Zeke Morgan is a composer, violinist, and fiddle player from Jackson, Mississippi; and a masters student at Manhattan School of Music in New York City studying with Ashkan Behzadi and Reiko Fueting. He holds two B.A. degrees from Bard College-Conservatory in composition and the written arts and through his studies in poetry, has developed a special interest in the voice and musical narrative; resulting in the composition of multiple art songs and two operas: Vivisection and Requiem.

With his origins being primarily in Mississippi old-time music, Zeke is concerned with the rejection of mono-culture, and the embrace of extremes. He draws heavy influence from folklore and myth, religion, and monist philosophy; especially that of Arthur Schopenhauer. In his music, he is most interested in the creation of a new “folk music” that reflects the current state of the world and properly expresses the human condition as a shared experience throughout the singular human organism. This has often led to an exploration of the tension between different stylistic genres and the tension between sounds in an attempt to access and trigger memory; leading to a completely sublime experience. He has coined the term “micro-monophony” to describe this tension on the smallest level possible.

Zeke believes the creation of new art is vital to resisting state-sponsored mono-culture and served as the head of the Bard Sinfonietta Project, a new music initiative at Bard College intended to bring contemporary music to the Bard community and offer a chance for composers and performers to collaborate. Zeke’s music has been performed by the Da Capo Chamber Players, The Orchestra Now, New Explorative Oratorio, members of the International Contemporary Ensemble, and many more. Past teachers and mentors include Joan Tower, Missy Mazzoli, and George Tsontakis.