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Martha Mooke
The Soul of the Gold Knight

Martha Mooke, acclaimed for her electrifying performances and compositions, is a pioneering electric violist/composer, highly regarded for her artistry, music advocacy and innovative educational programs. She transcends musical boundaries, enhancing classical training with extended techniques, technology and improvisation.

A Yamaha Artist and Eventide's first Artist-in-Residence, Mooke is a leading clinician on electric and multi-style string playing. She has performed with Barbra Streisand, David Bowie, Philip Glass, Elton John, Lou Reed, Iggy Pop, Laurie Anderson, Andrea Bocelli, Star Wars in Concert and Tony Bennett, among others.

She is founder and artistic director of the Scorchio Quartet (featured on David Bowie's Heathen CD) which performs as resident quartet in the Tibet House Benefit Concerts at Carnegie Hall produced by Philip Glass.

Mooke has received awards from ASCAP, Meet the Composer, Arts International and Fellowships at the MacDowell Colony. She has been commissioned by Symphony Space, Arizona State University, Tribeca New Music Festival, Ridgewood Concert Band, University of St. Thomas, Agosto Foundation (Prague), Percussion Plus Project, Musicians Accord, SEM Ensemble, Special Music School High School, Kingwood Oxford School and others.

She has created musical arrangements for Phoebe Bridgers, Debbie Harry, Carly Simon, Sturgill Simpson, Iggy Pop, Sharon Jones and Tibetan musicians Tenzin Choegyal and Techung. Her catalog of works includes solo, chamber, symphonic band and orchestra as well as multimedia, film, theater and ballet scores. Her genre-defying recordings include recent collaboration with David Rothenburg, BUZZ: Music in Harmony with Nature, Enharmonic Vision, Bowing's Cafe Mars, and No Ordinary Window, with Grammy winning Producer, Cynthia Daniels.

In demand for her innovative educational programs, Mooke regularly presents clinics and workshops at national and regional conferences including ASTA, JEN, NAMM, Midwest Clinic, NYSSMA and IAJE. She is a recipient of the 2013 ASTA Kudos Award for “helping extend the boundaries in string music and education.”

Mooke has collaborated with beat boxing legend Rahzel on their critically acclaimed Beats Per Revolution, visual artist Nalini Malani (the Joan Miro prize winner) and software artist Scott Draves. She has been featured at PopTech and on Gear Club Podcast. Her film scoring credits include collaborations with filmmaker and MTV World creator Nusrat Durrani.

Mooke received the prestigious ASCAP Concert Music Award for creating and producing ASCAP's new music showcase THRU THE WALLS featuring boundary defying composer/performers. She is a Governor of the New York Chapter of the Recording Academy and serves on the Executive Committee of the Composer Diversity Project, and Advisory Board of Composers Now.

Mooke has developed and directs the cutting-edge, Multi-Style Strings program at New Jersey City University.