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about
ALL ABOUT OUR DEAREST NATHAN CHAMBERLAIN!!
NATHAN CHAMBERLAIN (he/him) is a Coahuiltecan guitarist, curator, and composer who is based out of Brooklyn, NY. Chamberlain’s work actively engages the decolonization of jazz and improvised music, joining a tradition rooted in resistance towards white supremacy. Ken Waxman of jazzword.com has described Chamberlain’s playing as a “break through the commonplace for a memorable experience.”
As a guitarist, Chamberlain’s improvised language embraces the organic facets of the guitar, such as harmonics in just intonation, as well as electronic augmentation, including the use of pedals and digital processing. His collaborators have included Steve Long, Paul Sakai, Selendis Sebastian Alexander Johnson, and Leni Kreienberg.
Chamberlain’s curatorial work centers on highlighting artists and bandleaders from BIPOC and queer communities, contributing to the fracture of gatekeeping barriers for marginalized groups. Currently, Chamberlain organizes the improvised music series “ice pop” in the NYC area.
Compositionally, Chamberlain’s recent focus has been on “person-specific” works in which the unique lexicon and essence of an individual performer are embraced . His works have been performed by the San Francisco Contemporary Music Players, the Living Earth Show, and Orlando Cela.
Photo by Samantha Kochis
Education
2023
MM in Performance/Composition - the New School, College of Performing Arts.
2015
BA in Music, Magna Cum Laude - University of California, Berkeley.
Awards/Accolades
2023
Lime Arts Synesthesia Artist in Residence.
2021
Interwoven sound installation collaboration with Cho-Thompson Architects.
2018
San Francisco Contemporary Music Players - 30 Under 30 Composition Award Recipient.
2015
Eisner Prize Recipient in Music Composition.
Photo by Louis Bryant, III