Suzanne Ciani

As has been the case for many women working in the realms of electronic and experimental music, it took several decades for Suzanne Ciani’s innovations of the ‘70s and ‘80s to be more widely celebrated. Indeed, Ciani—who was born in Indianapolis, IN, in 1946—was one of music’s pioneers when it came to realizing the synthesizer’s full potential. After graduating from University of California, Berkeley with a master’s degree in composition in 1970, Ciani became immersed in the possibilities of the Buchla synthesizer. That fascination led to a career diverse enough to include composing music for art shows and dance performances in San Francisco and New York, creating advertising jingles, and even guesting on Starland Vocal Band’s endearing 1976 hit, “Afternoon Delight.” Beginning with 1982’s Seven Waves, Ciani applied her immense technological know-how and compositional flair to a series of richly textured new-age recordings. Overdue recognition for her achievements led to later efforts like 2016’s FRKWYS Vol. 13: Sunergy, a captivating collaboration with Kaitlyn Aurelia Smith, one of many younger electronic composers who count Ciani as an influence.