Tanner Pfeiffer
Musician–Educator. | Play. Connection. Closeness.
Tanner Pfeiffer is a culture crafter and sound syncretist working at the intersection of community studies, semiotics, pedagogy, and sociolinguistics. Research areas include queer music of Ibero-America, polystylistic performance, and music as an agent for community building.
Tanner has performed as a vocalist, violist, and Baroque violist at venues such as Walt Disney Concert Hall, REDCAT, The Geffen Contemporary at MOCA, The International Quilt Study Center and Museum, Coaxial Arts, As It Stands, Automata, and Beta Level. Conducting and music direction engagements have included the California Philharmonic, C3LA, LA Valley College Theater, Key Change Ensemble, the CalArts Contemporary Vocal Ensemble, The Isaura String Quartet, The Ensemble @ CalArts, Rio Hondo College Theater, CAP Chamber Music Ensembles, CalArts Opera, music theater premieres, and numerous ad hoc vocal and instrumental ensembles. Tanner has premiered more than 100 new works since 2014.
Tanner is artistic director of cutting edge, vocal-forward ensemble Chordas Collective and trans vocal octet 8TPS. Other choral memberships include C3LA, GMCLA, and the FCCLA Cathedral Choir. Tanner holds degrees from CalArts (MFA, Performer-Composer) and the University of Nebraska-Lincoln (BA, Viola Performance; BA, Mathematics; minor: Spanish).