Joseph Byrd (b. 1937) was a member of the New York avant-garde during the remarkable 1960–63 period that also saw the emergence of composers Philip Corner, Malcolm Goldstein, and James Tenney. In late 2026, Extradition will follow up our concerts dedicated to those three giants by presenting EXTRADITION PLAYS BYRD, with performances focused on the composer’s 1960s compositions. Complete concert dates and details will be announced once finalized. For now, here’s more on Byrd:

Joseph Byrd was a participant in San Francisco’s seminal musical avant-garde in the late 1950s, where he befriended young composers La Monte Young, Terry Riley, and Steve Reich. In 1960 he moved to New York and became a fixture on the downtown scene, performing with Young, Riley, Philip Corner, Toshi Ichiyanagi, Jackson Mac Low, Terry Jennings, Charlotte Moorman, Yvonne Rainer, and others. During this time he also studied with both Morton Feldman and John Cage, who he assisted in preparing Atlas Eclipticalis for performance by Leonard Bernstein and the New York Philharmonic. The first full program of his music was was presented on March 4–5, 1961, at Yoko Ono’s Chambers Street loft, part of the legendary series curated by Young. He participated in performances by the Judson Dance Theater, was an early member of Fluxus, and presented a concert of his works at Carnegie Recital Hall. In 1963 he returned to California, where he studied musicology, participated in experimental music and performance art, performed in a blues band with Linda Ronstadt, and formed the psychedelic art-rock band The United States of America. In the 1970s he taught at California State University and began a distinguished career as an arranger, producer, and film music composer. After more than three decades living in Humboldt County, CA, he is now a resident of Medford, OR.