Madison Greenstone is a clarinetist, writer, and composer based in Brooklyn known for their ‘revelatory’ (Pitchfork) performances. Their solo practice exstatic resonances explores ‘shatteringly intense’ (Nowhere Street) instrumental expressivities that give rise to a ‘thrilling rawness’ (The Wire) when the clarinet is treated as a site of generative instability. Exstatic resonances draw on ongoing studies in phenomenology, self-generative music, and acoustics. Their approach embraces and instigates chaotic timbral actions, difficult-to-reign sonorities, and harmonically rich and noisy resonances that have a vivid inner life and movement.
As the clarinetist of TAK Ensemble, ‘one of the most prominent ensembles in the United States practicing truly experimental music’ (I Care If You Listen) they have premiered music by Tyshawn Sorey, Eric Wubbels, Weston Olencki, Michelle Lou, Jessie Cox, Brandon López and champions some of the most radical music currently devised.
Their debut solo album, Resonance Studies in Ecstatic Consciousness (Relative Pitch Records), was included in Bandcamp’s Best Experimental Music of 2023 compilation, and has been described as “one hell of a calling card” (The Wire) and “mind-blowing” (Nowhere Street). Madison can be heard on labels such as Wandelweiser Editions, Another Timbre, TAK Editions, Pleasure of the Text Records, eë editions, Unknown Tapes, New Focus Recordings, Impakt Collective, Greyfade, and upcoming on Important Records, Mengi, and Longform Editions.
Madison performs widely as a soloist and chamber musician. As a soloist, they have been presented through LAMPO, KM28 (Berlin), the Vigeland Mausoleum (Oslo), Night of Surprise (Cologne), ISSUE Project Room (NYC), Non Event (Boston), and the Merce Cunningham Centennial Night of 100 Solos (Los Angeles). As a chamber and orchestral musician they have performed at the New York Philharmonic, PS21, KKL Luzern, Hamburg Elbphilharmonie, Bangkok Arts and Cultural Center, The Whitney Biennial, Roulette Intermedium, Indexical, Walt Disney Concert Hall, and Miller Theater. They have held residencies at Harvard, Princeton, Columbia, University of Pennsylvania, Cornell, and University of Chicago. Madison performs as a guest with Alarm Will Sound, Contemporaneous, Nunc New Music, Either/Or, Splinter Reeds, Wet Ink, Metropolis Ensemble, and International Contemporary Ensemble among others.
Madison’s writing on experimental music has been published through LAMPO publications, Greyfade FOLIO, and the Museum of Natural History Neuchâtel (CH), Contemporary Music Review, and upcoming in Blank Forms.
Trained in contemporary classical performance, they have learned greatly from the mentorship of Anthony Burr and Charles Curtis at UC San Diego. They studied with Jon Manasse at the Eastman School of Music, and pursued periodic studies with Swiss clarinetist Ernesto Molinari between 2012 and 2018.
Highlights from the 2023-24 season include the release of their first solo album Resonance Studies in Ecstatic Consciousness on Relative Pitch Records (9/22/23), touring as a soloist in the American Northeast, solo performances in Berlin (KM28), Vienna (knopfwissen) and Central Europe, touring with TAK Ensemble in Thailand, Ireland, England, and California, as well as premieres by Sarah Hennies, Eric Wubbels, Wilfrido Terrazas, Jessie Cox, Weston Olencki, and Bryan Jacobs. They will be in residence with TAK Ensemble at Princeton, Cornell, University of Chicago, and University of Southern California.
Madison plays on Schwenk & Seggelke (Bamberg) Bb and A clarinets made from mopane wood, a vintage Selmer bass clarinet that was played by Dave Breeden before his passing, and a Leblanc paperclip contrabass clarinet.
photo credit: Titilayo Ayangade