Dafna Naphtali

Dafna Naphtali is a composer/performer — singer/instrumentalist/electronic-musician from an eclectic musical background (jazz, classical, rock, near-eastern music). Since the mid-90’s she composes/performs experimental, interactive electro-acoustic music using her custom Max/MSP programming for live sound processing of voice and other instruments, as well as multi-channel audio works.   As a performer, she also interprets the work of Cage, Stockhausen and contemporary composers.  Commissions and awards include: NY Foundation for the Arts (’01 and ’13), NY State Council on the Arts, Meet the Composer, Experimental TV Center, American Composers Forum (’99, ’09), Brecht Forum, Franklin Furnace, American Music Center and Foundation for Contemporary Arts, and awarded residencies at STEIM (Holland), Music OMI, Djerassi and Create @iEAR (Rensselaer Polytechnical Inst.)  

Dafna has collaborated and performed with well regarded musicians in the US, Europe, Israel, Russia and India, including Lukas Ligeti, David First, Shelley Hirsch, Joshua Fried,  Ras Moshe,  Alex Waterman,   Kathleen Supové,  Gisburg, Hans Tammen, classical Indian vocalist Vidya Shah,  the late sarodist Stephen James, among others.  She co-led the digital chamber punk ensemble,  What is it Like to be a Bat? with Kitty Brazelton (http://www.whatbat.org) ‘97 –‘05 and continuing.  Dafna has performed at festivals/venues in the U.S., Europe, Israel, Canada, Africa, Australia/New Zealand, Russia.   She teaches /gives workshops at universities in the US and in Europe (New York Univ., New School, Brooklyn College, Bloomfield College, Bard College, Columbia Univ., U. Miami, Pratt Institute, U. Mass, U. Nijmegan and Institute of Sonology in Holland, Hochschule für Musik und Theater in Hamburg among others).    At NYU, she teaches Electronic Music Performance and the Laptop orchestra.   She teaches/programs/consults about Max/MSP since 1995, having done sound design and/or programming work for the projects of Jin Hi Kim, Pamela Z,  Phoebe Legere,  Fred Frith,  Jim Staley,  Henry Threadgill,  Steve Coleman,  Chico Freeman and others.  Her compositions have been performed by pianist Kathleen Supové, flutist Margaret Lancaster, Magic Names vocal sextet and others. Recordings: Chatter Blip (Acheulian Handaxe, w/Chuck Bettis), Mechanique(s) (Acheulian Handaxe, w/Hans Tammen, Martin Speicher), What is it Like to be a Bat? (Tzadik/Oracles ‘03 — 4 Stars, All Music Guide)  with Kitty Brazelton. Danny Tunick).