Zachary James Watkins studied composition with Janice Giteck, Jarrad Powell, Robin Holcomb and Jovino Santos Neto at Cornish College. In 2006, Zachary received an MFA in Electronic Music and Recording Media from Mills College where he studied with Chris Brown, Fred Frith, Alvin Curran and Pauline Oliveros. Zachary has received commissions from Cornish College of The Arts, The Microscores Project, Beam Foundation, Somnubutone Radio Series, sfsound and the Seattle Chamber Players. His 2006 composition Suite For String Quartet was awarded the Paul Merritt Henry Prize for Composition and has subsequently been performed as part of the Labs 25th Anniversary Celebration and the Labor Sonor Series at Kule in Berlin, Germany. Zachary has presented works in numerous festivals across the United States and in Berlin Germany including the Internationales Klankunstfest 09, Sounds Outside Festival, the 2007 Bent Festival in Los Angeles, the 2006 International Computer Music Conference, the 10th Annual Music For People and Thingamajigs Festival and the second Biennial SJ01 Global Festival of Arts on the Edge. In 2007, Zachary premiered a new multi-media work entitled Country Western as part of the Meridian Gallery'sComposers in Performance Series that received grants from The American Music Center and The Foundation for Contemporary Arts. An excerpt of this piece is published on a compilation album entitled The Harmonic Series along side Pauline Oliveros, Ellen Fullman, Theresa Wong Charles Curtis and Duane Pitre among others. Zachary received a Subito of California Grant to assist in the production of the evening length composition movable, long commutes between loved ones, music for motors and resonant strings written for piano in just intonation and a newly invented piano extension called the "Piano Monster" built in collaboration with NYC artist Ranjit Bhatnagar. This work premiered on April 2nd 2010 by pianist Tiffany Lin at the Chapel Performance Space as part of the Wayward Music Series in Seattle, WA and sponsored by Nonsequitur. Zachary designed the sound and composed music for the plays "I have loved Strangers" produced by Just Theatre, which was listed "top ten of 2007" in the East Bay Express and the 8th Annual ReOrient Theatre Festival. His sound art work entitled Designed Obsolescence, "spoke as a metaphor for the breakdown of the dream of technology and the myth of our society's permanence," review by Susan Noyes Platt in the Summer 05 issue of ARTLIES. ITCH, Walrus Press and the New York Miniature Ensemble have published the graphic score found print piece no.1. During October of 2006, Zachary was an artist in residence at the Espy Foundation. Zachary is currently a Lecturer of Music at the University of California at Santa Cruz.
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