Alan Pierson
Alan Emanuel Pierson (born May 12, 1974, Chicago, Illinois) is an American conductor and producer. His parents are Elaine Pierson and Edward S. Pierson, the latter an engineering professor at Purdue University Calumet. In Chicago Pierson took piano and composition lessons at the People's Music School, graduating high school at Francis W. Parker. Pierson is a 1996 graduate of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology with degrees in music and physics. At MIT, he was a timpanist and an assistant conductor with the MIT Symphony Orchestra, and also a composer.
Pierson continued his studies in music at the Eastman School of Music, where he was a co-founder of the new music ensemble Ossia. Subsequently, he was a co-founder of the related new music ensemble Alarm Will Sound, which gave its first concert in 2001. Pierson became the first music director of Alarm Will Sound in the same year, and continues to serve in the post.
In January 2011, Pierson was named the artistic director of the former Brooklyn Philharmonic. When the orchestra suspended operations in 2013 his contract was not renewed. Pierson also serves as principal conductor of the Crash Ensemble in Ireland, and has guest conducted with the Los Angeles Philharmonic, Chicago Symphony, Los Angeles Opera, New World Symphony, Orchestra of St. Luke's, Beth Morrison Projects, and Symphoniker Hamburg.
Pierson has resided in New York City since 2002. He is currently on faculty at Northwestern University.
In February 2013, Pierson was featured on the Radiolab episode "Speedthoven".
In 2022, the Eastman School awarded Pierson its Centennial Award. In 2026, he received the Grammy award for Best Chamber Music/Small Ensemble Performance for his recording of Donnacha Dennehy's Land Of Winter.
Pierson's immersive and durational Steve Reich staging, Music for 18 Musicians: Staged Variations, premieres at The Park Avenue Armory on October 14, 2026.
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Paper Pianos: I. Overture. This Is Not a Choice (Gee-Gee's Primer) - Live at the Experimental Media and Performing Arts Center, Troy, 02/25/2023 - Paper Pianos (Live) -
Alan Pierson
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Paper Pianos: II. Child of War - Live at the Experimental Media and Performing Arts Center, Troy, 02/25/2023 - Paper Pianos (Live) -
Alan Pierson
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Paper Pianos: III. All Good Things - Live at the Experimental Media and Performing Arts Center, Troy, 02/25/2023 - Paper Pianos (Live) -
Alan Pierson
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Paper Pianos: IV. Bad to Worse - Live at the Experimental Media and Performing Arts Center, Troy, 02/25/2023 - Paper Pianos (Live) -
Alan Pierson
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Paper Pianos: V. Flight - Live at the Experimental Media and Performing Arts Center, Troy, 02/25/2023 - Paper Pianos (Live) -
Alan Pierson
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Paper Pianos: VI. An Open Fist - Live at the Experimental Media and Performing Arts Center, Troy, 02/25/2023 - Paper Pianos (Live) -
Alan Pierson
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Dark Fall: One, two, three, four - Hans Thomalla: Dark Fall -
Alan Pierson
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Dark Fall: No. 10 Duet: I feel that I´ve begun to disappear (Ellen, Owen) - Hans Thomalla: Dark Fall -
Alan Pierson
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Dark Fall: No. 1 Aria: Why Don’t You Listen? (Curtis) - Hans Thomalla: Dark Fall -
Alan Pierson
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Dark Fall: No. 11 Aria: I am become cerberus with three heads (Curtis) - Hans Thomalla: Dark Fall -
Alan Pierson
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Dark Fall: When you´ve reached my age (Curtis, Ellen, Ilse) - Hans Thomalla: Dark Fall -
Alan Pierson
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Dark Fall: The past month must have been difficult - Hans Thomalla: Dark Fall -
Alan Pierson
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Dark Fall: No. 2 Aria: Why Should I Listen? (Ellen) - Hans Thomalla: Dark Fall -
