Tyshawn Sorey

Tyshawn Sorey (born July 8, 1980) is an American composer, multi-instrumentalist, and professor of contemporary music.

Sorey has received accolades for performances, recordings, and compositions ranging from improvised solo percussion to opera, with work in best-of lists for both classical and jazz music. ''The New Yorker'' included Sorey in their annual "Notable Performances and Recordings" lists for 2017, 2018, 2019, and 2020; the pandemic-era entry was for premieres "cast in unconventional concerto form". His prolific output during a time of heavy restrictions on live performance led a ''New York Times'' critic to call him 2020's "composer of the year".

Sorey was named a MacArthur Fellow in 2017, a United States Artists Fellow in 2018, and in 2019 his song cycle for Josephine Baker, ''Perle Noire: Meditations for Josephine'', was performed on the steps of the Metropolitan Museum of Art. His life and work have been the subject of features in publications including ''The New York Times'', ''The New Yorker'', ''The Wall Street Journal'', NPR Music, and ''The Brooklyn Rail''.

Sorey has recorded or performed with Wadada Leo Smith, Steve Coleman, Anthony Braxton, John Zorn, Steve Lehman, Joey Baron, Muhal Richard Abrams, Pete Robbins, Cory Smythe, Kris Davis, Vijay Iyer, Myra Melford, Dave Douglas, Butch Morris, and Sylvie Courvoisier.

In 2020, Sorey joined the faculty at the University of Pennsylvania as Presidential Assistant Professor of Music.

Early life and career

Sorey grew up in Newark, New Jersey. As a teenager, he participated in the New Jersey Performing Arts Center Jazz for Teens program, through which he was awarded a Star-Ledger Scholarship.

In 2004, Sorey completed a B.Music in jazz studies and performance at William Paterson University, where he began as a classical trombone major before transferring to jazz drumming.

After a number of years recording and performing as a sideperson for artists including Vijay Iyer and Steve Lehman, Sorey's first album as leader was released on Firehouse 12 Records in 2007. The 2-CD ''That/Not'' features various configurations of Sorey, trombonist Ben Gerstein, pianist Cory Smythe, and bassist Thomas Morgan performing an extensive array of works, from "Seven Pieces for Trombone Quartet" to the forty-three minute "Permutations for Solo Piano." Sorey primarily plays drums, but also makes appearances on piano, including on the album's opening track. The material recorded for the album exceeded even the constraints of a two-disc set: a subsequent digital release of ''That/Not'' includes five additional pieces from the same sessions, including two "4 Hands" piano tracks.

Sorey released his second album, ''Koan'', in June 2009. Featuring Todd Neufeld (on electric and acoustic guitar) and Thomas Morgan (on bass and acoustic guitar), the 482 Music release was reviewed favorably by ''All About Jazz'' and the ''BBC
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