Mark Coniglio
Since the beginning
Works in Brooklyn United States of America

BIO
Composer/Artist Mark Coniglio focuses on the creation of works that combine music, dance, theater and interactive media. With choreographer Dawn Stoppiello he is cofounder of Troika Ranch (http://www.troikaranch.org) a New York City based dance theater company committed to creating multidisciplinary works. Coniglio, dubbed an "interactive performance pioneer" by the New York Times, has had his work performed both nationally and internationally.

Dense rhythmic constructions and the use of sampled sound to create unusual percussive instruments are two of the hallmarks of his compositions. His music was perhaps best described by Keyboard Magazine who said "Coniglio's [music] consistently expresses a deep, sustained heaviness and ferocity. Powered by big drum sounds, surging phrases, and throbbing rhythms, it attacks the listener with stealth and force."

Coniglio is particularly interested in creating custom software and interactive instruments specifically designed to be used in the performance of his pieces. Since he has primarily been interested in creating music for dance, many of these instruments focus on monitoring the movements or vocalizations of dancers, and on using that information to allow performative control of synthesizers and other media. Of these, the most notable may be MidiDancer (http://www.troikaranch.org/mididancer.html) a device created in 1989 that measures the angular change at several joints on the dancer's body. This information is sent over a wireless link to a computer where the data is used to control the generation of sound, manipulation of video imagery, and changes in theatrical lighting.

Coniglio is also the author of Isadora