MAXX KATZ — Composer, Performer, Performance artist, Improviser.
maxxkatz@gmail.com

EDUCATION AND TRAINING

  • M.A. Critical and Comparative Studies in Music, University of Virginia, 2002. Thesis on Performance and Performance Theory

  • B.A. English, University of Virginia, 1999. Phi Beta Kappa, Wagenheim Scholar

FELLOWSHIPS

Resident fellow at International Workshop for Jazz and Creative Music, Banff Centre for the Arts, with Vijay Iyer and Tyshawn Sorey, 2019.

Resident fellow at Atlantic Center for the Arts with Nicole Mitchell, 2019.

SELECTED COMPOSITION DEBUTS

“What Will Contain Us?” Sept 2024, Yelling Choir, Portland Institute for Contemporary Art’s Time-Based Art Festival, Portland, OR.

“This and Now,” June 2024, Yelling Choir, Oregon Contemporary 2024 Artists’ Biennial, Portland, OR.

“All We Have,” March 2022, Yelling Choir, American Choral Director’s Association Conference, Spokane, WA.

“Transformations,” Oct 2021, Yelling Choir, Congress Yard Projects, Portland OR.

“Consequences,” Jan 2020, with dancer Lauren Jean Crow, Headwaters Theater, Portland OR.

“Very Noisy Love Songs,” Aug 2019, with Tyshawn Sorey, Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity.

“Vehicle,” Aug 2019, movement score for sextet, Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity.

“Thursday,” Aug 2019, for septet, Atlantic Center for the Arts.

“Universal Fabric Shred”, June 2019, Floom, solo flute/voice/guitar, Mississippi Studios, Portland, OR.

“Participatory Flow State Tour 1,” Sept 2019, original film and live score, with John Niekrasz, Northwest Film Forum Local Sightings Film Festival, Seattle WA.

Portland Jazz Composers Ensemble, Commissioned to compose a score for 12-piece jazz ensemble to Night of the Living Dead. Conducted in live performance with film October 2018. Partially funded by a grant from RACC.

PAST PROJECTS

Yelling Choir, Composer and Director. 7-piece women/femme/non-binary performance ensemble, Portland, OR, 2021-present.
Floom, Flutist, Vocalist, Guitarist, Composer. Solo performance project, Portland, OR, 2016-present.
Ixnay, Flutist, Vocalist, Guitarist, Composer. Performance duo with John Niekrasz, Portland, OR, 2018-present.
Residual Echoes, Guitarist, Flutist. Experimental ensemble, Los Angeles, CA. Toured in New England, California and 3 weeks in Europe, 2013.
Usaisamonster, Keyboardist, Vocalist. Experimental ensemble, Brooklyn, NY. Monthlong tour of Europe April 2009, 6-week US/Canada tour 2008.
Miami Nights, Guitarist, Vocalist, Composer. Experimental doom metal project, Brooklyn, NY. 6-week US/Canada tour 2008.

RECORDED MEDIA
Record Release, selected tracks, Kin Ships, C.J. Boyd, Joyful Noise Recordings, 2019.
Song Release, “Slowly For a While,” Cheer Accident, 2017
Record Release, Multi-Voice of the Immensity, Floom, Casual Acid Tea, 2017
Record Release, Live in Paris, Residual Echoes, Pacific Coast Editions, 2014
Record Release, The Middle Path, Residual Echoes, Holy Mountain Records, 2013
Record Release, selected tracks, Funkincense, CSC Funk Band, Electric Cowbell Records, 2013
Record Release, selected tracks, Infinite Ease, Colin Langenus, Northern Spy Records, 2011
Record Release, selected tracks, R.I.P., U$AI$AMON$TER, Northern Spy Records, 2010

AWARDS AND NOTABLE PERFORMANCES

  • 2024 Oregon Contemporary 2024 Artists’ Biennial

  • 2021 RACC Make Grant for Yelling Choir composition and performance

  • 2020 RACC Project Grant in collaboration with Lauren Jean Crow, dancer, to create multimedia performance in Portland, OR

  • 2019 RACC Professional Development Grant to attend residency at Atlantic Center for the Arts, New Smyrna Beach, FL

  • 2018 and 2019 Improvisation Summit, Portland, OR

  • Incubate festival, Tilburg, the Netherlands

  • The Stone, NYC

  • Knitting Factory, NYC

  • Pioneer Works, NYC