About OPUS 101
OPUS 101 is an interview program produced by the American Composers Forum, Philadelphia Chapter. Hosted by XPN radio personality and ACF Philadelphia board member Gene Shay, each audio episode of OPUS 101 features a different ACF Philadelphia member composer. Listeners can “meet” an accomplished composer and learn how they got into music, what life is like as a composer, what inspires them, and so on. The program gives listeners from all backgrounds an opportunity to learn from and be inspired by living, working composers in all genres of music.
OPUS 101 is an interview program produced by the American Composers Forum, Philadelphia Chapter. Hosted by XPN radio personality and ACF Philadelphia board member Gene Shay, each audio episode of OPUS 101 features a different ACF Philadelphia member composer. Listeners can “meet” an accomplished composer and learn how they got into music, what life is like as a composer, what inspires them, and so on. The program gives listeners from all backgrounds an opportunity to learn from and be inspired by living, working composers in all genres of music.
Recent Episodes:
In November 2011, Gene Shay interviewed composer Andrea Clearfield to ask her life as a composer and about her recent compositions and travels.
Listen to Episode 101.5: Andrea Clearfield
Episode 101.5
Episode Details:
In this episode of OPUS 101, Andrea discusses some of her more recent works, including: Golem Psalms, Kawa Ma Gyur (The Unchanging Pillar), and Lung Ta (The Windhorse). She talks about her inspirational trips to the Lo Manthang region of northern Nepal and how those unique experiences inspired the compositions of Lung Ta and Kawa Ma Gyur as well as her compositional origins and working method.
About Andrea Clearfield
Andrea Clearfield (b. Philadelphia, 1960) is an award winning American composer of music for orchestra, chorus, chamber ensembles, dance and multi-media collaborations. She has been praised by the New York Times for her “graceful tracery and lively, rhythmically vital writing”, the Philadelphia Inquirer for her “virtuosity”, “compositional wizardry” and “mastery with large choral and instrumental forces” and by the L.A. Times for her “fluid and glistening orchestration." Her works are performed widely in the U.S. and abroad. Commissions include works for The Philadelphia Orchestra, The Debussy Trio and the Los Angeles Master Chorale, Carol Wincenc, the Turtle Creek Chorale, the Mendelssohn Club, Orchestra 2001 and Network for New Music. For more information, visit Andrea Clearfield's website.
Andrea Clearfield (b. Philadelphia, 1960) is an award winning American composer of music for orchestra, chorus, chamber ensembles, dance and multi-media collaborations. She has been praised by the New York Times for her “graceful tracery and lively, rhythmically vital writing”, the Philadelphia Inquirer for her “virtuosity”, “compositional wizardry” and “mastery with large choral and instrumental forces” and by the L.A. Times for her “fluid and glistening orchestration." Her works are performed widely in the U.S. and abroad. Commissions include works for The Philadelphia Orchestra, The Debussy Trio and the Los Angeles Master Chorale, Carol Wincenc, the Turtle Creek Chorale, the Mendelssohn Club, Orchestra 2001 and Network for New Music. For more information, visit Andrea Clearfield's website.
In September 2011, Gene Shay interviewed composer and pianist, Dave Burrell to produce the series' longest interview to date. Split into to two parts, the conversation ranges from stories about growing up as a jazz musician to improvisation approaches to learning how to compose and the composition process to thoughts behind several of his compositions and recording sessions.
Listen to Part I Episode 101.4: Dave Burrell
Episode 101.4.1
Listen to Part II Episode 101.4: Dave Burrell
Episode 101.4.2
Part I Episode Details:
Part I features biographical information, his approach to structure in an improvisation as well as his pre-meditated composition process, and some reflections on Cecil Taylor and Jelly Roll Morton. The Dave Burrell compositions and arrangements discussed in Part I are "Coup d'Etat" (with an excerpt); compositions currently in progress for his Composer in Residence at the Rosenbach Museum and Library; and "They Say It's Wonderful" (with an excerpt).
Part II Episode Details:
Part II features more of Dave Burrell's avant-garde creations, namely the collaboration between Burrell and Billy Martin of Medeski, Martin, and Wood on the album Consequences. Also Dave Burrell talks about his jazz opera Windward Passages; Nicholas Slonimsky's "Thesaurus of Scales and Melodic Patterns;" as well as the Kora, an African instrument.The Dave Burrell compositions discussed in Part II are: Moonbows (excerpt); Monsoon (excerpt); In the Balance (excerpt)
In December 2010, Gene Shay interviewed the very accomplished and surprisingly local composer, George Crumb. A modest and thoroughly amicable person, Mr. Crumb welcomed Gene and the recording crew into his home for a casual interview. Those familiar and unfamiliar with Crumb's music will learn something new as the composer speaks candidly about everything from his West Virginia origins and early composing experiences to the unique mindset that led him to create some of his most celebrated works, including: Black Angels (Images I), Lux Aeterna, and Vox Balaenae (Voice of the Whale). In addition to being a world-renowned composer, he is also a member of The Philadelphia Chapter of the American Composers Forum. For more information on George Crumb, visit his website: www.georgecrumb.net/
Gene Shay (born Ivan Shaner, March 4, 1935, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania) is an American radio personality. He is a representative of Philadelphia's folk music scene. He has produced weekly folk radio shows since 1962 (now on WXPN; previously heard on WHAT-FM, WMMR, WIOQ and WHYY-FM). A founder of the annual Philadelphia Folk Festival and its emcee since its inception, he has been called the "The dean of American folk DJs" by The Philadelphia Daily News and "The Grandfather of Philadelphia Folk Music" by The Philadelphia Inquirer. Aside from being the host of OPUS 101, Gene Shay is also a Board member of ACF Philadelphia. Visit his website for more information.
Past OPUS 101 Episodes
Did you miss a webcast premiere or encore? You can find them here one week following the last streaming.
101.3: George Crumb
OPUS 101 with George Crumb
101.2: David Bennett Thomas
OPUS 101 with David Thomas
101.1: Jennifer Higdon
OPUS 101 with Jennifer Higdon
Did you miss a webcast premiere or encore? You can find them here one week following the last streaming.
101.3: George Crumb
OPUS 101 with George Crumb
101.2: David Bennett Thomas
OPUS 101 with David Thomas
101.1: Jennifer Higdon
OPUS 101 with Jennifer Higdon