Nicholas Vasallo
{{Short description|American composer (born 1979)}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=February 2020}}
{{Infobox musical artist
| name = Nicholas Vasallo
| image =
| alt =
| caption =
| image_size =
| birth_name =
| alias =
| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1979|10|28}}
| origin = Oakland, California, U.S.
| instrument = {{hlist|Vocals|guitar|bass guitar}}
| genre = {{hlist|21st-century classical music|experimental|deathcore}}
| occupation = {{hlist|Composer|professor|sound designer|bassist|vocalist|martial artist}}
| years_active = 1998–present
| label =
| associated_acts = Oblivion, Antagony
| website = {{url|nickvasallo.com/}}
}}
Nicholas Roy Vasallo (born October 28, 1979) is an American composer. In 1997, Vasallo graduated from Monte Vista High School in Danville, California, where he began his musical career as a guitarist and vocalist in a hardcore band called Y.F.H., later Antagony. He has been credited as being the father of extreme metal genre deathcore.[http://www.nocleansinging.com/2013/01/28/antagony-why-you-need-to-know-this-band/ No Clean Singing – ANTAGONY – Why you need to know this band…]{{Citation|last=RiffShop|title=Meet The Father of DEATHCORE! {{!}} Riffcast – The Songwriting Podcast #1|date=March 1, 2017|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cl0tWKLjRcQ|accessdate=March 3, 2017}} Vasallo has since evolved from a metal musician into an award-winning composer and professor of music. He is best known for his compositions combining heavy metal sounds and aesthetics with experimental classical techniques. He has released four albums containing his compositions with different independent labels. His music is published by Santa Barbara Music Publishers and released by Neuma Records and Innova Recordings. Vasallo is of Filipino and Taiwanese descent.[http://www.hapavoice.com/2010/09/filipino-taiwanese/ "Filipino, Taiwanese"] Hapa Voice: A Celebration of Multiracial Identity
Biography
Vasallo graduated from Diablo Valley College with an AA in music industry studies in 2003, and California State University, East Bay with a BA in music composition in 2007. As a Chancellor's Fellow at University of California, Santa Cruz, Vasallo completed his MA in 2009 and subsequently went on to finish his DMA in 2011 as a President's Fellow. His teachers included David Evan Jones, Paul Nauert, David Cope, Hi-Kyung Kim, Frank La Rocca, Jeffrey Miller, Rafael Hernandez, Ken Ueno, and Francois Rose.
He was an assistant professor at California State Polytechnic University, Pomona;[http://nickvasallo.com/VasalloMTM.pdf "Meet the Maistro: Nick Vasallo"] lecturer at California State University, East Bay,[http://class.csueastbay.edu/music/faculty.php?faculty=vasallo CSU East Bay faculty page] {{webarchive|url=https://archive.today/20120709185939/http://class.csueastbay.edu/music/faculty.php?faculty=vasallo |date=July 9, 2012 }} Gavilan College, University of California, Santa Cruz, and Los Medanos College. Vasallo is the director of music industry studies at Diablo Valley College.[http://www.dvcinquirer.com/af/2015/05/05/new-music-industries-director-brings-wealth-of-musical-experience/ "New Music Industries Director brings wealth of musical experience "] Vasallo is also a passionate martial artist, he practices Jiu Jitsu and teaches Muay Thai Kickboxing at Danville Jiu Jitsu, Wrestling, and Kickboxing. He is also the creator and head instructor of the Muay Thai program at Global Martial Arts University.[https://www.dvcinquirer.com/af/2018/04/22/combat-and-counterpoint-dual-disciplines-of-professor-nick-vasallo/ "Combat and Counterpoint – dual disciplines of professor Nick Vasallo"][https://globalmartialarts.university/Course/muaythai/ "GMAU Muay Thai - Instructor Nick Vasallo"]
;Career
