Peter McKenzie Armstrong (b.1940)
Composition: Study with Nicholas Van Slyck, Alexander Goehr, Thomas Clark, Phil Winsor, Larry Austin. Theory with Randall Thompson and Robert Moevs. Post-doctoral residency in composition and computer music, University of North Texas. Works include: 12 Variations in S-Mode ('71), and Mini-Studies on my Surname ('78, rev '11), both for piano solo; Noitnevni Trap-2, and Cycles, both for Synclavier ('86); KRIKOI, Four Pieces on the Opening of Schoenberg's Opus 33a for Csound or Duo-Piano ('92), with later offshoots for piano solo ('93, '11); Partita Traverse for Flute Solo, after Bach ('93); Additudes! -- Fibonacci/Lucas Mod Cycles set in the Order-21 Perfect Square, for Csound 'pluck' ('05); Variations on 'Rule, Brittania!' ('07) and Katikaze ('11), both for piano solo; Dapper '1' and Dreadful '0', for auto-sequencer ('11). Armstrong's music has featured in call-for-scores award concerts by CCI, CMS, and ARTSPACE.
Algorithms: SetTrans_P, generalizing the Multiplicative Transform via prime- number octave dimensions; Krikos, permutating pitch/duration series through incremental full rotation of their X/Y graph; IntLens, registrating pitch-class series via selective octave-offsets per interval class -- included in curricular materials at National Chiao University, Taiwan ('89); Markov, generating pitch/ duration cycles via modular additive sequences -- published in Phil Winsor, The Computer Composer's Toolbox, Windcrest ('90).
Belated Serialist Harangue:
"Too bad serialism got stuck with a 12-tone system!
The Mult-5 Transform isn't by nature a special case.
And the 'N': what of all those other 356 degrees?
But I'm more interested in processes...."
Piano Performance: Study with Ernst Levy, Kyriena Siloti, John Kirkpatrick. Performed at Town Hall, New York, as winner of the Steinway Hall Competition ('52); Concerto with the Philadelphia Orchestra at Worcester MA Festival ('55); Diploma, Longy School ('67); BM, Emerson College ('68); MMA in Performance, Yale School of Music ('72); Yale DMA ('80) on Late Works of Ferruccio Busoni. Solo recitals include: Alice Tully Hall, Lincoln Center, NY; The National Gallery of Art, DC; college/university campuses & arts associations coast to coast -- works of Busoni, Schoenberg, Webern, Ernst Levy, Ross Lee Finney.
Teaching (Piano and Music Theory): Wesleyan University; Trinity College; at MSU, Texas, the Bolin Chair as Assoc. Prof.; the Neighborhood Music School, New Haven; Hartford Conservatory; Miss Porter's School.
Computing (Languages Forth, C, APL, J): at IBIDINC, programmed games and an intercommunications test suite for Coleco's Talking Cabbage Patch Kids; retired in 2011 as a Linux systems administrator with the federal judiciary.
Affiliations (past & present): ACMA, AMC, AGNULA, ASUC, CMS, CSND, EMF, ICMA, J, LAD, MDSO, SCI, SEAMUS, SIGAPL, SMCM; served term as president of SEMI -- the Studio of Electronic Music Inc.
