Alan Pierson
Illustration — Alan Emanuel Pierson Alan Emanuel Pierson (born May 12, 1974, Chicago, Illinois) is an American conductor and producer. His parents are Elaine Pierson and Edward S. Pierson, the latter an engineering professor at Purdue University Calumet. In Chicago Pierson took piano and composition lessons at the People's Music School, graduating high school at Francis W. Pierson is a 1996 graduate of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology with degrees in music and physics.
Also recorded as Alan Emanuel Pierson
Alan Pierson
Totalvisionary · CC0
- Born
- 1974 · Chicago.
- Nationality
- United States
- Occupation
- conductor · musician
- Fields
- conducting · music
- Education
- Massachusetts Institute of Technology · Eastman School of Music · Francis W. Parker School
- Languages
- English
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wikidata · Q4707525 · wikipedia · Alan Pierson
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Bibliothèque nationale de France · Deutsche Nationalbibliothek
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Biography
At MIT, he was a timpanist and an assistant conductor with the MIT Symphony Orchestra, and also a composer. Pierson continued his studies in music at the Eastman School of Music, where he was a co-founder of the new music ensemble Ossia. Subsequently, he was a co-founder of the related new music ensemble Alarm Will Sound, which gave its first concert in 2001. Pierson became the first music director of Alarm Will Sound in the same year, and continues to serve in the post. In January 2011, Pierson was named the artistic director of the former Brooklyn Philharmonic. When the orchestra suspended operations in 2013 his contract was not renewed. Pierson also serves as principal conductor of the Crash Ensemble in Ireland, and has guest conducted with the Los Angeles Philharmonic, Chicago Symphony, Los Angeles Opera, New World Symphony, Orchestra of St. Luke's, Beth Morrison Projects, and Symphoniker Hamburg. Pierson has resided in New York City since 2002. He is currently on faculty at Northwestern University. In February 2013, Pierson was featured on the Radiolab episode "Speedthoven". In 2022, the Eastman School awarded Pierson its Centennial Award. In 2026, he received the Grammy award for Best Chamber Music/Small Ensemble Performance for his recording of Donnacha Dennehy's Land Of Winter. Pierson's immersive and durational Steve Reich staging, Music for 18 Musicians: Staged Variations, premieres at The Park Avenue Armory on October 14, 2026.
Alan Pierson studied at Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Eastman School of Music and Francis W. Parker School. The recorded working language is English. The field of work recorded is conducting and music.
Documentary record
Alan Pierson (born 1974) is recorded as a musician and conductor. The birth of Alan Pierson is recorded in 1974 in Chicago Heights, Illinois.
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Part of the biographical narrative on this page reuses licensed material. Its origin, revision and licence are recorded here.
The biographical narrative on this page is based on the Wikipedia article Alan Pierson, revision 1358874233 (EN edition), by its contributors. VALÉORINE has edited that text and built its own documentary record around it. The reused material is available under CC BY-SA 4.0, and this page's reuse of it is offered under the same licence. Everything else on this page — the chronology, the holdings, the evidence, the plates and the connections — is VALÉORINE's own record. Sources and licences.
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These works are cited by the source article, in its own numbering. They are recorded as its citations, not as sources VALÉORINE has verified.
- 1.David T. Little: Dog Days. davidtlittle.com.
- 2.David Herszenson, Alan Pierson. New York Times. 2010-08-15.
- 3.Once a physicist: Alan Pierson. Physics World. August 2016.
- 4.Alumni News and Announcements. Parker Alumni Community March 2008 Alumni e-Newsletter. March 2008.
- 5.Lynn Heinemann. Alan Pierson leaves musical mark at MIT. MIT News. 1996-05-15.
- 6.Liv Gold. Alan Pierson '96. Technology Review. January–February 2012.
- 7.Daniel J. Wakin. Arts, Briefly Brooklyn Philharmonic Hires Artistic Director. New York Times. 2011-01-20.
- 8.Brian Wise. Brooklyn Philharmonic Innovative But Sounding a Troubled Tune. WQXR Blog. 2018-10-18.
- 9.Alan Pierson 06E (DMA) Pursuing Endeavors of Passion. Eastman School of Music website. 2020-05-30.
- 10.Lawrence A. Johnson. Compelling gifts in small packages make for rewarding MusicNOW night. 2019-12-03.
- 11.Alan Pierson, Conductor. OperaBase. 2020-05-30.
- 12.David Fleshier. Critic's Choice. South Florida Classical Review. 2013-12-03.
- 13.The Musical World of Harmonium Mountain: Clifford Ross & The Orchestra of St. Luke's / Jeffrey Zeigler, Andy Akiho & Roger Bonair-Agard. bricartsmedia dot org. Summer 2015.
- 14.Review: In 'Dog Days,' a Family Clawing for Survival. The New York Times. 2016-01-10.
- 15.Sam Johnstone. Unexpected promise Bryce Dessner at the Elbphilharmonie. bachtrack. 2017-10-22.
- 16.Paul Pelkonen. Conductor brings Brooklyn Philharmonic back to life. New York Daily News. 2011-11-02.
- 17.Alan Pierson Conducting and Ensembles. Northwestern Bienen School of Music. 2020-05-30.
- 18.Speedthoven. radiolab.org.
- 19.Centennial Awards. www.esm.rochester.edu.
- 20.Artist GRAMMY.com. grammy.com.
- 21.https://www.armoryonpark.org/season-events/2026-season/music-for-18-musicians-staged-variations/
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1- Francis W. Parker SchoolOrganisation
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