As a composer, Vasallo's work has encompassed a variety of genres and projects. Most notably with his extreme metal band Oblivion, deathcore band Antagony, film music career,[https://www.imdb.com/name/nm2126758/ Nick Vasallo] IMDb and concert music works.[http://www20.csueastbay.edu/news/blog/2011/01/nick-vasallo.html "Music alum, lecturer 'guest composer' at Feb. 24 Symphony concert"] by Diane Daniels, Inside CSUEB News Blog Polystylism or Eclecticism has been linked to his compositions[http://www.sequenza21.com/cdreviews/2008/03/nick-vasallo-the-burning/ "Nick Vasallo: The Burning"] by Steve Hicken Sequenza 21 which range from electronic, electroacoustic, orchestral, chamber music, solo, choral, and various instrumentations utilizing the overdriven sound of electric guitar.[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-YW7rdr6IOI "The Vertigo Series Part I (LIVE @ CSUEB)"] His compositional approach involves mixing disparate elements from Extreme Metal to Taiko, Experimental, Spectral Music, Electronic Music, Algorithmic Music, and various 21st-century compositional techniques. Vasallo is a recipient of the 2010/2011 President's $21k Dissertation-Year Fellowship, the first Arts student to ever receive the honor.[http://vasallo.netdojo.com/test/images/sc_sentinel.jpg "Music student gets $21,000 fellowship"] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110714164709/http://vasallo.netdojo.com/test/images/sc_sentinel.jpg |date=July 14, 2011 }} by Bonnie Horgos – Santa Cruz Sentinel (May 28, 2010)
His music has been performed internationally by groups such as Contemporary Music Ensemble Korea,[http://pacificrim.ucsc.edu/bios-ensembles.html "Biography: Contemporary Music Ensemble Korea"] Pacific Rim Festival Del Sol String Quartet, San Francisco Choral Artists, Atlanta Schola Cantorum,[http://www.piccolospoleto.com/schedule/default.aspx?perfid=2450 "California composer Nick Vasallo will center the program."] CLASSICAL: Atlanta Schola Cantorum, Piccolo Spoleto and Watsonville Taiko.[http://www1.ucsc.edu/news_events/calendar/DisplayEvent.aspx?EventId=17573 "Nicholas Vasallo’s 'Antares Rising'"] University of California, Santa Cruz News and Events Vasallo models his musical structures on extra-musical phenomenon, including pre-constructed narrative events either created on his own or appropriated. He describes musical ideas and instruments as "complex and surprising characters that exist in reality or imagination."[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RukxWfE6KxA YouTube – REDSHIFT – When the War Began (2013). Composed by Nick Vasallo] Vasallo's ongoing goal is to hybridize extreme metal with modern classical music. He often designs sound worlds using acoustic instruments with electronic/digital manipulations.[http://nickvasallo.com/?page_id=37 nickvasallo.com – ABOUT | NICK VASALLO]
As a performer, Vasallo is active as a bassist and extreme metal vocalist. He is currently the lead vocalist and songwriter for the extreme metal band Oblivion.[https://www.facebook.com/OBLlVlON?sk=info Oblivion Info]{{Primary source inline|date=February 2020}}
Awards
- 2020 UCSC Distinguished Graduate Alumni Award[https://arts.ucsc.edu/features/featured-story/careers-distinction "Nicholas Vasallo, D.M.A. Music ’11, Receives Distinguished Graduate Student Alumni Award"]
- 2017 Cal State East Bay “40 Under 40” Award[https://www.ebtoday.com/stories/introducing-cal-state-east-bay-s-40-under-40-awards "Introducing Cal State East Bay's 40 Under 40 Awards"]
- 2015 The American Prize in Composition for When the War Began[http://theamericanprize.blogspot.com/2015/11/composer-winners-chamber-music-pro.html "The American Prize COMPOSER WINNERS: chamber music, 2015"]
- 2015 Washington Composers Forum "Inverted Space" Winner for When the War Began[https://music.washington.edu/events/2015-04-24/inverted-space-washington-composers-forum-concert "Inverted Space: Washington Composers Forum concert"]
