Jarrad Powell's works have been performed and broadcast internationally and include pieces for voice, gamelan, various western and non-western instruments, electro-acoustic music, music for theater, dance and experimental film. His work includes numerous cross-cultural collaborations, particularly with Indonesian artists, including the innovative theater pieces Visible Religion and Kali. Since the early 80's he has directed Gamelan Pacifica, one of the most active and adventurous gamelan ensembles in the U.S.
He is Music Director and composer for Scott/Powell Performance, a contemporary dance company formed in 1994 with choreographer Mary Sheldon Scott. Recent projects include music for three innovative short films of Robert Campbell. His work has been commissioned by The Walker Arts Center, Performing Arts Chicago, On the Boards, Music in Motion, Southeastern Center for Contemporary Art, Myrna Loy Center/Helena Presents, the National Performance Network and many individual performers. Awards include NEA, Arts International, Rockefeller Foundation, Paul G. Allen Family Foundation, 4Culture/King County, Mayor's Office of Arts and Cultural Affairs/Seattle, Artist Trust Foundation and Creative Capital Foundation. His most recent recordings, Natural Selection and Stonehouse Songs, are available from Present Sounds Recordings. He is a Professor in the Music Department at Cornish College of the Arts in Seattle.