MAXX KATZ — Composer, Performer, Performance artist, Improviser.
maxxkatz@gmail.com

EDUCATION AND TRAINING

  • M.A. in Counseling, focus in Integral Counseling Psychology, California Institute of Integral Studies, 2026.

  • M.A. Critical and Comparative Studies in Music, University of Virginia, 2002. Thesis on Performance and Performance Theory

  • B.A. English, University of Virginia, 1999. Phi Beta Kappa, Wagenheim Scholar

SELECTED COMPOSITION COMMISSIONS AND DEBUTS

  • (upcoming) Untitled, December 2026, commission from Friends After Good Sound, Leaven Community, Portland, OR.

  • “Bastion,” June 2026, composition for 14-piece Yelling Choir, Pacific Northwest College of Art, Portland, OR.

  • “What Will Contain Us?” Sept 2024, composition for 11-piece Yelling Choir, Portland Institute for Contemporary Art’s Time-Based Art Festival, Portland, OR.

  • “This and Now,” June 2024, composition for 11-piece Yelling Choir, Oregon Contemporary 2024 Artists’ Biennial, Portland, OR.

  • “All We Have,” Mar 2022, composition for 7-piece Yelling Choir, NW American Choral Directors’ Conference, Spokane, WA.

  • “Transformations,” Oct 2021, composition for 7-piece Yelling Choir, guitar, and flute, Congress Yard Projects, Portland, OR.

  • “Consequences,” Jan 2020, with movement artist Lauren Jean Crow, Headwaters Theater, Portland, OR.

  • “Very Noisy Love Songs,” Aug 2019, duo with Tyshawn Sorey, Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity.

  • “Vehicle,” Aug 2019, movement score for sextet, Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity.

  • “Thursday,” Aug 2019, for septet, Atlantic Center for the Arts.

  • “Participatory Flow State Tour 1,” Sept 2019, original film and live score, with John Niekrasz, Northwest Film Forum Local Sightings Film Festival, Seattle WA.

  • Portland Jazz Composers Ensemble, Commission for 12-piece jazz ensemble, live score for Night of the Living Dead. Conducted in live performance with film October 2018 at Holocene. Partially funded by a grant from RACC.

RESIDENCIES AND GRANTS

  • 2022 RACC MLB Grant, for further education in extended technique voice work.

  • 2021 RACC Make Grant, for Yelling Choir composition and performance.

  • 2020 RACC Project Grant, in collaboration with Lauren Jean Crow, dancer, to create multimedia performance in Portland, OR.

  • Resident fellow at International Workshop for Jazz and Creative Music, Banff Centre for the Arts, with Vijay Iyer and Tyshawn Sorey, 2019.

  • Resident fellow at Atlantic Center for the Arts with Nicole Mitchell, 2019.

  • 2019 RACC Professional Development Grant, to attend residency at Atlantic Center for the Arts, New Smyrna Beach, FL.

  • 2016 SOUP Grant, for development of FLOOM solo project, Charlottesville, VA.

PAST PROJECTS AND RECORDED MEDIA

International touring (Europe, Canada, USA) with previous projects including Floom, 2016-present; Residual Echoes, 2013; Usaisamonster, 2008-9; Miami Nights, 2008. 

Record Release, selected tracks, Vacate, Cheer Accident, Cuneiform Records, 2024.

Record Release, selected tracks, Recurring Dream, Jeff Tobias, Strategy of Tension, 2022.

Record Release, selected tracks, Signature, Teton, Mercy Clinic, 2020.

Record Release, selected tracks, Chicago XX, Cheer Accident, Cuneiform Records, 2020. 

Record Release, selected tracks, Kin Ships, C.J. Boyd, Joyful Noise Recordings, 2019.

Track release, “Maquette,” Lesley Mok, 2019.

Record Release, Multi-Voice of the Immensity,  Floom, Casual Acid Tea, 2017.

Record Release, Live in Paris, Residual Echoes, Pacific Coast Editions, 2014.

Record Release, Live in České Budějovice, Residual Echoes, Pacific Coast Editions, 2014.

Record Release, The Middle Path, Residual Echoes, Holy Mountain Records, 2013.

Record Release, selected tracks, Funkincense, CSC Funk Band, Electric Cowbell Records, 2013

Record Release, selected tracks, Infinite Ease, Colin Langenus, Northern Spy Records, 2011.

Record Release, selected tracks, R.I.P., U$AI$AMON$TER, Northern Spy Records, 2010.

TEACHING EXPERIENCE

  • Design and lead Yelling Choir workshops, in person and online. Explorations in big energy for femmes/non-binary people through creative expression, somatic work, performance. 2019 - present.

  • Volunteered as mentor on Inward Bound Mindfulness Education (iBme) Young Adult Mindfulness retreats, July 2020 - present.

  • Music teacher, private instruction in flute/guitar/music theory, 2009-2013.

  • Yoga teacher, 2008.

  • Musicianship teacher, taught classes to undergraduates, UVA. Created syllabus, lesson plans, grading and testing, 2001 - 2002.