Steven Leffue | sound design and music

Currently

Board Member - JACK, Brooklyn
Independent Sound Artist
Lecturer of Sound Design - UCSD
​Production Designer - Definite

Previously

Instructor - UCSD Academic Connections 
Co-Founder & curator emeritus - JACK
Director - International School of Music, Bethesda, MD

Awards & Certifications

UCSD Distinguished Teaching Award (theater design)
Member - International Computer Music Association
First Prize (medaille d'or)  with Honors - Conservatoire National de Bolougne, Paris, France 

Biography

I listened to my first Beethoven record at age 5 and have worked as an artist/educator in the performing arts for the past two decades.  Equally at home as a sound designer and saxophonist, I've had a rich performance history across the United States, collaborating with artists including Ron Stabinsky, Tatsuya Nakatani, Rhonda Taylor, Kjell Nordensen, Stanley Zappa, Michael Foster, Mike Pride, the theater company Hoi Polloi, Sledgehammer Theater Company, The Pittsburgh New Music Ensemble, The Cygnet Theater Company, The Great Noise Ensemble, Inscape Chamber Orchestra, and Theatre C.  My work has been presented at the Washington DC Fringe Festival, the International Computer Music Conference, The Brooklyn International Performance Art Festival, The Without Walls Festival, and the Wagner New Play Festival. 

In 2011, I co-founded and was music curator for JACK (jackny.org) a Brooklyn based OBIE award winning performing arts space which focuses on modeling equity and justice in the experimental arts. While there, I developed JACK's music programming which has presented hundreds of internationally renowned artists including Evan Parker, Thurston Moore, Okkyung Lee, Peter Evans, Daniel Carter, Louise D.E. Jensen, Joe McPhee, Cactus Truck, Ingrid Laubrock, Brian Chase, Mark Dresser, Tatsuya Nakatani, Kojo Roney,  Borbetomagus, Ron Stabinsky, William Parker, Ron Anderson, Isabelle Dutoit, Michael Foster and others.  I currently serve on JACK's board of directors.  

I have taught sound design and composition at the University of California San Diego and at the UC Academic Connections Program. I've presented masterclasses on contemporary composition and improvisation at Northwestern University, West Virginia University, CNR de Bolougne-Billancourt, Youngstown State University, and the International Conference of Computer Music.  My interests include live performance, artistic justice and equity, improvisation, music composition and theory, electronic and digital music, interactive systems and artificial intelligence, recording techniques, editing, and post-production mastering.

Steven has shared his passion for the arts and education in both for profit and non-profit organizations.  He has worked with the International School of Music since 2007, and from 20011 - 2013 served as a graphic design and marketing consultant for Dancewave (NYC).  Currently, he enjoys working as an audio/video production designer with media company Definite. ​ 

I earned a Doctorate in music performance from the University of Maryland, a Master's in sound design from the University of California San Diego, a Master's in music performance from the University of Florida, a Diplome des Etudes Musicale from the Conservatiore National de Region Bolougne-Billancourt, and a Bachelor's in music education from Bowling Green State University.  My mentors include: John Sampen, Jean-Michel Goury, Shahrokh Yadegari, Miller Puckette, Jonathan Helton, Tom DeLio, and Dale Underwood.   I am eternally grateful to all of my teachers their perspectives, attention, and for what they helped me to discover.

EDUCATION

Doctor of Music in Performance and Pedagogy 
University of Maryland
Mentors: Dale Underwood and Thomas DeLio 

Master of Fine Arts - Sound Design 
University of California San Diego
Studies of aesthetics and engineering with Shahrokh Yadegari 
Independent research in interactive real-time processing with Miller Puckette
Studies of music analysis with Roger Reynolds
​Studies of directing with Gabor Tompka

Master of Music
University of Florida
Mentor: Jonathan Helton
Thesis performance of works by Wuorinen, Berio, Lauba, Rosse, and Deall

Diplome des Etudes Musicale
Music Performance and Chamber Music
Conservatoire Nationale de Region, Paris, FR
Mentor: Jean-Michel Goury
Premiere prix a la unanimite de la jurie
Tours of northern and southern France with the Grand Ensemble des Saxophone Boulogne-Billancourt.

​Bachelor of Music
Bowling Green State University
Mentor: John Sampen
Thesis performance of works by Lauba, Desenclos, Husa, Dahl, Denisov, Stockhausen