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'''Jherek Brandon Bischoff''' (born September 11, 1979) is an American composer, arranger, producer, and multi-instrumental performer. He has released over a dozen studio albums as a solo artist and band member and has credits as a musician, arranger, producer or engineer on over sixty albums. Bischoff has written several orchestral commissions for the likes of [[Kronos Quartet]] and the [[Pacific Northwest Ballet]], and renowned orchestras, including the [[BBC Symphony Orchestra]] and the [[National Symphony Orchestra]], have performed his work. Bischoff has written scores for four plays, including the [[Royal National Theatre|Royal National Theatre's]] production of [[Neil Gaiman|Neil Gaiman's]] ''[[The Ocean at the End of the Lane (play)|The Ocean at the End of the Lane]]'' and an opera, ''Andersen's Erzahlungen'', for [[Theater Basel|Theatre Basel]]. Bischoff has also written or performed on scores for television and film, including [[Wet Hot American Summer: First Day of Camp]], [[A Futile and Stupid Gesture (film)|A Futile and Stupid Gesture]], [[GLOW (TV series)|Glow]], and [[New Amsterdam (2018 TV series)|New Amsterdam]].
'''Jherek Brandon Bischoff''' (born September 11, 1979) is an American musician, composer, arranger, producer, and songwriter.


== Background ==
== Biography ==

=== Background ===
Bischoff was born in [[Sacramento, California]]. When he was a young child his parents decided they wanted to move aboard a sailboat, and eventually sailed up the coast to the Pacific Northwest. Bischoff spent his early years on the boat and when he was 14 years old, the family departed on a two-year sailing trip to Central America, through the Panama Canal and into the Caribbean.<ref name=Kiley>{{cite web|author= |url=http://www.thestranger.com/seattle/composed-pop/Content?oid=15389252 |title=Composed Pop: Jherek Bischoff Gets By with a Little Help from His Friends |publisher=thestranger.com |date=2012-11-28}}</ref>
Bischoff was born in [[Sacramento, California]]. When he was a young child his parents decided they wanted to move aboard a sailboat, and eventually sailed up the coast to the Pacific Northwest. Bischoff spent his early years on the boat and when he was 14 years old, the family departed on a two-year sailing trip to Central America, through the Panama Canal and into the Caribbean.<ref name=Kiley>{{cite web|author= |url=http://www.thestranger.com/seattle/composed-pop/Content?oid=15389252 |title=Composed Pop: Jherek Bischoff Gets By with a Little Help from His Friends |publisher=thestranger.com |date=2012-11-28}}</ref>


The family eventually returned to their home on [[Bainbridge Island, Washington]], where Bischoff learned to play a wide variety of instruments. Bischoff has some fluency on a number of woodwinds (saxophone, clarinet), brass (tuba, trombone, trumpet) and stringed instruments (electric bass, guitar, ukulele, banjo, stand-up bass, cello, violin). As a composer, Bischoff is largely self-taught having attended part-time college classes on the topic and gaining experience by writing arrangements and compositions for fellow artists in the Seattle music scene. Music was also a family tradition. His father, who had studied music at the [[University of California, Davis]] with [[John Cage]] and Stanley Lunetta, had been in avant garde and experimental bands throughout the 1970s.<ref name="Kiley"/>
The family eventually returned to their home on [[Bainbridge Island, Washington]], where Bischoff learned to play a wide variety of instruments. Bischoff has some fluency on a number of woodwinds (saxophone, clarinet), brass (tuba, trombone, trumpet) and stringed instruments (electric bass, guitar, ukulele, banjo, stand-up bass, cello, violin). As a composer, Bischoff is largely self-taught having attended part-time college classes on the topic and gaining experience by writing arrangements and compositions for fellow artists in the Seattle music scene. Music was also a family tradition. His father, who had studied music at the [[University of California, Davis]] with [[John Cage]] and Stanley Lunetta, had been in avant garde and experimental bands throughout the 1970s.<ref name="Kiley"/>


== Early career ==
=== Career ===
Bischoff first emerged as a sideman, co-writer, and accompanist in several bands. In the first decade of the 2000s, he was a member and collaborator with [[Parenthetical Girls]], [[Xiu Xiu]], [[Degenerate Art Ensemble]], and [[The Dead Science]]. More recently, he was a member of [[Amanda Palmer]] and the Grand Theft Orchestra and has collaborated with The Wordless Music Orchestra, yMusic and Contemporaneous.
Bischoff first emerged as a sideman, co-writer, and accompanist in several bands. In the first decade of the 2000s, he was a member and collaborator with [[Parenthetical Girls]], [[Xiu Xiu]], [[Degenerate Art Ensemble]], and [[The Dead Science]].


==''Composed'' and ''Scores''==
Bischoff gained attention as a solo performer upon the 2012 release of ''[[Composed (album)|Composed]]'' and a related instrumental album ''[[Composed (album)|Scores: Composed Instrumentals]]''. The album features nine orchestral pieces with a different vocalist on eight of the nine tracks. Many of the vocalists are well known, and included [[David Byrne]], [[Caetano Veloso]], [[Mirah]], [[Carla Bozulich]] (Evangelista, [[Geraldine Fibbers]]), [[Craig Wedren]] ([[Shudder to Think]]), Dawn McCarthy ([[Faun Fables]]), Zac Pennington ([[Parenthetical Girls]]), [[Soko (singer)|Soko]] and more. Guest soloists included [[Greg Saunier]] ([[Deerhoof]]) and [[Nels Cline]] ([[Wilco]]).
Bischoff gained attention as a solo performer upon the 2012 release of ''[[Composed (album)|Composed]]'' and a related instrumental album ''[[Composed (album)|Scores: Composed Instrumentals]]''. The album features nine orchestral pieces with a different vocalist on eight of the nine tracks. Many of the vocalists are well known, and included [[David Byrne]], [[Caetano Veloso]], [[Mirah]], [[Carla Bozulich]] (Evangelista, [[Geraldine Fibbers]]), [[Craig Wedren]] ([[Shudder to Think]]), Dawn McCarthy ([[Faun Fables]]), Zac Pennington ([[Parenthetical Girls]]), [[Soko (singer)|Soko]] and more. Guest soloists included [[Greg Saunier]] ([[Deerhoof]]) and [[Nels Cline]] ([[Wilco]]).


