2010 Music Recipient

Lukas Ligeti

Composer, Musician

I work with classically trained musicians, jazz-based improvisors, musicians from non-Western, especially African, traditions. As a drummer, I'm interested in motion; playing an instrument is, to me, a form of dance, only that my motion causes sound, whereas in dance, sound motivates motion. Using electronics and computer technology, I seek to enhance the kinetic aspect of music-making.

A composer and musician, Lukas Ligeti draws from a wide musical palette that includes jazz improvisation, American minimalism, traditional and popular African styles, and electronica. In addition to writing pieces for American Composers Orchestra, Bang on the Can All Stars, choreographer Karol Armitage, and Kronos Quartet, he is the founder of the experimental ensemble, Beta Foly, and intercultural band, Burkina Electric.