Carter Williams
composer :: violin :: viola d'amore

bio :: compositions :: concerts :: projects :: contact


I am active as a composer, performer and computer musician focusing on new and experimental music. My music draws its inspiration form the interaction between performers and technology as well as being rooted in historical performance practice and world music traditions. Recent compositions have investigated extended instrumental techniques (especially new methods for preparing string instruments), nonstandard instruments (e.g. viola d’amore, gu-zheng and baryton), improvisation, natural intonation/microtonality, live-electronics and live-video.

My performance activities include work with traditional notated music, graphic scores, free improvisation and Baroque music. Alongside my activities as a violinist I am dedicated to the revival of the viola d'amore and have already premiered numerous new compositions for the instrument. I am a founding member of the koan trio (Köln), Augenmusik and the Williams-Sack-Whitman Trio (both Buffalo, NY). I also play regularly with the Wandelweiser Composers' Ensemble (Düsseldorf). I also work in the areas of Sound-Projection and Computer Music. In the Summer of 2003 I attended the stage de composition et d'informatique at Ircam (Paris). I have collaborated with numerous composers and performers to develop custom software for live-electronics and live-video. As a "Laptop Musician" I have appeared with Schlagquartett Köln, the Thürmchen Ensemble and cello trio blu.

In 2003 I completed my Ph.D. in Music Composition at the Sate University of New York at Buffalo, where my principal composition teachers were David Felder and Erik Oña and I studied computer music with Cort Lippe and Richard Dudas. Before coming to Buffalo, I earned a B.Mus. from Rice University in Houston and studied Musicology at the Technische Universität Dresden.

In addition to my activities as a musician I also teach business and technical English at the Universität zu Köln and several leading German companies.

I am based in Cologne, Germany.