James Ilgenfritz
James Ilgenfritz (1978) is recognized in The New Yorker for his “characteristic magnanimity” and his “invaluable contributions to New York’s new-music community.” Ilgenfritz has performed around the US, Europe, and in Asia with his bands Hypercolor and 4tet2duos. He has composed for the Ghost Ensemble, the New Thread saxophone quartet, HUB New Music, Hypercube, baritone Thomas Buckner, and the Ostravská Banda (Czech Republic). Recent albums include Altamirage, featuring duets with and compositions by Pauline Oliveros, and Aging, with Czech-born composer/performer Lucie Vítková. This follows two solo albums: Origami Cosmos and Compositions (Braxton) 2011 (featuring music by Annie Gosfield, Miya Masaoka, Elliott Sharp, JG Thirlwell, and Anthony Braxton). Ilgenfritz had two residencies at John Zorn’s The Stone in 2015 and 2018. He has composed two operas, The Ticket That Exploded (2011, using text by William S. Burroughs) and I Looked At The Eclipse (2019, with librettist Sarah Krasnow). Ilgenfritz holds degrees from University of Michigan and University of California San Diego, and received his PhD at University of California, Irvine in June 2023.