The album was first composed by Bischoff on a ukulele. He then orchestrated, engineered, and mastered the album, achieving an orchestral sound at a low cost by recording the instrumentalists one at a time using a single microphone and a laptop computer recording set-up.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.theleaflabel.com/en/artists/view/55/Jherek%20Bischoff |title=The Leaf Label: Jherek Bischoff |author=|publisher=Theleaflabel.com|access-date=21 May 2015}}</ref> [[Pitchfork Media|Pitchfork]] wrote that listening to the album whilst being aware of the process "is like imagining someone filling an Olympic-sized pool with an eye dropper: the mind balks, both at the enormity of the undertaking and at the disposition of the person behind it".<ref>{{cite web|url=https://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/16838-composed/ |title= Jherek Bischoff – Composed |author=|publisher= [[Pitchfork Media|Pitchfork]]|access-date=5 May 2016}}</ref>
The album was first composed by Bischoff on a ukulele. He then orchestrated, engineered, and mastered the album, achieving an orchestral sound at a low cost by recording the instrumentalists one at a time using a single microphone and a laptop computer recording set-up.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.theleaflabel.com/en/artists/view/55/Jherek%20Bischoff |title=The Leaf Label: Jherek Bischoff |author=|publisher=Theleaflabel.com|access-date=21 May 2015}}</ref> [[Pitchfork Media|Pitchfork]] wrote that listening to the album whilst being aware of the process "is like imagining someone filling an Olympic-sized pool with an eye dropper: the mind balks, both at the enormity of the undertaking and at the disposition of the person behind it".<ref>{{cite web|url=https://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/16838-composed/ |title= Jherek Bischoff – Composed |author=|publisher= [[Pitchfork Media|Pitchfork]]|access-date=5 May 2016}}</ref> Bischoff was interviewed by [[Terry Gross]] for her [[NPR]] show ''[[Fresh Air]]'', where he spoke largely about his unique childhood growing up on a sailboat, and the unconventional process by which he recorded his album ''Composed''.<ref name="Gross">{{cite web |author= |date=2013-04-09 |title=Jherek Bischoff Crafts A Symphonic Sound On 'Composed' |url=https://www.npr.org/2013/04/09/176591621/jherek-bischoff-crafts-a-symphonic-sound-on-composed |publisher=npr.org}}</ref>


⚫
In 2016, Bischoff released ''[[Cistern (album)|Cistern]],'' an ambient orchestral album inspired by time he spent in an empty two million gallon underground water tank under Fort Worden in [[Port Townsend, Washington]]. The size of the space was a huge factor in the development of the album. In an interview Bischoff described how "the vast emptiness of the cistern generates a reverb decay that lasts 45 seconds. That means, if you snap your fingers, the sound lasts 45 seconds. That amount of [[reverberation]] is an absolutely wild environment to try to create music in".<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.stereogum.com/1874775/jherek-bischoff-cistern-stereogum-premiere/mp3s/ |title=Jherek Bischoff – "Cistern" (Stereogum Premiere) |author=|publisher=Stereogum|access-date=3 May 2016}}</ref> This led to "a record intrinsically linked to the space in which it was conceived. A space which forced Bischoff to slow down, to reflect, to draw on his childhood growing up on a sailing boat – an unexpected journey of rediscovery, from the city back to the Pacific Ocean".<ref>{{cite web|author= |url=http://www.theleaflabel.com/en/news/view/531/DM |title=New Jherek Bischoff album Cistern |publisher= [[The Leaf Label]] |date=2016-05-03}}</ref>
In a 4/5 star review, ''[[The Guardian]]'' described the album as "a collection of lavishly orchestrated pop songs that throb with expressionistic drama, by turns romantic, playful and faintly sinister" adding, "occasionally, Composed sounds indulgent, when Bischoff succumbs to syrupy, symphonic cliche; even so, its ambition and singularity are intoxicating".<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/2012/dec/20/jherek-bischoff-composed-review|title= Jherek Bischoff : Composed – review |author=|work=[[The Guardian]]|access-date=5 May 2016}}</ref>


