Clark Suprynowicz

Clark Suprynowicz was recently a Composer-in-Residence for the Berkeley Symphony, and penned three new works for the symphony's 2008 Under Construction series. With an extensive background in jazz, his music has been lauded for its individuality. His opera Chrysalis, with librettist John O'Keefe, was commissioned by Berkeley Opera, and premiered as part of their 2006 season. It received enthusiastic notices. Chrysalis was hailed by the San Francisco Classical Voice as "An important event, signaling the arrival of a new, fresh, authentic voice." Joshua Kosman, in his SF Chronicle review of Chrysalis, wrote "When Suprynowicz goes all out with lyrical, melodic writing, the effect is ravishing. The final duet for Ellen and Nelle - a sinuous weave of arching phrases and piquant dissonances - is all the more astounding for being so morally unsettling.”

Mr. Suprynowicz has written theme music and incidental music for National Public Radio, music for film, chamber music, songs, choral music and a number of full-length works for the stage. His work as a bassist has included performances and recordings with Tom Waits, Bill Frisell, and John Zorn. Clark was a founding member of the New Music Theater Project at Z-Space Studios in San Francisco, where he mentored the creation of new work by more than 200 Bay Area writers, composers, performers, and directors. His original works for the stage include Paramus New Jersey and Other Places (with Rinde Eckert), an original score for the West Coast premiere of Eisa Davis Bulrusher, which was earlier nominated for a Pulitzer Prize; also scores for Amanda Moody's Serial Murderess, Harold Pinter's The Birthday Party (Shotgun Players production), and The Taming of The Shrew (for the San Francisco Shakespeare Festival). 

Current projects include a new opera to be premiered at The Crucible in Oakland, January 2011, called Machine, adapted by director Mark Streshinsky from a short story by Derek J. Goodman.  Also in 2011, the Berkeley Opera will present the premiere of the opera Caliban Dreams, a reimagining of Shakespeare’s The Tempest written with librettist Amanda Moody.

Clark is on the faculty of the John Adams Young Composers Program, and is in residence at the San Francisco School of the Arts, teaching composition to a frighteningly talented gaggle of teenagers.


Visit Clark's web site.