Osnat Netzer

Osnat Netzer is an Associate Professor of Composition and Musicianship at DePaul University's School of Music in Chicago. She joined the faculty in 2019 as an Assistant Professor and now serves as the Musicianship Coordinator of Composition and Musicianship.

Her educational background includes:

• Doctorate in Composition from New England Conservatory (2011)
• Master of Music in Composition from Mannes School of Music
• Composition and piano studies at the Jerusalem Academy of Music and Dance under Menachem Zur

Netzer creates compositions collaboratively, tailoring her work to performers' sensibilities, physicality, and improvisational inclinations. She draws inspiration from cognitive linguistics and the embodied experience of physical forces like potential and kinetic energy, resulting in music rich in diverse musical languages connected to tension and relaxation. Her creative process emphasizes the physical experience of musical performance.

Her compositional output shows consistent exploration of contemporary techniques with recent works demonstrating increased experimentation with electronic elements and large-scale forms. Her pieces span solo works, chamber music, vocal compositions, and opera, often featuring interdisciplinary approaches and innovative text setting.

Netzer's opera The Wondrous Woman Within received notable critical attention, described as 'riotously funny' in The New York Times during its 2012 VOX festival performance and 'challenging and fascinating' at its 2015 world premiere in Tel Aviv.

She maintains an active performance schedule beyond composition, regularly playing and conducting new music. Her debut solo album Dot: Line: Sigh was released in February 2024 on New Focus Recordings, featuring performances by Ensemble Dal Niente and other notable musicians. Two upcoming world premieres are scheduled for the 2025-2026 season: Philibuster for solo saxophone and Galim Levanim for string quartet with live electronics.

Netzer's works have been commissioned and performed by prestigious ensembles including Ensemble Dal Niente, ICE, Spektral Quartet, and Winsor Music, with publications through Edition Peters and earthsongs, and recordings on Bridge Records and New Focus Recordings.