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=== Critical reception ===
==''Cistern''==
⚫
Bischoff has been called a "pop [[polymath]]"<ref>{{cite web|author= |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2012/02/03/arts/music/classical-music-opera-listings-for-feb-3-9.html |title=Classical Music/Opera Listings |work=nytimes.com |date=2012-02-02}}</ref> (''[[The New York Times]]''), a "phenom" (''[[The New Yorker]]''),<ref>{{Cite web |title=Ecstatic Music Festival Jherek Bischoff |url=https://www.newyorker.com/goings-on-about-town/classical-music/ecstatic-music-festival-jherek-bischoff |access-date=2022-05-12 |website=The New Yorker |language=en}}</ref> an "orchestral-pop mastermind" (Spin)<ref>{{Cite web |date=2013-07-10 |title=David Byrne Takes It in the Face in Fidgety, Literal 'Eyes' Video |url=https://www.spin.com/2013/07/david-byrne-eyes-video-jherek-bischoff/ |access-date=2022-05-12 |website=SPIN |language=en-US}}</ref>, and "the missing link between the sombre undertones of [[Ennio Morricone]] and the unpredictability of [[John Cale]]"<ref>{{cite web|author= |url=https://www.nme.com/nme-video/youtube/id/hIgTLRzgt70 |title=NME |publisher=nme.com}}</ref> (''[[New Musical Express]]''). He "is known for pushing the limits of orchestral music"<ref>{{Cite web |title=Jherek Bischoff |url=https://www.npr.org/artists/759908352/jherek-bischoff |access-date=2022-05-12 |website=NPR.org |language=en}}</ref> (NPR).
⚫
Bischoff began recording the album ''[[Cistern (album)|Cistern]]'' in an empty two million gallon underground water tank under Fort Worden in [[Port Townsend, Washington]]. The size of the space was a huge factor in the development of the album. In an interview Bischoff described how "the vast emptiness of the cistern generates a reverb decay that lasts 45 seconds. That means, if you snap your fingers, the sound lasts 45 seconds. That amount of [[reverberation]] is an absolutely wild environment to try to create music in".<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.stereogum.com/1874775/jherek-bischoff-cistern-stereogum-premiere/mp3s/ |title=Jherek Bischoff – "Cistern" (Stereogum Premiere) |author=|publisher=Stereogum|access-date=3 May 2016}}</ref> This led to "a record intrinsically linked to the space in which it was conceived. A space which forced Bischoff to slow down, to reflect, to draw on his childhood growing up on a sailing boat – an unexpected journey of rediscovery, from the city back to the Pacific Ocean".<ref>{{cite web|author= |url=http://www.theleaflabel.com/en/news/view/531/DM |title=New Jherek Bischoff album Cistern |publisher= [[The Leaf Label]] |date=2016-05-03}}</ref>


On 29 June, [[The Leaf Label]] announced Bischoff's first ever UK headline show, to coincide with and celebrate the release of ''[[Cistern (album)|Cistern]]''. The concert was held at the [[Courtyard Theatre, London|Courtyard Theatre]] in [[London]] on 26 July and featured Bischoff alongside a string quartet and frequent collaborator [[Amanda Palmer]].<ref>{{cite web|author= |url=http://www.theleaflabel.com/en/news/view/540/DM |title=Jherek Bischoff + Amanda Palmer – The Courtyard Theatre, London |publisher= [[The Leaf Label]] |date=2016-06-29}}</ref> Three days later the pair performed together at London's [[Royal Albert Hall]] as part of the [[BBC]]'s [[David Bowie]] Prom, following their Bowie tribute EP ''Strung Out In Heaven'' released shortly after his death.<ref>{{cite web|author= |url=http://www.theleaflabel.com/en/news/view/528/DM |title=Jherek Bischoff at the BBC Proms |publisher= [[The Leaf Label]] |date=2016-04-14}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|author= |url=http://www.jherekbischoff.com/blog-1/news/tribute-to-the-thin-white-duke |title=Tribute To the Thin White Duke |publisher= Jherek Bishcoff |date=2016-02-04}}</ref>

⚫
==Critical reception==
⚫
Bischoff has also been called a "pop [[polymath]]"<ref>{{cite web|author= |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2012/02/03/arts/music/classical-music-opera-listings-for-feb-3-9.html |title=Classical Music/Opera Listings |work=nytimes.com |date=2012-02-02}}</ref> (''[[The New York Times]]''), a "Seattle phenom" (''[[The New Yorker]]''),{{Quote without source|date=January 2020}} and "the missing link between the sombre undertones of [[Ennio Morricone]] and the unpredictability of [[John Cale]]"<ref>{{cite web|author= |url=https://www.nme.com/nme-video/youtube/id/hIgTLRzgt70 |title=NME |publisher=nme.com}}</ref> (''[[New Musical Express]]'').

In 2013, Bischoff was interviewed by [[Terry Gross]] for her [[NPR]] show ''[[Fresh Air]]'', where he spoke largely about his unique childhood growing up on a sailboat, and the unconventional process by which he recorded his album ''Composed''.<ref name=Gross>{{cite web|author= |url=https://www.npr.org/2013/04/09/176591621/jherek-bischoff-crafts-a-symphonic-sound-on-composed |title=Jherek Bischoff Crafts A Symphonic Sound On 'Composed' |publisher=npr.org |date=2013-04-09}}</ref>

The title track from ''Cistern'' premiered on 3 May 2016 on [[Stereogum]], who described it as "triumphantly building orchestral piece with a truly fascinating backstory" and "an incredibly majestic piece of work".<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.stereogum.com/1874775/jherek-bischoff-cistern-stereogum-premiere/mp3s/ |title= Jherek Bischoff – "Cistern" (Stereogum Premiere) |publisher=[[Stereogum]] |date=3 May 2016|access-date= 12 May 2016}}</ref>

==Awards and nominations==
Bischoff was a finalist for [[The Stranger (newspaper)|''The Stranger'']]'s Music Genius Award in 2013<ref name=Nokes>{{cite web|author= |url=http://www.thestranger.com/seattle/2013-music-genius-award-finalists/Content?oid=16949268 |title=2013 Music Genius Award Finalists |publisher=thestranger.com |date=2013-06-05}}</ref> and was named Seattle's Best Collaborator by the ''[[Seattle Weekly]]'' in 2014.<ref name=Elliott>{{cite web|author= |url=http://www.seattleweekly.com/home/954010-129/best-of-seattle-collaborator |title=Best of Seattle: Collaborator |publisher=seattleweekly.com |date=2014-08-06}}</ref>
Bischoff was a finalist for [[The Stranger (newspaper)|''The Stranger'']]'s Music Genius Award in 2013<ref name=Nokes>{{cite web|author= |url=http://www.thestranger.com/seattle/2013-music-genius-award-finalists/Content?oid=16949268 |title=2013 Music Genius Award Finalists |publisher=thestranger.com |date=2013-06-05}}</ref> and was named Seattle's Best Collaborator by the ''[[Seattle Weekly]]'' in 2014.<ref name=Elliott>{{cite web|author= |url=http://www.seattleweekly.com/home/954010-129/best-of-seattle-collaborator |title=Best of Seattle: Collaborator |publisher=seattleweekly.com |date=2014-08-06}}</ref>


