Mary Halvorson

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Mary Halvorson (Niederstetten, 2011)

Mary Halvorson (* 1980 in Boston ) is an American guitarist and composer of creative jazz and new improvisation music .

Live and act

Halvorson studied at Wesleyan University and then until 2002 at the New School . In New York City she founded her own trio and quintet. She also leads a chamber music duo with the violinist Jessica Pavone and the avant rock band People with the drummer Kevin Shea . She is a longtime member of the formations of Anthony Braxton and has performed with Tim Berne , Stephan Crump , Trevor Dunn , Tony Malaby , Myra Melford , Nicole Mitchell , Jason Moran , Marc Ribot , Matana Roberts , Elliott Sharp , John Tchicai , Ingrid Laubrock , Tomas Fujiwara ( The Air Is Different , 2012) and Tom Rainey . She has given concerts with Braxton and Taylor Ho Bynum as well as with her own combo in Europe. With Ribot, Jamaaladeen Tacuma and Calvin Weston , she forms the project The Young Philadelphians , which is dedicated to the soul scene in Philadelphia in the 1970s.

Since the release of Dragon's Head (2008) she has been considered "probably the most original jazz guitarist" who started her career in the last decade (Peter Margasak, Chicago Reader ) and "currently the freshest, busiest, most critically acclaimed guitarist" the New York downtown scene ( Howard Mandel , Jazz Beyond Jazz ). "The guitarist escapes the stylistic arbitrariness above all with her very independent sound aesthetic, which is harsh, powerful and complex." (Julia Neupert, SWR 2 )

In 2019, Halvorson became a MacArthur Fellow .

Discographic notes

Mary Halvorson with Anti-House at Club W71 , January 2011

Web links

Commons : Mary Halvorson  - collection of images, videos and audio files

Individual evidence


personal data
SURNAME Halvorson, Mary
BRIEF DESCRIPTION American jazz guitarist
DATE OF BIRTH 1980
PLACE OF BIRTH Boston