michael andrew doherty biography

Michael Andrew Doherty (b. 1973) is a composer, performer, instrument designer/builder, and "music-believer".  Early in his compositional career he set out with the aim of continuing the exploration and evolution of music into new expressions leading from the late Romantic, Modern and Post-Modern masters of the 20th Century.    Composing for solo works and chamber ensembles, often of unusual combinations of instruments and often having incorporated electronic material, Michael utilizes unconventional means of approaching sound in general, and composition in particular.  His work considers silence an essential musical element.  Silence (Japanese: ma 間) is considered on par with the other elements thereby re-casting the other elements in silence’s wake. 

As a performer Michael utilizes the Armenian duduk as his main mean of expression, followed closely by the Japanese shakuhachi (尺八) and hichiriki (篳篥).  Included in his pallet of instruments are the Armenian bloul, Turkish ney, piano, organ, electronic synthesizers and modules, assorted house-hold and specially designed items; instruments of his own construction: Ancient Puebloan flutes and Japanese hichiriki (篳篥); and those of his own design: the "tilaphone" or "tile bells" (partial list). 

Michael received the 2005 award of "Best Avant-Garde Composer” by Denver's alternative newspaper Westword, and the “2005 Spotlight Award” for his sound design with Paragon Theatre Company.  His work has been compared to both John Cage and Alvin Lucier by other press agencies.  Michael has also worked in sound design and soundtrack composition, installation, live performance, and engineering, for both theater and motion picture works for Paragon Theatre Company, Tir Na nOg Theatre Company, and Double Edge Films. 

In addition to his soundtrack, solo, and compositional works, his musical contributions include:

* Orphans, Real and Imagined (an emerging project with Dameon Merkl),

* The Paradox Project, with Bret Ellerton (duduk and ney),

* Six Months to Live (duduk),

* [Various Improvisational Incidents with Toby Sinkinson] (duduks, ney, laptop, and others),

* Sound Dialogue with Bret Ellerton (duduk, ney, phonography, synthesis, and others),

* Bad Luck City (2002-2005) (piano and organ), 

* Window Standpoint Series (phonography),

* [Untitled] (1993-1995) (keyboards), and

* Divine Anger (1989-1991) (drums).