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*''[[Cistern (album)|Cistern]]'' (2016)
*''[[Cistern (album)|Cistern]]'' (2016)
*''Improvisations'' (2020)
*''Improvisations'' (2020)
*''The Ocean at the End of the Lane - Music from the National Theatre Production'' (2021)


=== EPs as Jherek Bischoff ===
=== EPs as Jherek Bischoff ===
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*''Under the Sour Trees'' – Split with Richard Webb (2009)
*''Under the Sour Trees'' – Split with Richard Webb (2009)
*''Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire Walk with Me'' – an EP of Holiday covers in the style of [[Angelo Badalamenti|Angelo Badalementi's]] score for ''[[Twin Peaks]]'' (2017)
*''Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire Walk with Me'' – an EP of Holiday covers in the style of [[Angelo Badalamenti|Angelo Badalementi's]] score for ''[[Twin Peaks]]'' (2017)
*''Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire Walk with Me - Deluxe Version / Remastered'' (2020)


=== Singles as Jherek Bischoff ===
=== Singles as Jherek Bischoff ===
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*"Super Blue Blood Moon" (2017)
*"Super Blue Blood Moon" (2017)
*"Gobo" (2018)
*"Gobo" (2018)
*"Celebration" – Devendra Banhart cover (2018)
*"Celebration" – [[Devendra Banhart]] cover (2018)


===Albums as Ribbons===
===Albums as Ribbons===
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* ''Johnny Breitwieser'' (2015) - Musical premiered by [[Schauspielhaus Wien|Schauspielhaus Vienna]], Austria
* ''Johnny Breitwieser'' (2015) - Musical premiered by [[Schauspielhaus Wien|Schauspielhaus Vienna]], Austria
* ''Souvenir (Theatre Royal)'' (2016) - Performance w/ [[Melissa Madden Gray|Meow Meow]], premiered at Theatre Royal, Hobart, Australia
* ''Souvenir (Theatre Royal)'' (2016) - Performance w/ [[Melissa Madden Gray|Meow Meow]], premiered at Theatre Royal, Hobart, Australia
* ''Das Fliegende Klassenzimmer'' (2016) - Musical premiered by Theater Basel, Switzerland
* ''Das Fliegende Klassenzimmer'' (2016) - Musical premiered by [[Theater Basel]], Switzerland
* Robert Wilson's ''The Sandman'' (2017) - Musical premiered by [[Düsseldorfer Schauspielhaus]], Germany
* Robert Wilson's ''The Sandman'' (2017) - Musical premiered by [[Düsseldorfer Schauspielhaus]], Germany
* ''Rita Riot / Rita Dreaming / Rita Requiem'' (2017) - Performance piece w/ [[Melissa Madden Gray|Meow Meow]], premiered at Sgt. Pepper at 50, Liverpool, UK
* ''Rita Riot / Rita Dreaming / Rita Requiem'' (2017) - Performance piece w/ [[Melissa Madden Gray|Meow Meow]], premiered at Sgt. Pepper at 50, Liverpool, UK
* ''Souvenir (Theatre Royal)'' (2016) - Performance w/ [[Melissa Madden Gray|Meow Meow]], premiered at Theatre Royal, Hobart, Australia
* ''Souvenir (Theatre Royal)'' (2016) - Performance w/ [[Melissa Madden Gray|Meow Meow]], premiered at Theatre Royal, Hobart, Australia
* ''Andersens Erzählungen'' (2019) - Opera premiered by Theater Basel, Switzerland
* ''Andersens Erzählungen'' (2019) - Opera premiered by [[Theater Basel]], Switzerland
* ''The Ocean at the End of the Lane'' (2019) - Play premiered by [[Royal National Theatre|National Theatre]], London, UK
* ''The Ocean at the End of the Lane'' (2019) - Play premiered by [[Royal National Theatre|National Theatre]], London, UK
* ''The Journey'' (2020-1) - Virtual Performance by Scott Silven premiered by The Momentary, Bentonville, AR


