News

Monday, February 24, 2025

Kyle Vanderburg’s Creatures from the Black Bassoon to be Featured on Radiophrenia 2025

February 24, 2025 – North Dakota State University’s Composer in Residence, Dr. Kyle Vanderburg, will have his electroacoustic work Creatures from the Black Bassoon featured in this year’s Radiophrenia broadcast festival. The festival, which runs from April 7–20, 2025, is an international celebration of sound art and experimental radio, broadcasting from Glasgow’s Centre for Contemporary Arts (CCA) and streaming worldwide.

Creatures from the Black Bassoon is a playful and immersive exploration of the bassoon’s sonic possibilities. Using both processed and unprocessed recordings of the instrument—including key clicks, reed squeaks, multiphonics, and sounds produced through various stages of assembly and disassembly—Vanderburg crafts a virtual ecosystem of imagined creatures. Some are charming and chirpy, while others take on a more predatory nature. The composition unfolds through a carefully structured sequence based on the golden ratio, with contrasting “window” sections that shift the listener’s perspective.

Radiophrenia is a 24-hour experimental radio station that highlights innovative works in sound art, storytelling, and music, featuring artists from around the world. The full broadcast schedule will be available in late March at www.radiophrenia.scot, where listeners can tune in to experience the festival’s programming.

Dr. Vanderburg’s work has been featured at international festivals such as ICMC, SEAMUS, NYCEMF, and Sonorities, and he continues to push the boundaries of composition through electroacoustic and mixed-media works. His selection for Radiophrenia 2025 reflects NDSU’s strong presence in contemporary composition and its commitment to artistic innovation.

For more information on Dr. Vanderburg’s work and the NDSU Composition program, visit ndsucomposition.com.