Composer
OVERVIEW
Cat Hope has developed a very unique style of composition, which has culminated in sweeping hour long soundscapes for dance productions as well as songwriting, radiophonic works, notated and improvisational scores. She has developed a unique style of semi improvised composition that employs electronic instruments such as MaxMSP, turntables and radio. Productions featuring soundscapes by her have toured extensively, and her compositions are published and recorded on labels in Europe, America and Japan.
Scroll down for a list of commissions.
Cat is currently Head of Composition a the Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts.
STYLE
Cat’s compositional style is rooted in electronics whilst almost always makes use of acoustic instruments in someway.
EXPERIENCE
As well as working as a composer and sound artst, she was songwriter and singer for her group GATA NEGRA from 1997 - 2007. She has been commissioned to write music for film (winning the Pandora’s Box Film Festival Best Score award in 2000), dance, theatre and pure music works. She is also an accomplished solo improviser on the bass guitar, reknown for her use and experimentation with of bass feedback and distortion manipulation.
QUALIFICATIONS AND AWARDS
Bachelor of Music with honours, Flute Performance major, Univeristy of Western Australia, 1998
Pandora’s Box Film Festival best soundtrack award, 2000.
Veronica Kelly Postgraduate Award, 2009.
PhD in Art, RMIT University, completion imminent.
Select Composition Commissions received
March 2010 Kuklinski’s Dream for 3 carving knives, three instruments, MaxMSP (with Max Score reader).
March 2010 The Trial. Music for the Berkoff adaptation of Kafka’s classic, Directed by Micheal Jenn.
Jan 2010 Wolf at Harp for 4 drum kits (indie rock, jazz, death metal and classical percussion) (with Max Score reader).
Sept 2009 In the Cut for violin, cello, bass clarinet, bass guitar and turntable.
May 2008 Mountains Never Meet, commissioned by Martin Del Amo for Link Dance Co, Perth WA
Oct 2005 Interfearance, commision by WAAPA for Axis 21 New Music Ensemble.
July 2005 Women in Transit Ed, D>Lux Media Arts Sound Exhibition, Sydney Opera House, NSW
Jun 2004 Women In Transit, the Performance Space, NSW
Jun 2003 Grit Ensemble, wind quartet, SpECtrUm Gallery, WA
Jun 2002 the other woman, Black Swan Theatre, WA
Octx2001 Savage Grace, Steamworks Theatre Productions
Jan 2001 Claustrophobia, Perth Fringe Festival, WA
May 2000 No Mans Land, Company Loaded, PICA
Feb 2000 The Power Of Love, film by Federico Baranello, Italy shown in Japan
Oct1999 REM, Rakini, in PICA’s DANCERS ARE SPACE EATERS festival
Aug 1999 Mindimi, Rakini, PICA season
Jun 1998 The Virtual Goddess for RAKINI, PICA and eastern states tour (live)
May 1998 The Velvet Palace (as director, voice, flute - live)PICA season
Oct 1997 Zenana , Kalika Dance Co, Artrage Festival, WA
Aug 1997 Cuore Elletrico, Danielle Agosta COMPANY, Italy
Sep1992 Suttee , Rakini, Artrage Festival (live)
Select Installation Commissions received
May 2010 Music for Kate McMillan installation, Islands of Incarcertion, Biennale of SYdney, Cakatoo Island.
July 2009 Tremor, RMIT Project Space, Melbourne.
Oct 2008 Music for Kate McMillan installation, Lost, John Curtin Gallery, WA
Oct 2005 Plug, sound installation at Totally Huge New Music Festival, Moores Gallery WA
Jul 2005 Phonebox, Liquid Architecture Festival of Sound Arts, RMIT, Melbounre, VIC
April 2005 Vouyeuages, National Review of Live Art, Midland WA
Jan 2005 Pickpocket, Perth International Arts Festival, John Curtin Gallery WA
Mar 2004 Homefear, n ew Directions new Media Arts Festival, SIngapore
Oct 2003 In/e/gress, National Review of Live Art, with cAVity Midland WA
Jun 2003 Surface Paradise, Geraldton Regional Art Gallery with local artists, WA
Jul 2003 Rumble, Greenough village, with cAVity, Greenough, WA
Oct 2002 Jackie Hush , sound installation,San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, USA
Aug 2002 Drive, Artrage Festival, with K Ford, WA
Jun 2001 Fetish, Below the surface: Contemporary Australian Moving Imagery @ C.A.S.T, Tasmania
Residencies
2006 Theatreworks, Singapore, Asialink Performing Arts Residency
Feb 2006 Transit Lounge, Berlin, Germany
Oct 2004 Titanik, Turku, Finland
Nov 2004 La Salle Coollege for the Arts, Singapore
Nov 2003 Geraldton, WA
Oct 2003 TIME_PLACE_SPACE, Wagga Wagga NSW
Sep 2003 Katanning, WA
Aug 2003 cAVity at PICA
July 2003 cAVity at Greenough, WA
Video/Film
2004 FQS (4’30”) – commissioned by FQS
2003 Homefear (13’00”) – commissioned by Tura New Music
2002 Once Upon A Time (3’23”)
2001 Close (4’03”)
2000 Fetish (4’55”)
Select Tours
May 2009 Japan (with Abe Sada)
Jun 2008 Sydney, Melbourne, Caberra, JoltArts with Motel Architecture project.
