Morton Subotnick is among the most bold and uncompromising composers of the modern age. He can easily be spoken of in the same breath as Philip Glass or Steve Reich, but for decades his music has eluded widespread appeal. One could argue that without the anchor provided by“conventional” notes, harmonies and rhythms, Subotnick’s music was far too abstract for most listeners. Today, it’s widely recognized that his abstract electronic percussive lattices of sound presaged the fast beats and synthetic soundscapes of modern day electronic music. In the mid-1960s, working with engineer Don Buchla, Subotnick co-designed one of the world’s first electronic music synthesizers, which he put to use on his legendary1967 album Silver Apples of the Moon— a breakthrough recording that became a landmark of the psychedelic era, and which has recently been inducted to the National Registry of Recordings at the Library of Congress.

Subotnick: Portrait of an Electronic Music Pioneer explores both the recent explosion of interest in his work, and charts the creation of a new multimedia work, Crowds and Power, commissioned byNYC’s Lincoln Center. With unprecedented access over a period of 3 years, Subotnick features first-hand interviews and conversations between Morton and many of the important people in his life, from colleagues and contemporaries, to friends and family. Combining these personal recollections with archival films and images, Subotnick traces his groundbreaking and uncompromising career, painting an intimate picture of one of America’s most influential composers.