=== Film & Television ===
=== Film & Television ===


* ''[[Beautiful Ohio (film)|Beautiful Ohio]]'' (2006) - Film by Chad Lowe
* ''[[Beautiful Ohio (film)|Beautiful Ohio]]'' (2006) - Film by [[Chad Lowe]]
* ''My Pain is Worse than Your Pain'' (2012) - Short Film by Adam Hall
* ''My Pain is Worse than Your Pain'' (2012) - Short Film by Adam Hall
* ''[[Wet Hot American Summer: First Day of Camp]]'' (2015) - Film by [[David Wain]] and [[Michael Showalter]]
* ''[[Wet Hot American Summer: First Day of Camp]]'' (2015) - Film by [[David Wain]] and [[Michael Showalter]]
* ''[[Blunt Talk]]'' (2015–16) - TV Series by Jonathan Ames and [[Seth MacFarlane]]
* ''[[Blunt Talk]]'' (2015–16) - TV Series by [[Jonathan Ames]] and [[Seth MacFarlane]]
* ''Thank You for Coming'' (2017) - Film by Sara Lamm
* ''Thank You for Coming'' (2017) - Film by Sara Lamm
* ''[[A Futile and Stupid Gesture (film)|A Fultile and Stupid Gesture]]'' (2018) - Film by [[David Wain]]
* ''[[A Futile and Stupid Gesture (film)|A Fultile and Stupid Gesture]]'' (2018) - Film by [[David Wain]]
* ''[[Dog Days (2018 film)|Dog Days]]'' (2018) - Film by [[Ken Marino]]
* ''[[Dog Days (2018 film)|Dog Days]]'' (2018) - Film by [[Ken Marino]]
* ''[[New Amsterdam (2018 TV series)|New Amsterdam]]'' (2018) - TV Series by Eric Manheimer
* ''[[New Amsterdam (2018 TV series)|New Amsterdam]]'' (2018–21) - TV Series by [[David Schulner]]
* ''The Grave of St Oran'' (2019) - Short film by Jim Batt
* ''The Grave of St Oran'' (2019) - Short film by Jim Batt
* ''[[GLOW (TV series)|Glow]]'' (2019) - TV Series by [[Liz Flahive|Liz Fahive]] and [[Carly Mensch]]
* ''[[GLOW (TV series)|Glow]]'' (2019) - TV Series by [[Liz Flahive|Liz Fahive]] and [[Carly Mensch]]
* ''The Mushroom Hunters'' (2019) - Short Film by Caroline Rudge
* ''The Mushroom Hunters'' (2019) - Short Film by Caroline Rudge
* ''The Beauty of Decay'' (2021) - Short Film by David Rowe
* ''Achieving Perspective'' (2022) - Short film w/ [[David Byrne]] for The Universe in Verse, directed by SALT Project

=== Live Performance Orchestration & Arrangements ===
* [[Recess Monkey]] & The Seattle Symphony (2014) - [[Benaroya Hall]]
* Meow Meow & The San Francisco Symphony (2015) - SoundBox
* [[Neil Gaiman]] (2015) – ''The Sleeper and The Spindle'' Live w/ String Quartet
* [[Ariel Pink]] & Technical University of Cologne Choir (2015) - Week-end Festival
* [[Anna Calvi]] & Heritage Orchestra (2017) - Burberry 2017 Collection
* bachSpace & Deutsches Kammerochester Berlin (2017) - DRIVE Berlin
* [[Devendra Banhart]] & Rundfunk-Tanzorchester Ehrenfield (2017) - Week-end Festival
* [[Jon Batiste]] & The National Symphony Orchestra (2018) - The Kennedy Center
* [[Regina Spektor]] & The National Symphony Orchestra (2018) - The Kennedy Center
* [[Sarah Silverman]] & The National Symphony Orchestra (2019) - The Kennedy Center
* [[Angel Olsen]] (2019) - The Tonight Show
* Neil Gaiman, Amanda Palmer & The BBC Symphony Orchestra (2019) - Barbican Centre
* [[Emily King]], [[Jamey Johnson]] & The National Symphony Orchestra (2019) - The Kennedy Center
* [[Ben Folds]] & The National Symphony Orchestra (2020) - The Kennedy Center
* The Orchestra Rocks NYC for Link Up (2021) - Carnegie Hall
* Ben Folds Presents with [[William Shatner]] (2022) - The Kennedy Center


=== w/ [[Amanda Palmer]] ===
=== w/ [[Amanda Palmer]] ===
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*''[[There Will Be No Intermission|There will be No Intermission]]'' (2019)
*''[[There Will Be No Intermission|There will be No Intermission]]'' (2019)
*''[[Forty-Five Degrees - A Bushfire Charity Flash Record ]]'' (2020)<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.broadwayworld.com/bwwmusic/article/Amanda-Palmer-Announces-Australian-Charity-Record-Releases-Midnight-Oil-Cover-20200220|title=Amanda Palmer Announces Australian Charity Record; Releases Midnight Oil Cover |website= broadwayworld|date=20 February 2020|access-date=21 February 2020}}</ref>
*''[[Forty-Five Degrees - A Bushfire Charity Flash Record ]]'' (2020)<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.broadwayworld.com/bwwmusic/article/Amanda-Palmer-Announces-Australian-Charity-Record-Releases-Midnight-Oil-Cover-20200220|title=Amanda Palmer Announces Australian Charity Record; Releases Midnight Oil Cover |website= broadwayworld|date=20 February 2020|access-date=21 February 2020}}</ref>
*"It's a Fire" - Portishead cover (2021)
⚫
*''Surface Pressure'' (2022)
*"Enjoy the Silence" - Depeche Mode cover (2021)
⚫
*"Surface Pressure" - cover from Disney's ''Encanto'' (2022)


=== w/ [[Melissa Madden Gray|Meow Meow]] ===
=== w/ [[Melissa Madden Gray|Meow Meow]] ===
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*''[[Fabulous Muscles]]'' (2004)
*''[[Fabulous Muscles]]'' (2004)
*''[[Plays the Music of Twin Peaks|Xiu Xiu Plays the Music of Twin Peaks]]'' (2016)
*''[[Plays the Music of Twin Peaks|Xiu Xiu Plays the Music of Twin Peaks]]'' (2016)
*''Oh No'' (2021)


