Based in San Francisco, composer Aaron Gervais enjoys frequent performances of his work by leading ensembles, presenters, and festivals in North America and Europe. He draws upon humor, quotation, pop music influences, and found materials to create work that spans the sombre to the slapstick, inspiring a range of critical reactions from “unique, unsettling” to “this is just really great fun” and “I cried tears of laughter.” His output focuses primarily on chamber music and opera but also includes orchestral music, live electronics, solo works, and music for theatre and dance.
Aaron receives a steady stream of commissions and performances by groups around the world, including the Nieuw Ensemble, Tapestry New Opera, the San Francisco Contemporary Music Players, the Knights Orchestra, G27 Orchestra, Ensemble Klang, the London Sinfonietta, Artists’ Vocal Ensemble, and the Arditti Quartet. He has also appeared on prominent festivals, including Amsterdam’s Gaudeamus Music Week, New York’s MATA Festival, and San Francisco’s Other Minds Festival. Awards include the orkest de ereprijs’s International Young Composers Competition, an ASCAP Gould Award, six prizes in Canada’s SOCAN Awards for Young Composers, and numerous other prizes. In addition to writing music, Aaron blogs on his website aarongervais.com, discussing the philosophical and social issues facing classical music today. He holds a B.Mus from the University of Toronto and a master’s degree in composition from UC San Diego. When not composing, Aaron enjoys undertaking culinary projects and throwing dinner parties. He is represented by Art Music Promotion. |
