Dr. Andrew Kirshner

Biography

Andy Kirshner is a composer, writer, director, and vocalist whose work explores the poetic interaction of music, image, sound, and story. An accomplished filmmaker and jazz improviser, Kirshner's creative output spans lyric art song, multimedia performance, bebop, scat, and musical theatre. Recent notable works include 'Museum Life Death,' a multimedia music-theatre piece based on the medieval play 'Everyman,' and 'Five Ways Pass Time,' a video work commissioned by Michigan Public Television. He has created 'Houdini Séance,' a performance work featuring video projections, percussion, and live electronics, as well as 'Evening Tony Amore,' a fractured musical memory play based on the life of Frank Sinatra, scored for a 35-piece jazz orchestra. Currently, Kirshner is producing and directing a feature film and a political satire musical titled 'Liberty’s Secret.' He has received numerous awards and commissions from the National Endowment for the Arts, fellowships from the University of Michigan’s Institute for Humanities, and funding from Artserve Michigan and the Mary Flagler Cary Charitable Trust. His performance work has been presented at the Dance Theatre Workshop and Performance Space 122 in New York City, with short films and videos screened at electronic music concerts and film festivals both nationally and internationally. Kirshner holds a Doctorate of Musical Arts in music composition from the University of Michigan and has studied with notable teachers like William Bolcom and Evan Chambers. He also obtained a Bachelor of Music in saxophone performance from the New England Conservatory of Music and a degree in philosophy from Tufts University.

Research Interests