Cancer kills NY composer, 70

The NY Times has an obituary for the experimental composer Scott Johnson, who died of pneumonia following lung cancer treatement.

Scott worked chiefly with such adventurous ensembles as Bang on a Can All-Stars and Alarm Will Sound. They have posted this notice:

We are heartbroken to learn of the passing of Scott Johnson, composer, friend, and collaborator. Scott was a brilliant artist whose innovations in creating music out of speech have had a real impact on the musical world. The fertile, polystylistic downtown New York scene that he helped to create has now given rise to generations of musicians and ensembles, including ours.
Scott enthusiastically supported Alarm Will Sound since its earliest days, and was always eager to chat after performances. We were honored when he came to us with his vision for what would become his largest-scale instrumental work: “Mind Out of Matter,” Scott’s inventive, delightful, and deep reflection on the writings of Daniel C. Dennett. It was a great privilege and pleasure to work with Scott on the project, which he infused with his boundless energy, imagination, work ethic, and dedication.
Scott was a true artist and friend; we will miss him greatly.
Rest in peace, Scott.

photo: NewMusicUSA