=== w/ [[Sondre Lerche]] ===
=== w/ [[Sondre Lerche]] ===
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*Sleuth – ''Brave Knew Nothing'' (2011)
*Sleuth – ''Brave Knew Nothing'' (2011)
*[[Kultur Shock]] – ''Ministry of Kultur'', (2011)
*[[Kultur Shock]] – ''Ministry of Kultur'', (2011)
*[[Los Campesinos!]] – ''[[Hello Sadness]]'' (2011), ''[[Romance Is Boring]]'' (2010)
*Sam Mickens – ''Slay & Slake'' (2011), ''Ecstatic Showband & Revue'' (2011)
*Sam Mickens – ''Slay & Slake'' (2011), ''Ecstatic Showband & Revue'' (2011)
*Strawberry Hands – ''Ten Darkened Chambers/I Love You When'' 7" (2012)
*Strawberry Hands – ''Ten Darkened Chambers/I Love You When'' 7" (2012)
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*[[Sara Jackson-Holman]] – ''Didn't Go to the Party'' (2016)
*[[Sara Jackson-Holman]] – ''Didn't Go to the Party'' (2016)
*[[Craig Wedren]] – ''[[WAND]]'' (2011), ''Adult Desire'' (2017)
*[[Craig Wedren]] – ''[[WAND]]'' (2011), ''Adult Desire'' (2017)
⚫
*[[Los Campesinos!]] – ''[[Romance Is Boring|Romance is Boring]]'' (2010), ''[[Hello Sadness]]'' (2011), ''[[Sick Scenes]]'' (2017)
*Comedienne – "Hideout" & "Providence Street" (2017)
*Comedienne – "Hideout" & "Providence Street" (2017)
*[[Mirah]] – ''[[The Changing Lights]]'' (2014), ''Sundial'' (2017)
*[[Mirah]] – ''[[The Changing Lights]]'' (2014), ''Sundial'' (2017)
*[[Robert Forster (musician)|Robert Forster]] – "People Say" & "In Her Diary" (2017)
*[[Robert Forster (musician)|Robert Forster]] – "People Say" & "In Her Diary" (2017)
*Madisen Ward & The Mama Bear – ''The Radio Winner'' (2018)
*Madisen Ward & The Mama Bear – ''The Radio Winner'' (2018)
⚫
*[[Eliza Rickman]] – ''Footnotes for the Spring'' (2015), "Riches and Wonders" – Mountain Goats Cover (2018)
*Object As Subject – ''Permission'' (2018)
*Object As Subject – ''Permission'' (2018)
*Pumarosa – ''Devastation'' (2019)
*Pumarosa – ''Devastation'' (2019)
⚫
*[[Angel Olsen]] – ''[[All Mirrors]]'' (2019)
*[[Brian Eno]] – "Everything's on the Up with the Tories" (2019)
*[[Brian Eno]] – "Everything's on the Up with the Tories" (2019)
*[[Local Natives]] - Sour Lemon EP (2020)
*Popular Music - ''Popular Music Plays In Darkness'' (2020)
⚫
*[[Eliza Rickman]] – ''Footnotes for the Spring'' (2015), "Riches and Wonders" – Mountain Goats Cover (2018), "Pretty Good Year" – Tori Amos Cover (2021)
*[[Briston Maroney]] - ''Miracle'' (2020), ''Sunflower'' (2021)
⚫
*[[Los Campesinos!|Campesinos!]] – ''[[Romance Is Boring|Romance is Boring]]'' (2010), ''[[Hello Sadness]]'' (2011), ''[[Sick Scenes]]'' (2017), ''Whole Damn Body'' (2021)
⚫
*[[Angel Olsen]] – ''[[All Mirrors]]'' (2019), ''Song of the Lark and Other Far Memories'' (2021)
*[[Shaed|SHAED]] - ''High Dive'' (2021)
*[[Regina Spektor]] - ''Home, Before and After'' (2022)


==References==
==References==

Revision as of 00:16, 13 May 2022

Jherek Bischoff
Bischoff performs with Amanda Palmer and the Grand Theft Orchestra at the Roxy Theater in West Hollywood, California.
Bischoff performs with Amanda Palmer and the Grand Theft Orchestra at the Roxy Theater in West Hollywood, California.
Background information
Birth nameJherek Brandon Bischoff
Born (1979-09-11) September 11, 1979 (age 44)
Sacramento, California, U.S.
GenresAlternative rock
Occupation(s)Musician
Instrument(s)Bass guitar
Years active2000–present
LabelsBrassland, The Leaf Label
Websitejherekbischoff.com

Jherek Brandon Bischoff (born September 11, 1979) is an American composer, arranger, producer, and multi-instrumental performer. He has released over a dozen studio albums as a solo artist and band member and has credits as a musician, arranger, producer or engineer on over sixty albums. Bischoff has written several orchestral commissions for the likes of Kronos Quartet and the Pacific Northwest Ballet, and renowned orchestras, including the BBC Symphony Orchestra and the National Symphony Orchestra, have performed his work. Bischoff has written scores for four plays, including the Royal National Theatre's production of Neil Gaiman's The Ocean at the End of the Lane and an opera, Andersen's Erzahlungen, for Theatre Basel. Bischoff has also written or performed on scores for television and film, including Wet Hot American Summer: First Day of Camp, A Futile and Stupid Gesture, Glow, and New Amsterdam.

Biography

Background

Bischoff was born in Sacramento, California. When he was a young child his parents decided they wanted to move aboard a sailboat, and eventually sailed up the coast to the Pacific Northwest. Bischoff spent his early years on the boat and when he was 14 years old, the family departed on a two-year sailing trip to Central America, through the Panama Canal and into the Caribbean.[1]

The family eventually returned to their home on Bainbridge Island, Washington, where Bischoff learned to play a wide variety of instruments. Bischoff has some fluency on a number of woodwinds (saxophone, clarinet), brass (tuba, trombone, trumpet) and stringed instruments (electric bass, guitar, ukulele, banjo, stand-up bass, cello, violin). As a composer, Bischoff is largely self-taught having attended part-time college classes on the topic and gaining experience by writing arrangements and compositions for fellow artists in the Seattle music scene. Music was also a family tradition. His father, who had studied music at the University of California, Davis with John Cage and Stanley Lunetta, had been in avant garde and experimental bands throughout the 1970s.[1]

Career

Bischoff first emerged as a sideman, co-writer, and accompanist in several bands. In the first decade of the 2000s, he was a member and collaborator with Parenthetical Girls, Xiu Xiu, Degenerate Art Ensemble, and The Dead Science.

