Artist Biographies: Matthew Antaky

Scenic & Lighting Designer
Philip Glass/Robert Malasch's "The Photographer"
Lou Harrison's opera "Rapunzel"

Antaky is excited to be returning to the Cabrillo Music Festival having created the scenic and lighting designs for both Bernstein's Mass (1999) and Copland's The Tender Land (2000). In 1983 Antaky moved to San Francisco to study visual and theatrical design. Since 1985 he has created scenic and lighting designs for the performing arts with many theater and dance companies. His work has been seen thoughout the United States as well as France, Canada, Italy, Mexico and the former Yugoslavia. His designs include three years as lighting and visual collaborator with Alonzo King's Lines Contemporary Ballet Company, four seasons designing for Dziga Vertov Performance Group, with artistic director Douglas Rosenberg, seven years as resident designer with Stephen Pelton Dance Theater, eight years as resident designer for La Tania Flamenco Music and Dance, and four years as designer for Lily Cai Chinese Dance Company. He has also designed projects with Karen Finley, Li Chiao-Ping Dance, The Joe Goode Performance Group, Robert Moses Kin, A Travelling Jewish Theater, Della Davidson Dance Company, Fellow Travellers Performance Group and The New Pickle Circus, among many others. In 1993 Antaky became a founding member of Shadowlight Productions, a company pioneering new techniques and designs dedicated to the exploration and performance of shadows. The company has created numerous evening length productions including In Xanadu which was awarded the prestigious Citation of Excellence from UNIMA (Union International de la Marionette). Most recently, Antaky has created both the scenic and lighting designs for Passage of the Muse for La Tania Flamenco Music and Dance, String Calligraphy for Lily Cai Chinese Dance Company and Sojourn at Alexandria and Quarry with the Liz Fain Dance Company. Antaky is the recipient of the1999 Isadora Duncan award for visual design, and is currently nominated for the 2000 season and has shared in numerous other awards and grants for the arts throughout his career.