ABOUT
A composer who used to write music in pocket sized notebooks during sparse moments of downtime at the various industrial jobs he inhabited, Isaac Creager’s (b. 1999) industrial surrealist music weaves together expressive foregrounds, a constantly contrasting approach to harmony and texture, modern instrument technique, and intricate structures to build richly expressive musical worlds.
From the profound isolation of the deep woods to crushing industrial complexes (as well as everything in between), Isaac’s approach to harmonic voicing, timbre, noise, instrument technique, and form are informed by the wide variety of environments and spaces he has spent time in. He has met a diverse array of people hailing from all walks of life, and as such his musical narratives are regularly inspired by the stories of these people. Through his music, Isaac stresses the ‘universal experiences’ that humans have, despite often coming from completely different circumstances.
Combining compositional technique from a multitude of genres, including those outside of the western contemporary classical vein, Isaac writes music that is uncompromising and in-your-face, all while retaining clear progression so that listeners of any background can be immersed in the music.
Isaac has been commissioned and performed by the Curtis Symphony, Chicago Civic Orchestra Fellows, Antigone Collective, The University of Cincinnati Symphony, Sam Jones, the Hinge quartet, and Transient Canvas. He has been performed by upcoming young performers such as Romain Olivier Gray, Bade Daston, Adrian Zaragoza, Jackson Howard, Amelia Korbitz, KayCee Galano, Sophie Longo, and many more.
Isaac is currently pursuing his master’s degree at the Curtis Institute of music, under the instruction of Amy Beth Kirsten, Nick DiBerardino, Steven Mackey, and Jonathan Bailey Holland. In 2023 Isaac graduated with his BM in Music Composition from The University of Cincinnati’s College-Conservatory of Music while studying with Douglas Knehans, Michael Fiday, Ellen Harrison, and Mara Helmuth.
