Larry
Austin,
Richard
Swift,
Jerome
Rosen,
Karlheinz Stockhausen,
David Tudor,
Roger Reynolds,
Robert
Erickson,
Pauline Oliveros,
Kenneth
Gaburo.
A member of the New Music Ensemble at UC Davis (the first free group improvisation ensemble) and a founding member of SOURCE Music of the Avant Garde magazine, he has specialized in the sonic and structural aspects of contemporary compositional practice.
He works with electronic/computer/concrete materials, chamber, solo instrumental, large ensemble, choral, orchestra, opera and experimental combinations. He performs on the piano, trombone, trumpet, shakuhachi, voice, performance art, jazz and intermedia idioms, and conducts.
A prolific composer with over 350 works for all media, he is currently engaged in the SPANDA project, thirteen days of experimental music for all media with a coherent macrostructure. His works have been performed locally, nationally and internationally since the sixties.
He has taught composition, orchestration, computer music, music theory, music history, and world music at University of South Florida, Oberlin College Conservatory, Sonavera Studio of Sonic Arts and Purchase College SUNY where he served as Chair of the composition program. He makes his home in Mount Vernon, New York.
Dr. Mizelle's works were presented in a 25-year retrospective concert at Symphony Space in 1988 to critical acclaim, where he was compared with Ives,Cage,Messien, Bartok, and Xenakis.
He is listed in Baker's International Dictionary of Music and Musicians and the Groves Dictionary of American Music and Musicians, and Who’s Who in America. He invents and builds electronic and acoustical instruments and makes sculptures, and visual arts in various media. His works are published by Composer Performer Edition, Lingua Press and Mizelle Music: they are recorded on the Furious Artisans, Lumina, Irida, and Nataraja labels.
PRAISE FOR DARY JOHN MIZELLE
"I was deeply moved by Forbidden Colors and found that the work honored the
absolutely extraordinary title in what emotions it touched and visions it empowered.
I deeply honor your creativity and mastery."
Lorin Hollander, internationally known pianist, conductor
and teacher
"'Soundscape' is like a percussion thesaurus. The whole record
is quite brilliant."
Lukas Foss, Composer, Conductor
"I have always found [Mizelle's] writing to be imaginative, deep-probing
and, without question, challenging and original. "
Kenneth Gaburo, Composer, Publisher
"'polyphonies 1' ...combines the remarkable breath sounds possible
on the Japanese shakuhachi with an equally remarkable set of electronic sounds."
Tom Johnson, Village Voice
"I felt that your music is 'wind' blowing in the city. I love
your composing based on contemporary feeling and it sounds for me like a lullaby
in the city. Warm and cool, wild and gentle....Your music is so impressive compared
with what we usually hear from U.S. hit records. So artistic and illuminating
deep in mind. I really hope American music will respect your type of music making."
Kuniko Kisanuki, Japans Dancer of the year 1985
"Merging of textures, melodic elements, basic contrasts of musical
gesture .. make for compelling listening."
Gregory Garvey, Computer Music Journal
"... peices that are exemplary in their thoughtful and stimulating
exploration of economical resources."
Alan Young, Ear Magazine
"Mr. Mizelle showed himself a shrewd and imaginative manipulator
of sound..."
Bernard Holland, New York Times
"'Soundscape' is a major work for percussion ensemble ... particularly
fascinating for the degrees of texture and density explored through the six
movements."
Al Otte, Percussive Notes
"Truly lyrical music - very enjoyable listening. Varese with a
zen orientation."
Micheal Fitzgibbon, Op Magazine
"... just beautiful, just beautiful."
John Cage, Composer