Alan Pierson
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Dark Fall: No. 12 Duet: You´re kind, but no one can help you worry (Curtis, Ilse) - Hans Thomalla: Dark Fall -
Alan Pierson
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Dark Fall: No. 3 Duet: How Will I Survive (Ellen, Ilse) - Hans Thomalla: Dark Fall -
Alan Pierson
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Dark Fall: Zwischenmusik 2/ Interlude 2 - Hans Thomalla: Dark Fall -
Alan Pierson
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Dark Fall: No. 4 Aria: What Is Going On With You, Ellen? (Ellen) - Hans Thomalla: Dark Fall -
Alan Pierson
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Dark Fall: No. 13 Terzet: One, two, three, four (Ellen, Owen, Ilse) - Hans Thomalla: Dark Fall -
Alan Pierson
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Dark Fall: You must be Owen (Ilse, Owen) - Hans Thomalla: Dark Fall -
Alan Pierson
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Dark Fall: It´s such a nice holiday in this hotel here - Hans Thomalla: Dark Fall -
Alan Pierson
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Dark Fall: No. 5 Song: Learn This, Do That! (Owen) - Hans Thomalla: Dark Fall -
Alan Pierson
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Dark Fall: No. 14 Aria: Do you remember? (Ilse) - Hans Thomalla: Dark Fall -
Alan Pierson
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Dark Fall: Welcome! (Curtis, Ellen, Ilse, Owen) - Hans Thomalla: Dark Fall -
Alan Pierson
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Dark Fall: Do I remember? (Ellen, Owen, Ilse) - Hans Thomalla: Dark Fall -
Alan Pierson
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Dark Fall: No. 3B Quartet: Wednesday We Smash the Patriarchy! (Curtis, Ellen, Ilse, Owen) - Hans Thomalla: Dark Fall -
Alan Pierson
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Dark Fall: No. 15 Aria: I Fall (Ellen) - Hans Thomalla: Dark Fall -
Alan Pierson
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Dark Fall: Zwischenmusik 1 / Interlude 1 - Hans Thomalla: Dark Fall -
Alan Pierson
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Dark Fall: Owen, this day shows that we all have to rethink our actions (Ilse, Owen) - Hans Thomalla: Dark Fall -
Alan Pierson
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Dark Fall: Look, these journals (Ellen, Ilse) - Hans Thomalla: Dark Fall -
Alan Pierson
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Dark Fall: No. 16 Aria: Each time that you walk out the door (Owen) - Hans Thomalla: Dark Fall -
Alan Pierson
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Dark Fall: No. 6 Aria: Sometimes I Feel (Ilse) - Hans Thomalla: Dark Fall -
Alan Pierson
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Dark Fall: Curtis! Ilse! (Ilse, Owen, Curtis) - Hans Thomalla: Dark Fall -
Alan Pierson
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Dark Fall: It Looks like the attempt to put order in all your things (Ellen, Owen) - Hans Thomalla: Dark Fall -
Alan Pierson
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Dark Fall: No. 17 Terzet: Ellen, Tell us where you have gone (Curtis, Owen, Ilse) - Hans Thomalla: Dark Fall -
Alan Pierson
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Dark Fall: No. 7 Duet: Nothing Seems As It Used To Be (Ellen, Owen) - Hans Thomalla: Dark Fall -
Alan Pierson
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Dark Fall: Look! It´s Curtis, you, and me! (Ellen, Owen) - Hans Thomalla: Dark Fall -
Alan Pierson
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Dark Fall: Ellen, what happened here? (Curtis, Ellen) - Hans Thomalla: Dark Fall -
Alan Pierson
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Dark Fall: No. 8 Aria: I do this! (Curtis) - Hans Thomalla: Dark Fall -
Alan Pierson
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Dark Fall: I will clean up now (Curtis, Ellen, Ilse, Owen) - Hans Thomalla: Dark Fall -
Alan Pierson
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Dark Fall: No. 9 Quartet: Elective Affinity! (Curtis, Ellen, Ilse, Owen) - Hans Thomalla: Dark Fall -
Alan Pierson
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