Duane Pitre is an American avant-garde composer, performer, and sound artist. His work often focuses on the tensions between electronic sound and acoustic instrumentation, chaos and discipline, as well as site-specificity and performativity. The composer frequently utilizes alternate tuning schemes that focus on microtonality, enabling him to explore unaccustomed harmonic intervallic relationships. He has created works for various instrumentation configurations such as string orchestra, his own bowed harmonic-guitar ensemble, string/wind ensembles, and more.

The composer has presented his works in New York City at such spaces as Roulette, The Stone, MoMA's P.S.1, Phillips de Pury & Co., Ontological-Hysteric Theatre at St. Mark's Church, St. Ann's Cathedral, and ISSUE Project Room (where the Jerome Foundation provided funding for his spring 2009 Artist in Residency). He has also performed across the U.S., as well as in Europe and has presented sound installations at various art galleries such as the Contemporary Art Center of New Orleans. He has received commissions for new works by ISSUE Project Room, the String Orchestra of Brooklyn, and Roulette, amongst others. Over 100 unique musicians from around the world have taken part in the performances of his works.

Pitre has been featured in publications such as Foxy Digitalis, Pitchfork, and NewMusicBox. His work has been released by labels including Important Records, Root Strata, NNA, and Basses Frequences. He's appeared on compilations with such artists as Keith Rowe, Sir Richard Bishop, Tetuzi Akiyama, and Jandek; he has also appeared on soundtracks with Dinosaur Jr., Battles, and Animal Collective. In 2009 he curated and contributed a track to a Just Intonation compilation (released on Important Records), alongside Pauline Oliveros, Ellen Fullman, Greg Davis, Charles Curtis, and others.

The start of 2011 saw Pitre finishing a piece for string orchestra that was performed by the String Orchestra of Brooklyn (in March 2011) at a 19th-century Gothic Revival cathedral in Brooklyn Heights (alongside commissioned works by Tony Conrad and others). In May 2011 he headed to the mountains of Woodstock, NY with his unique sextet to record his new album-length work, Feel Free. In September 2011, the sextet performed this work at the 2011 Hopscotch Festival in Raleigh, NC (also featuring The Flaming Lips, Earth, Swans, J. Mascis, Guided by Voices, Rhys Chatham, and many more). April 2012 will see the release of Feel Free (CD/LP) on Important Records.

Ensemble works performers:
Craig Colorusso, James Ilgenfritz, Brooke Gillespie, Jim Altieri, Shannon Fields, Lauren Cecil, Jesse Sparhawk, Sarah Lipstate, Jessie Marino, Byron Westbrook, Gene Park, Steve Flato, Christopher McIntyre, James Blackshaw, Isabel Castellvi, Chris Welcome, Amy Cimini, Julianne Carney, Thierry Madiot, Jeffrey Young, Greg Davis, Emily Hilliard, Jesse Peterson, Justin Wood, Emily Dufour, Chris Otto, Alexander Waterman, Lathan Hardy, Kevin Thaxton, Morgan Packard, Casey Block, Frantz Loriot, Toby Aronson, Sara-Paule Koeller, Sequioa, James Jacobs, Edward Brenton, Alys Hewer, Abraham Faure Mennen, Sophie Cooper, Silvia Tarozzi, Oliver Barrett, Richard Thomas, Michelle So, Tianna Kennedy, Tom Soloveitzik, Evan Rapport, Matty McDermott, Peter Hess, Daphne Carr, Emilie Friedlander, Hannah Kammerer, Michael Fuerstein, Liam Kirby, Nina Wyllie, Steve Brett, Lea Piontek, Josh Rutner, Veronica Stocker, Iain Morrison, George McKenzie, Joseph Grounds, Matthew Austin, Zachary Cooper, Annakalmia Traver, Lauren Servin, Christopher Diasparra, Jon DeRosa, Harry Rosenblum, Cyprien Busolini, Emily Moore, Blue Monsoon, Kathy Hinde, Emilie Friedlander, Loren Dempster, Jessica Pavone, Youen Cadiou, Jean Bordé, Deborah Walker, Eric Elterman, Fabrice Villard, Anaïs Moreau, Marie Tahon, Iván Solano, Pedro Bittencourt, and The String Orchestra of Brooklyn.

Duane used to...
Play guitar in The Camera Obscura (of San Diego).
Skateboard professionally for Alien Workshop.