July 2007 Japan, Singapore and Australia (with Abe Sada)
Jul 2004 Australia (4 dates – installation artist)
Oct 2004 Scandanavia (4 dates - installation artist)
Oct 2003 Europe and Japan (30 dates- solo music artist)
Jun 2004 Australia (9 dates – solo music artist)
Jun 2003 Europe (13 shows – with band Gata Negra)
Feb 2003 Australia (5 shows – with band Gata Negra)
Mar 2002 USA (23 shows – as part of Lux Mammoth)
Apr 2001 USA (7 shows – solo artist)
Songwriting
1999 – 2006 Songwriter for Gata Negra, 3 piece independent band, 3 albums
1998 Songwriter with Guy Fleming, one album, Minimal Chaos
Discography
As CAT HOPE (producer, writer, arranger);
Fetish - Bergerk! Sound Gallery Label (Aus), Menschenfiend (USA), 2001,
Live: Regret (Japan) Bloodstar, 2001,
Jackie Hush - Bloodstar (Aus) solo electronics album -producer, composer, performer, 2002.
As ABE SADA
The Low Chord - Kibutsuri Tapes International (Japan) 2008
The Tatare Steppe - VLZ produkt (Japan) 2008
Subzilla - Bloodstar (Aus) 2007
The Low Chord – Kibutsuri Tapes International (Japan), 2008
As part of LUX MAMMOTH (producer, co-writer, arranger);
Hertz Circus - Bloodstar label (Aus 2000), New Gauge Sinner, PreFeed (Italy), 2002,
New Gauge Sinner - Pre Feed label (Italy) 2002.
As part of GATA NEGRA (producer, writer, arranger);
Ruby, Bloodstar (Aus), 2006,
Saint Dymphnae Bloodstar (Aus) 2002.
Cage of Stars Telescopic (France), Bloodstar (Aus) 1999.
COLLABORATIONS (voice, bass, songwriter);
Lawrence English – Transit, Room:40 (Aus) 2003,
Guy Fleming - Minimal Chaos Bloodstar (Aus), 1999,
Micevice - Experiments on the Duration of Love, Lollypop, (Italy) 1998,
Hugo Race and the True Sprit, (Flute), old surprises, 2004; 2nd Revelator, Normal, (Germany) – flute, 1989; Chemical Wedding Glitterhaus, (Germany) – flute, 1998.
SELECT COMPILATIONS
Sound Variable, San Francisco Museum Of Modern Art, 2002,
Kiss My WAMI, WAM (WA) 2002, 2003.
Music For Midnight Driving, (FVA, Japan) 2002.
Extreme Music From Women, Susan Lawly (UK), 2000,
Women in Music, WAM (WA), 1999,
Squeeze the Flock, Bergerk! Recordings, (WA), 1999.
Arts Research Grants
2005 Low Frequency sound in forensic science (my PhD area), ECU faculty grant, WA, associated papers and creative works as outcomes. Attracted funding: $4000
2005 Working with sound and mobile phone technology, BEAP/ArtsWA, WA, outcomes include creative works, papers. Attracted funding: $9000.
2004 Development of sound installations using flash media BEAP/ArtsWA 2004, creative outcomes. Attracted funding: $5000.
2003 Interactive technologies to develop the interactive garment D.A.C.S , cAVity , PICA research and development fund for hybrid arts, 2003. Attracted funding: $5000.
Mar 2001 PICA research and development grant, surveillance, with Rakini and Andrew Ewing,
Jan 2001 ARTSWA research grant as composer to develop noise notations
May 2000 PICA research and development grant with Lindsay Vickery to write sampling software
2005 Residency at SymbioticA, the art-science collaborative unit at UWA