Katherine Pukinskis

Artist Statement

In the broadest sense, nature, the human experience, and heritage are the three driving factors of inspiration for my creation of new music. I am gratified by the immediacy of effect when I listen to music, and I cherish its lingering forces well after the sound is gone. For me, no music is absolute; I do not live in a vacuum devoid of outside stimuli, nor can I exclude portions of myself in the act of creating music. While it is rarely my intention to compose a direct response to a specific experience, philosophy, or work of art, the moments of our lives leave a residue on our future thoughts. This residue is for me found predominantly in the natural world and in ancestral heritage; it is what sparks the inspiration to compose.

Early sketches for "The Mother Trees" project, which I will work on in earnest while in residency at the Marble House

Bio

Katherine Pukinskis is a composer-scholar whose work often brings unlikely text or content into conversation in the concert hall. “I Dissent,” a project started by a 2019 commission from the Esoterics, excerpts opinions and dissents written by the female Supreme Court Justices of the United States. Dr. Pukinskis has had works premiered by eighth blackbird, Quince Contemporary Vocal Ensemble, Akron Symphony Chorus, and the Spektral Quartet, as well as by members of Ensemble Dal Niente and the Chicago Symphony Chorus. Commissioning ensembles include San Antonio Symphony, Mendelssohn Choir of Pittsburgh, Akropolis Reed Quintet, Agarita Chamber Players, Heritage Chorale, the Esoterics Choir, Mägi Ensemble, and Nuorten Kuoroliitto (Helsinki Finland). Her work in composition and research explore storytelling and voice—tracking how words and ideas travel in music, across the world, and over time. Dr. Pukinskis’s scholarly research revolves around notions of cultural identity, diaspora, traditional folk and choral music, and activism, with particular emphasis on the choral music of Latvia and 20th-century American Art Song. She has presented her research across the United States and Europe in conferences, pre-concert lectures, and invited talks. Pukinskis is currently an Assistant Professor of Music in Composition and Theory at Carnegie Mellon University’s School of Music.

www.kpukinskis.com