Trequartista (Italian)(trek.warˈtis.ta) “playmaker“

Andrew McGowan is a contemporary performing artist, originally from Macomb, Illinois who primarily works in the mediums of Western Art Music and Improvised World Music. Across his portfolio career he has spent time curating wardrobes for doctors and lawyers and repairing instruments for major symphony musicians, but now spends his time composing, performing, and teaching.

In his solo projects he strives to curate stirring, contemplative performances favoring works by living artists and his own compositions for tuba and euphonium—which often involve fixed media, live electronic processing, new extended techniques, and improvisation.

His compositions feature works for ensembles of all sizes and styles but favor a neo-impressionist and post-minimalist flavor influenced by Bjork, Daft Punk, Debussy, Gregorian Chant, Ives, Muse, Pauline Oliveros, Queen, Steve Reich, and Dubstep. Along with this fusion of contemporary and ancient techniques he often utilizes sounds foreign to the concert hall in order to explore how the instrumentarium interacts with the irregular rhythmic and melodic patterns of nature and processed sounds—especially for inspiring improvised music.

In his down time Andrew enjoys yoga, comedy, reading, sports, learning about psychology, history, and economics, exploring visual art, and being outdoors.