David Chesky

David Chesky
Born Miami, Florida
Residence New York City
Nationality American
Occupation Composer/musician
Website http://www.davidchesky.com/

David Chesky is an American composer best known for a contemporary style that combines elements of jazz and Latin music with more traditional classical components.[1] He has received multiple Grammy nominations, won the Lancaster Symphony Composer’s Award in 2013, and was the composer in residence for the National Symphony orchestra of Taiwan.[2][3] He is also recognized for his audio technology innovations, having been the first person to create 128x oversampled CDs and 96/24 DVD audio.[4] He currently lives in New York City, and is the co-founder, producer, and artistic director of Chesky Records.[4][5] He is also the co-founder and CEO of HDtracks.com, an online download service that offers high-fidelity recordings.[4]

Career

David Chesky was born in 1956 in the city of Miami in Florida, USA. In 1974, he moved to the New York City to pursue his career as a composer and a musician, studying with Pulitzer Prize winner David Del Tredici and pianist John Lewis, a member of the Modern Jazz Quintet.[5][6] In 1986, David co-founded Chesky Records with his brother, Norman Chesky, and by 2008, he had co-founded and assumed the role of CEO for HDtracks.com, a website that offers high quality music for download.[4][7][8]

Jazz

In 1978, David organized a big jazz band in which he served as the composer, arranger and pianist.[2] The group included notable musicians such as Michael Brecker, Randy Brecker and Bob James. It also saw successful performance at various venues, including Storyville, The Village Vanguard, and the Monterey Jazz Festival.[2] The same year, they released their album entitled “Rush Hour” through Columbia Records.[6] In 1986, he,together with his brother Norman Chesky, he founded Chesky Records, an audiophile record label that has released recordings from such notable artists as Astor Piazzolla and Chuck Mangione for which he serves as producer and artistic director.[4] Of his most notable records is “The Body Acoustic”, which was released in 2004 by Chesky Records and featured himself and among others notable jazz such as artists Randy Brecker, Andy Gonzalez, Giovanni Hidalgo, and Bob Mintzer.[9] Chesky currently composes and plays piano for Jazz in the New Harmonic, a jazz quintet he formed with the intention of fusing 12-tone classical harmonies with the rhythms and grooves of modern jazz.[6]

Classical

From early to mid 1980s, Chesky concentrated mainly on classical composition.[1] His classical works have been described as having an “urban orchestral” feel, combining traditional classical style with folk and city-based sounds and styles.[1] He has composed many works, ranging from standard form classical pieces to more contemporary pieces that include non-traditional orchestral instruments like the electric guitar.[1] For instance, his albums, Urbanicity and String Theory released in 2011, featured concertos for cello, violin, and electric guitar.[1] Chesky's classical compositions have been performed by such notable groups as the Boston Symphony Orchestra, Empire Brass Quintet, Osaka Symphoniker, Alvin Ailey Dance Theater, and the National Symphony Orchestra of Taiwan.[7] At the 2015 14th Annual Independent Music Awards, David Chesky won the award in the "Contemporary Classical Album" category for "Rap Symphony".

Opera

In October 2009 Chesky debuted “The Pig, the Farmer, and the Artist,” a comic opera, to theatres in New York City.[10] Other operas include “Romeo and Juliet,” a satire based on a continuation of Shakespeare’s classic tragedy.[10]

Material for children

In 1997 he created Chesky Records Kids, an offshoot label of Chesky Records, with the purpose of promoting music education and exposing children to classical music.[11] The first piece he wrote for this label was Classical Cats: A Children's Introduction to the Orchestra, followed by Snowbears of Lake Louise in 1998.[7] More recently in 2006 he completed The Zephyrtine, a ballet for children, and in 2009 he debuted The Mice War, an opera for children.[12]

Technology

Chesky is recognized as the first person to create 128x oversampled CDs and 96/24 DVD audio.[2][4] More generally, the recordings on Chesky Records are widely acclaimed for extreme attention to detail, with simple recording techniques and relatively few microphones.[10] His recording process focuses on pairing simple techniques with the most sophisticated recording equipment available, like microphones that use binaural heads.[10]

List of works

Urban concertos

Symphonic and ballet music

Central Park Dances

Chamber music

Vocal music

Opera

Opera for children

Choral music

Piano

The New York Rags

The Brazilian Dances

The New York Chorinhos

The Tango and Dances

The Fantasies

Neo-romantic orchestral works

Brass music

Discography

Awards

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 JOHN JASCOLL (January 10, 2013). "The rhythms of the city fill David Chesky's music with life". Lancaster Online. Retrieved 27 June 2013.
  2. 1 2 3 4 "David Chesky's Area 31 receives Grammy Nomination for Best Engineered Album, Classical". All About Jazz. December 15, 2005. Retrieved 27 June 2013.
  3. ↑ "Michael Gandolfi 53rd Recipient of our Composer's Award". Lancaster Symphony. Retrieved 27 June 2013.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "David Chesky: Co-Founder/CEO – HDtracks". New Music Seminar. Retrieved 27 June 2013.
  5. 1 2 "David Chesky Biography". Retrieved 27 June 2013.
  6. 1 2 3 "David Chesky Biography". All About Jazz. Retrieved 27 June 2013.
  7. 1 2 3 "Biography". All Music. Retrieved 27 June 2013.
  8. ↑ Wes Phillips (March 23, 2008). "Chesky Launches High-Resolution Download Store". Stereophile. Retrieved 27 June 2013.
  9. ↑ Felix Contreras (September 2004). "David Chesky The Body Acoustic". Jazz Times. Retrieved 27 June 2013.
  10. 1 2 3 4 "A Conversation With David Chesky Page 2". Inner Fidelity. Retrieved 27 June 2013.
  11. ↑ "Chesky Records". Retrieved 27 June 2013.
  12. ↑ Pamaluc Music (April 13, 2009). "Chesky's The Mice War Children's Opera Sells Out in Asia". Musical America. Retrieved 27 June 2013.
  13. ↑ "David Chesky's Area 31 receives Grammy Nomination for Best Engineered Album, Classical". All About Jazz. December 15, 2005. Retrieved 27 June 2013.

External links

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