Eli Keszler

Eli Keszler is a composer, artist and multi-instrumentalist based in New York City. In performance, he often plays drums, bowed crotales and guitar in conjunction with his installations. In his ensemble compositions, he uses extended strings, motors, crotales, horns and mechanical devices to create his sound, balancing intense harmonic formations with acoustic sustain, fast jarring rhythm, mechanical propulsion, dense textures and detailed visual presentations.

Keszler has toured extensively throughout Europe and the US, performing solo and in collaboration with artists such as Phill Niblock (performing Asheli for crotales and soprano saxophone with Ashley Paul), Aki Onda, Joe Mcphee, Skrillex, Loren Connors, Jandek, Roscoe Mitchell, Anthony Coleman (recording Lapidation, New World Records), Joe Morris, Steve Beresford, C Spencer Yeh, Greg Kelley (Nmperign), T Model Ford, Ran Blake, Ashley Paul and Steve Pyne (Red Horse). He has recorded solo releases for labels such as REL Records, ESP-DISK' and Type (Red Horse), in addition to his forthcoming record on PAN. His installations have appeared at the Boston Center for the Arts and Nuit Blanche NYC and the Shreveport MSPC New Music Festival. He has most recently won the Mata composers competition for the 2012 season. Eli Keszler is a graduate of the New England Conservatory in Boston where he studied with Anthony Coleman and Ran Blake.