Bischoff gained attention as a solo performer upon the 2012 release of Composed and a related instrumental album Scores: Composed Instrumentals. The album features nine orchestral pieces with a different vocalist on eight of the nine tracks. Many of the vocalists are well known, and included David Byrne, Caetano Veloso, Mirah, Carla Bozulich (Evangelista, Geraldine Fibbers), Craig Wedren (Shudder to Think), Dawn McCarthy (Faun Fables), Zac Pennington (Parenthetical Girls), Soko and more. Guest soloists included Greg Saunier (Deerhoof) and Nels Cline (Wilco).

The album was first composed by Bischoff on a ukulele. He then orchestrated, engineered, and mastered the album, achieving an orchestral sound at a low cost by recording the instrumentalists one at a time using a single microphone and a laptop computer recording set-up.[2] Pitchfork wrote that listening to the album whilst being aware of the process "is like imagining someone filling an Olympic-sized pool with an eye dropper: the mind balks, both at the enormity of the undertaking and at the disposition of the person behind it".[3] Bischoff was interviewed by Terry Gross for her NPR show Fresh Air, where he spoke largely about his unique childhood growing up on a sailboat, and the unconventional process by which he recorded his album Composed.[4]

In 2016, Bischoff released Cistern, an ambient orchestral album inspired by time he spent in an empty two million gallon underground water tank under Fort Worden in Port Townsend, Washington. The size of the space was a huge factor in the development of the album. In an interview Bischoff described how "the vast emptiness of the cistern generates a reverb decay that lasts 45 seconds. That means, if you snap your fingers, the sound lasts 45 seconds. That amount of reverberation is an absolutely wild environment to try to create music in".[5] This led to "a record intrinsically linked to the space in which it was conceived. A space which forced Bischoff to slow down, to reflect, to draw on his childhood growing up on a sailing boat – an unexpected journey of rediscovery, from the city back to the Pacific Ocean".[6]

Critical reception

Bischoff has been called a "pop polymath"[7] (The New York Times), a "phenom" (The New Yorker),[8] an "orchestral-pop mastermind" (Spin)[9], and "the missing link between the sombre undertones of Ennio Morricone and the unpredictability of John Cale"[10] (New Musical Express). He "is known for pushing the limits of orchestral music"[11] (NPR).

Bischoff was a finalist for The Stranger's Music Genius Award in 2013[12] and was named Seattle's Best Collaborator by the Seattle Weekly in 2014.[13]

Bischoff was nominated for The Stage Debut Awards 2020 in the Best Composer or Lyricist category for his score for the Royal National Theatre's production of The Ocean at the End of the Lane, a stage adaptation of the book of the same name by Neil Gaiman.[14]

Works

Albums as Jherek Bischoff

  • Jherek Bischoff (2006)
  • Composed (2012)
  • Scores: Composed Instrumentals (2012)
  • Cistern (2016)
  • Improvisations (2020)
  • The Ocean at the End of the Lane - Music from the National Theatre Production (2021)

EPs as Jherek Bischoff

  • Under the Sour Trees – Split with Richard Webb (2009)
  • Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire Walk with Me – an EP of Holiday covers in the style of Angelo Badalementi's score for Twin Peaks (2017)
  • Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire Walk with Me - Deluxe Version / Remastered (2020)

Singles as Jherek Bischoff

  • Jherek Bischoff vs Konono N°1 – Kule Kule (Orchestral Version) – Song on Compilation Tradi-Mods vs Rockers (2010)
  • "Red Cloak" (2017)
  • "Reminder" (2017)
  • "Super Blue Blood Moon" (2017)
  • "Gobo" (2018)
  • "Celebration" – Devendra Banhart cover (2018)

Albums as Ribbons

  • Royals (2008)

Commissions

  • "A Semi-perfect Number" (2013) - Commissioned for Kronos Quartet by Lincoln Center for Lincoln Center Out of Doors
  • "Puffinsmilk" (2014) - Commissioned for Red Hot + Bach by Red Hot
  • "The Ballad of Guiteau" (2015) - Commissioned for Liaisons: Re-Imagining Sondheim From the Piano by the Liaisons Project
  • "Flying Rivers" (2017) - Commissioned for Kronos Quartet by San Francisco Performances
  • "Childhood's Retreat" (2017) - Commissioned for Black Mountain Songs by Brooklyn Youth Chorus
  • "Stranger" (2018) - Commissioned for Kronos Quartet by 21C Music Festival at The Royal Conservatory of Music
  • Jump!Star (2019) - Symphony commissioned for Kansas City Symphony by the Symphony in the Flint Hills
  • Wash of Gray (Locally Sourced) (2019) - Ballet commissioned for Pacific Northwest Ballet

Theater & Dance

  • Johnny Breitwieser (2015) - Musical premiered by Schauspielhaus Vienna, Austria
  • Souvenir (Theatre Royal) (2016) - Performance w/ Meow Meow, premiered at Theatre Royal, Hobart, Australia
  • Das Fliegende Klassenzimmer (2016) - Musical premiered by Theater Basel, Switzerland
  • Robert Wilson's The Sandman (2017) - Musical premiered by Düsseldorfer Schauspielhaus, Germany
  • Rita Riot / Rita Dreaming / Rita Requiem (2017) - Performance piece w/ Meow Meow, premiered at Sgt. Pepper at 50, Liverpool, UK
  • Souvenir (Theatre Royal) (2016) - Performance w/ Meow Meow, premiered at Theatre Royal, Hobart, Australia
  • Andersens Erzählungen (2019) - Opera premiered by Theater Basel, Switzerland
  • The Ocean at the End of the Lane (2019) - Play premiered by National Theatre, London, UK
  • The Journey (2020-1) - Virtual Performance by Scott Silven premiered by The Momentary, Bentonville, AR

