Michael Pisaro is a composer and guitarist from Los Angeles.
His music is frequently performed worldwide, in a great number of music festivals and concert venues, as well as more intimate and unusual environments like rooftops, bunkers, the open desert and various living rooms. It is often described as having a transformative effect on awareness of time and auditory perception, in addition to a surface of intense beauty. His conception of listenership as an experience of trust and communion holds solid, throughout his novel use of silence, duration and materials, from live performance to field recording, despite an ever-changing set of conditions.
He has had held extended composer residencies in 4 countries, taught at Northwestern and currently co-chairs the composition program at CalArts.
He has been a teacher, mentor and major influence to Human Ear's leadership, and he currently sits on its board of directors. In 2008 Human Ear sponsored an 8 hour rendition of his piece Ascending Series 3. From 2009 onward it has documented and archived the yearly concert series he curates, Dog Star Orchestra. In 2010 Human Ear has produced a full-length studio recording of his Tombstones series for release on vinyl LP.
