000) for computer-processed flute. Features flute excerpts performed by James Newton. Premiered at SEAMUS 2001, Baton Rouge, Louisiana.
Microepiphanies (2000), a "digital opera" written, produced, directed, and performed by Christopher Dobrian and Douglas-Scott Goheen, in which the music, sound, lights, and projections are all controlled by computer in response to the actions of the live performers onstage. Premiered at the Winifred Smith Hall in Irvine, CA.
Interproviplaytion (1999) for computer-processed electric guitar and guitar-controlled computer. Premiered by the composer at the Salon Auditorio, Universidad Nacional de Quilmes, Buenos Aires, Argentina.
Color Catcher (1999) for dancer with computer video-tracking system and synthesizer. Premiered by dancer Lisa Naugle in Irvine, CA.
Talk to Me (1998), an interactive computer audio installation, with computer animations by Daniel Beck and physical installation designed by Douglas-Scott Goheen. Premiered at the Irvine Barclay Theater in Irvine, CA.
There's Just One Thing You Need To Know (1998) for computer piano and computer-mediated synthesizer. Premiered by Daniel Koppelman at the University of California, Irvine.
Alter Egos (1997) for computer-processed contrabass and computer-mediated synthesizer. Premiered by Bertram Turetzky and Daniel Koppelman at the University of Missouri at Kansas City Conservatory of Music.
The Walls Have Ears (1996) audio installation for automated computer-controlled sampling and playback system. Programmed and composed in collaboration with Damian Catera, Troy, NY. Premiered by the composers at the 1996 International Computer Music Conference (ICMC) in Hong Kong.
Automatic Forms II (1996) for computer-controlled synthesizer. Premiered at the Chapel and Cultural Center in Troy, New York.
Unnatural Selection (1996) for guitar-controlled computer-mediated synthesizers and interactive software. Premiered by the composer at the Chapel and Cultural Center in Troy, New York.
2-way Dream (1994) for computer-mediated synthesizers and interactive software. Programmed and composed in collaboration with Bob Willey in La Jolla, CA. Premiered by the composers at the Society of Composers, Inc. (SCI) regional convention in Albuquerque, New Mexico.
3-way Dream (1992) for computer-mediated synthesizers and interactive software. Programmed and composed in collaboration with Keith Johnson and Bob Willey. Premiered by the composers at the Center for Research in Computing and the Arts (CRCA), La Jolla, California.
Entropy (1991) for Yamaha Disklavier (computer-controlled piano) and computer graphics. Winner of third prize in the San Diego SuperComputer Center's Creative Computing Awards. Premiered at the Center for Research in Computing and the Arts (CRCA), La Jolla, California.
Line/Phase Minutiae (1991) for Yamaha Disklavier (computer-controlled piano). Premiered at the Center for Research in Computing and the Arts (CRCA), La Jolla, California.
Music for Video (1987-1989). Incidental music for video clips, Paris and New York.
ETC (1986) for harp (or piano) and computer-generated tape. The tape part was generated using the composer's etc composing algorithm (written in C on a UNIX platform). The taped music was generated with the cmusic software by F. Richard Moore on a Vax 11/780 computer at the Center for Music Experiment in La Jolla, CA. Premiered by Henry Curtis in La Jolla, CA.
Deguedoudeloupe (1985) for computer-generated tape. Composed using the composer's prt algorithm (written in C on a UNIX platform). Generated with the cmusic software by F. Richard Moore on a Vax 11/780 computer at the Center for Music Experiment in La Jolla, CA.
18 Points of Coincidence (2018) for jazz piano and orchestra, with Kei Akagi. Premiered by Kei Akagi, piano, with the UCI Symphony Orchestra, Stephen Tucker, conductor -- in Irvine, CA.
Haibun (2016) for shakuhachi and jazz trio. Written for and premiered by Kojiro Umezaki, shakuhachi; Kei Akagi, piano; Darek Oles, bass; Tamaya Honda, drums -- in Irvine, CA.
Shadow Play (2015) for piano trio. Written for and premiered by the Trio Céleste -- Iryna Krechkovsky, violin; Ross Gasworth, violocello; Kevin Loucks, piano -- in Irvine, CA.
Now & Tomorrow (2014) for flute and guitar. Written for and premiered by Nicole Mitchell and Christopher Dobrian at the Arnold and Mabel Beckman Center, Irvine, CA.
Riley's Revenge (2014) for alto sax, tenor sax, guitar, bass, piano, and drums. Written for and premiered by Oliver Dobrian and friends in Schoenberg Hall, Los Angeles.
Upon Reflection (2012) for piano four hands. Written for and premiered by Mari Akagi and Kei Akagi in Sendai, Japan.
This and That (2012) two pieces for trumpet, bass, and piano. Written for and premiered by Bobby Rodriquez, trumpet, Darek Oles, bass, and Kei Akagi, piano, in Irvine, CA.
In the In-Between (2010) for trombone, bass, and piano. Written for and premiered by Michael Dessen, trombone, Darek Oles, bass, and Kei Akagi, piano, in Irvine, CA.
Cycles Interrupted (2007) for soprano, tenor saxophone, and piano. Acoustic chamber version of the 2006 computer music piece of the same name. Recorded in 2007 by Tamara Matthews, Matt Olson, and Daniel Koppelman at Furman University in Greenville, SC. Engineered and produced by Christopher Dobrian; Samuel Hunter, assistant. Edited and mastered by Ian Hattwick.
Metallurgy (1996) for amplified violoncello and six brass instruments. Written for and premiered by David Gibson in Troy, New York, conducted by the composer.
I, Alone (1995) for violoncello solo. Written for and premiered by David Gibson in Troy, New York.
Poems of Passage (1994) for orchestra. Doctoral dissertation at the University of California, San Diego. Composed in La Jolla, California. Not yet performed.
Sancocho (1992) for five instruments and five tapes. Composed in collaboration with César Potes, Rafael Liñán, Greg Main, and Bob Willey. Premiered at the Center for Research in Computing and the Arts (CRCA), La Jolla, California.
Falsetas Móviles (1991) for solo guitar. Premiered by the composer in La Jolla, California.
Parable (1987) for bass flute, bass oboe, and bass clarinet. Premiered by John Sebastian Winston, Susan Barrett, and Robert Zelickman at the Center for Music Experiment in La Jolla, California.
Nonyx (1986) for nine instruments. Premiered in the Pacific Ring Festival in La Jolla, California, conducted by the composer.
Nine Haiku (1985) for mezzo-soprano, flute, and guitar. Premiered by Carol Plantamura, John Fonville, and Alex Dunn in La Jolla, California.
Now and Then (1984) for flute, viola, guitar. and percussion. Premiered by John Sebastian Winston, János Négyesy, Alex Dunn, and David Yoken in La Jolla, California.
Christopher Dobrian
August 17, 2023
dobrian@uci.edu