Gordon Monahan
Gordon Monahan (born 1956 in Kingston, Ontario) is a Canadian pianist and composer of experimental music. He has been active since at least 1978. Along with his own work, he has performed works by other composers such as John Cage, James Tenney, Udo Kasemets and Roberto Paci Dalò.
Gordon Monahan
Somaya Langley from Australia (for now) · gordon monahan instrument Uploaded by clusternote · CC BY-SA 2.0
- Name
- Gordon Monahan
- Born
- 1956
- Birthplace
- Kingston, Ontario
- Occupation
- Artist, musician
- Known for
- Sound artist, sound sculptor
- Nationality
- Canada
- Fields
- experimental music · composed musical work · keyboard instrument performance · sound art
- Honours
- Governor General's Award in Visual and Media Arts
- Languages
- English
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Documentary summary
Gordon Monahan (born 1956 in Kingston, Ontario) is a Canadian pianist and composer of experimental music. He has been active since at least 1978. Along with his own work, he has performed works by other composers such as John Cage, James Tenney, Udo Kasemets and Roberto Paci Dalò.
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wikidata · Q5585578 · wikipedia · Gordon Monahan
In this article
Biography
Biography
He has also created site-specific sound installations. In 1992-93 he was artist-in-residence with the DAAD in Berlin where he lived until 2006.
The recorded working language is English. The field of work recorded is experimental music, composed musical work and keyboard instrument performance. Work by Gordon Monahan is recorded in the collections of Vtape. Distinctions recorded are Governor General's Award in Visual and Media Arts.
Gordon Monahan plays back some of his previous projects... Robotics Music Workshop, NIME 2007 New Interfaces for Musical Expression 2007 conference in New York City
Somaya Langley from Australia (for now) · gordon monahan Uploaded by clusternote
Key facts
Key facts
• Name — Gordon Monahan • Born — 1956 • Birthplace — Kingston, Ontario • Occupation — Artist, musician • Known for — Sound artist, sound sculptor • Notable Works — Speaker Swinging • Website — www.gordonmonahan.com
Life and career
Life and career
Gordon Monahan was born on June 1, 1956 in Kingston, Ontario. He originally was interested in a being a physicist and studied physics at the University of Ottawa from 1974-1976. He transferred to Mount Allison University where he graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Music in 1980 after four years of study. There his teachers included Janet Hammock (piano) and Michael R. Miller (composition). After graduating he lived in Toronto for seven years, and then moved to New York City in 1987.
Notable works
Notable works
• Piano Mechanics (1981-1986) • Speaker Swinging (1982) • Piano Mechanics (1982) • Long Aeolian Piano (1984/88) • Music From Nowhere (1989) • Aquaeolian Whirlpool (1990) • Spontaneously Harmonious in Certain Kinds of Weather (1996) • Multiple Machine Matrix (1994-8) • Theremin in the Rain (2003) • Theremin Pendulum (2008) • Resonant Platinum Records (2011/12, Soundinstallation at Singuhr Hörgalerie, Berlin).
Primary material
Documents and archives
reference work
- “Gordon Monahan”, English Wikipedia, consulted as further reading
Reputable secondary · Wikipedia
authority record
- Wikidata, structured authority record Q5585578: Gordon Monahan
General reference · Wikidata
Awards
Monahan won first prize at the 1984 CBC National Radio Competition for Young Composers. He is one of six Laureates to receive Governor General's Awards for Visual and Media Arts in 2013. • 2016: Sound Artist of the City of Bonn, Germany.
Literature
Linda Jansma and Carsten Seiffarth (Eds.): Gordon Monahan: Seeing Sound, Sound Art, Performance and Music, 1978-2011, 159 pages plus DVD. Toronto: Doris McCarthy Gallery [et al.], 2011 (Exhibition Catalogue),
Citations
References
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reference work
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General reference
The Encyclopedia exists whether or not anything is for sale. Corrections are recorded rather than overwritten, and every version of this record is kept. Published 19 August 2026.
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