Film & Television

Live Performance Orchestration & Arrangements

  • Recess Monkey & The Seattle Symphony (2014) - Benaroya Hall
  • Meow Meow & The San Francisco Symphony (2015) - SoundBox
  • Neil Gaiman (2015) – The Sleeper and The Spindle Live w/ String Quartet
  • Ariel Pink & Technical University of Cologne Choir (2015) - Week-end Festival
  • Anna Calvi & Heritage Orchestra (2017) - Burberry 2017 Collection
  • bachSpace & Deutsches Kammerochester Berlin (2017) - DRIVE Berlin
  • Devendra Banhart & Rundfunk-Tanzorchester Ehrenfield (2017) - Week-end Festival
  • Jon Batiste & The National Symphony Orchestra (2018) - The Kennedy Center
  • Regina Spektor & The National Symphony Orchestra (2018) - The Kennedy Center
  • Sarah Silverman & The National Symphony Orchestra (2019) - The Kennedy Center
  • Angel Olsen (2019) - The Tonight Show
  • Neil Gaiman, Amanda Palmer & The BBC Symphony Orchestra (2019) - Barbican Centre
  • Emily King, Jamey Johnson & The National Symphony Orchestra (2019) - The Kennedy Center
  • Ben Folds & The National Symphony Orchestra (2020) - The Kennedy Center
  • The Orchestra Rocks NYC for Link Up (2021) - Carnegie Hall
  • Ben Folds Presents with William Shatner (2022) - The Kennedy Center

w/ Amanda Palmer

  • Theatre Is Evil (2012)
  • Strung Out in Heaven: A Bowie String Quartet Tribute (2016)
  • "Machete" (2016)
  • "Purple Rain" – Prince cover (2016)
  • "Everybody Knows" / "Democracy" – Leonard Cohen cover (2017)
  • "In Harms Way" (2017)
  • "Mother" – Pink Floyd cover (2017)
  • Quartet for Dolores: A Tribute to Dolores O'Riordan of the Cranberries (2018)
  • There will be No Intermission (2019)
  • Forty-Five Degrees - A Bushfire Charity Flash Record (2020)[15]
  • "It's a Fire" - Portishead cover (2021)
  • "Enjoy the Silence" - Depeche Mode cover (2021)
  • "Surface Pressure" - cover from Disney's Encanto (2022)

w/ Meow Meow

  • Johnny Breitwieser (2018)

w/ Xiu Xiu

w/ Sondre Lerche

  • "Surviving Christmas" (2015)

w/ Parenthetical Girls

  • (((GRRRLS))) (2004)
  • Safe as Houses (2006)
  • Entanglements (2008)
  • The Scottish Play (2009)
  • Morrissey/The Smiths – 7" Split with Xiu Xiu (2009)
  • Privilege, Pt. I: On Death & Endearments (2010)
  • Privilege, Pt. II: The Past, Imperfect (2010)
  • Privilege, Pt. III: Mend & Make Do (2011)
  • Privilege, Pt. IV: Sympathy For Spastics (2011)
  • Privilege, Pt. V: Portrait of a Reputation (2012)
  • Privilege (Abridged) (2013)

w/ Degenerate Art Ensemble

  • Look-Away Popeye (2003)
  • The Bastress (2005)
  • Cuckoo Crow (2006)
  • Sonic Tales (2009)

w/ The Dead Science

  • Submariner (2003)
  • Bird Bones in the Bughouse EP (2004)
  • Frost Giant (2005)
  • Crepuscule with The Dead Science EP (2006)
  • Villainaire (2008)

w/ Casiotone for the Painfully Alone

w/ Jason Webley

Other Recorded Collaborations

References

  1. ^ a b "Composed Pop: Jherek Bischoff Gets By with a Little Help from His Friends". thestranger.com. 2012-11-28.
  2. ^ "The Leaf Label: Jherek Bischoff". Theleaflabel.com. Retrieved 21 May 2015.
  3. ^ "Jherek Bischoff – Composed". Pitchfork. Retrieved 5 May 2016.
  4. ^ "Jherek Bischoff Crafts A Symphonic Sound On 'Composed'". npr.org. 2013-04-09.
  5. ^ "Jherek Bischoff – "Cistern" (Stereogum Premiere)". Stereogum. Retrieved 3 May 2016.
  6. ^ "New Jherek Bischoff album Cistern". The Leaf Label. 2016-05-03.
  7. ^ "Classical Music/Opera Listings". nytimes.com. 2012-02-02.
  8. ^ "Ecstatic Music Festival Jherek Bischoff". The New Yorker. Retrieved 2022-05-12.
  9. ^ "David Byrne Takes It in the Face in Fidgety, Literal 'Eyes' Video". SPIN. 2013-07-10. Retrieved 2022-05-12.
  10. ^ "NME". nme.com.
  11. ^ "Jherek Bischoff". NPR.org. Retrieved 2022-05-12.
  12. ^ "2013 Music Genius Award Finalists". thestranger.com. 2013-06-05.
  13. ^ "Best of Seattle: Collaborator". seattleweekly.com. 2014-08-06.
  14. ^ "The Stage Debut Awards 2020: nominations in full". The Stage. Retrieved 2020-08-14.
  15. ^ "Amanda Palmer Announces Australian Charity Record; Releases Midnight Oil Cover". broadwayworld. 20 February 2020. Retrieved 21 February 2020.

External links

Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Jherek_Bischoff&oldid=1087526078"