- 2015 36th Annual Telly Award for "Make Dreams Happen – Cal Poly Pomona's Steinway Initiative"[https://www.tellyawards.com/winners/ "The 36th Annual TELLY Awards | Winners"]
- 2014 Cal Poly Pomona Provost's Award for Excellence in Teaching Nomination[http://nickvasallo.com/c-v/ "C.V. | NICK VASALLO"]
- 2013 San Francisco Classical Voice Music Educator Award First Runner-up[http://www20.csueastbay.edu/news/blog/2013/05/nickvasallo-musiceducator-052313.html "Nick Vasallo, CSUEB alumnus/teacher, earns 'Music Educator of Year' recognition"]
- 2012 Henryk Mikołaj Górecki International Composers Competition[http://gorecki-competition.com/#!/results "Results of the 1st H.M. Gorecki International Composers Competition – Cracow 2012"] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130504112422/http://gorecki-competition.com/ |date=May 4, 2013 }} "H.M. Gorecki International Composers Competition
- 2011 Indiana State University Contemporary Music Festival Music Now Composition Award[http://www.indstate.edu/music/cmf/ "45th Annual Contemporary Music Festival"] Indiana State University 45th Annual Contemporary Music Festival
- 2011 Truman State University/MACRO Composition Award[http://www.macromusic.org/applications/winners.html "2011 Composers Competition Results"] Macro Music Composers Competition Winners
- 2011 All the Cool Parts Idol Winner[http://allthecoolparts.blogspot.com/2011/04/2010-acp-idol-results.html "2010 ACP Idol results"]
- 2010/2011 President's Dissertation-Year Fellowship Winner[http://news.ucsc.edu/2010/06/3905.html "$21,000 President's Dissertation Year Fellowship"] by Public Information Office, University of California, Santa Cruz News, June 28, 2010
- 2009/2010 UCSC Music Department Discretionary Funds Award
- 2009 San Francisco Choral Artists New Voices Award[http://www.sfca.org/composers-newvoices.php "Past Winners"] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071217194517/http://www.sfca.org/composers-newvoices.php |date=December 17, 2007 }} San Francisco Choral Artists New Voices Competition
- 2009 Porter College Graduate Arts Research Grant Award
- 2008 David Cope Award for Compositional Excellence
- 2008 Seattle Pianist Collective Award
- 2008 UCSC Student Orchestral Competition Winner
- 2008 60x60 Project (Pacific Rim mix) Official Selection[http://www.voxnovus.com/60x60/2007-2008_Pacific_Rim_Concert_Program.htm "42) Evanescent Revolutions II Nick Vasallo"] Vox Novus 60x60 Project
- 2007/2008/2009 UCSC Chancellors Doctoral Fellowship
- 2007 CSUEB Student Choral Competition Winner[http://class.csueastbay.edu/music/vasallo_Interview.php "CSUEB Choral Composition Competition Winner Nick Vasallo"] by Buddy James, California State University, East Bay, Sounds of the Music Department
Discography
;Studio albums
| class="wikitable" border="1" |
| Year
! width="230"| Album details |
|---|
| 2007
| The Burning
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| 2011
| let the machines do it for us
|
| 2012
| Monuments Emerge
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| 2022
| Apophany
|
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- {{Official website|http://nickvasallo.com/}}
- [http://www.societyofcomposers.org/user/nickvasallo.html "Nick Vasallo"] at the Society of Composers website
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Category:21st-century American classical composers
Category:American male classical composers
Category:American musicians of Taiwanese descent
Category:American musicians of Filipino descent
Category:University of California, Santa Cruz alumni
Category:California State University, East Bay alumni
Category:Musicians from the San Francisco Bay Area
Category:Classical musicians from California
Category:21st-century American male musicians
Category:Monte Vista High School (Danville, California) alumni