In this episode, we explore Snider's unique musical style, her inspirations, and the stories behind her compositions. From ethereal orchestrations to poignant vocal melodies, Snider's music transcends boundaries and touches the depths of the human experience. Tune in as we uncover the essence of her artistry and the intricacies of her creative process. Whether you're a seasoned music aficionado or just discovering Snider's work, this episode promises to be a journey through the harmonies of...

Composer's Jeffery Scott and Peter Askim discuss the upcoming performances of their new works.  'Anatomy of an Embrace' (World Premiere) by Peter Askim and  'Pesadelos 1' and 'Songs' by Jeffery Scott will be perfomed by Mallarme Music on Friday, February 2, 2024, 7:30 p.m. at the PSI Theatre, Durham Arts Council, Durham NC. If you live nearby, we hope to see you there. 

Mara Keen's talents shine through in her music, particularly when it comes to capturing the essence of time and motion. Her compositions are uniquely attuned to the emotions depicted on screen, seamlessly blending with the language of film. Son of Saul Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2qOl7HtZc1c

From algorithms to Youtube, Thomas Little bridges the intuition of a composer with the heart of a teacher. With a deep understanding of music and music history, Little is not only a prolific composer but also an influential educator who shares his knowledge and passion for music with others on his successful Youtube channel Classical Nerd.  

Composer, flutist, choreographer, sound artist, and radio broadcaster Annie Nikunen's music is an embodiment of her humanity. Join Tarik and Anna for an exploration of the physicality of sound with this lovely, creative spirit. 

From the kind-natured city of Buffalo, NY to the vibrant energy of Long Island; from being the Head Chorister in the Choir of Men and Boys at St. Pauls Cathedral to being the 2004 recipient of the Pulitzer Prize in Music, Music has always been at the heart of who Paul Moravec is. In this episode of the Composer's Studio, Moravec speaks so eloquently about the personal intention of his music, its lyricism and the connection he feels to some of his most important pieces. 

With a fascination with language and mythos, Douglas Boyce composes music that draws on Medieval and Renaissance traditions but sits firmly within a modernist aesthetic. Building rich rhythmic structures that shift between order, fragmentation, elegance, and ferocity, many of his works have a direct historical touchstone. Other works draw on sources from antiquity,   literature, and philosophy. Join Tarik and Anna for a deep dive into a fascinating, modernist mind. 

Award winning Composer Christopher Dietz is a stargazer, his compositions moving through the darkness of spacetime in whirling constellations of sound. With instruments standing in for celestial bodies, Dietz engages in a philosophical contemplation of dualities and opposition, changing seasons, beginnings and endings. The individual, in relief against the unfathomable mass  of the Universe, turns from the broader view to the comforting safety of self-made limitations. Dietz’ reworking of The...

It's very mysterious how it works, this pre-verbal language that we all recognize and comprehend. It's not simplistic or concrete yet somehow it channels and resonates its way through our minds and into our souls. It's understood without awareness. Often, Worthington doesn't know the meaning behind a composition until she's finished it. This is how Rain describes her creative process. Rain is a self-taught composer. Impulses for new pieces have ranged from the small bits of rain cascading...

Shanan Estreicher is a man of many accomplishments, and he has done so, not for himself but for others.  There is a Hebrew phrase "Torah Lishmah." Loosely translated, it means - a raging thirst for knowledge.  But, in Shanan's case the gift he offers is not about the knowledge he's learned but rather the knowledge he shares. With a heart of a teacher, Shanan expresses his musical voice in a passionate and honest way: an uninterrupted communication of musical language that speaks through him...

From legendary educator at the Juilliard School to Professor of Composition and Music Theory at Vanderbilt University, Composer Samuel Zyman is one of the leading Mexican composers on the international scene today.  Known for his use of vigorous rhythmic energy and expressive lyricism, Dr. Zyman infuses the many styles that define his heritage.

From big ideas to tiny details, join us this week on the Composer's Studio as we embark on a thought provoking discussion about music, life and how harmony relates to the corner of a room.  From rock guitar to pencil and manuscript, from the Aaron...

On this special episode of Composer’s Studio, join Anna and guest host Shanan Estreicher for a fascinating dive into the music of our own Tarik Ghiradella. A master of what might be called minimalist maximalism, Ghiradella’s music undergoes astounding...

Puerto Rican-born composer and multi-instrumentalist Angélica Negrón’s music is deeply personal, reflecting a sensitive, playful nature that takes nothing for granted. Even the most mundane sounds--a stapler, a calculator, crumpling paper, pots and pans...

Composer, performer, conductor, and educator Aaron Noë is a musical hero, for he writes music not only for himself or for professional performers, but for students just beginning their musical explorations. So many composers we have spoken with on this...

Composer and sound artist Jenny Olivia Johnson’s  work is a musical memoir, her multi-sensory synesthesia coloring everything she does. Her compositions and artwork range from electroacoustic chamber songs and contemplative solo works to short amplified...

Composer Anthony Constantino wonders, where do I fit in the larger picture? Why does the world need another quartet, another chamber work when so much great work has already been composed? The World already has Beethoven and Stravinsky, Bartok and...

Composer Peter Askim does it all. Active as a performing bassist, Conductor of the Raleigh Civic Symphony and Chamber Orchestra, Director of Orchestral Studies at North Carolina State University, he is also founder and Artistic Director of The Next...

Anna and Tarik close out the Composer's Studio first season with a holiday special of Sacred Choral works.

Join Tarik and Anna for a deep conversation with Anthony R. Green, American composer, pianist, and social justice artist, whose solo and collaborative work have been presented in over 25 countries. A passionate activist as well as a composer, Anthony is...

Drifting through falling air and tempests, we find ourselves in a musical world of unfinished introspection.  Do you think emotion in music is real?  Let’s find out. Join us on the Composer’s  Studio as we explore that question and more with award...

When one of your earliest memories is of your grandfather playing at Carnegie Hall, it is hard work just to carve out a place for yourself in your own family. Our guest, Composer David Serkin Ludwig does his namesake proud. Once named by NPR Music as...

Composer David Kirkland Garner’s music is borne of an obsessive urge to take things apart, separate out the fragments of color, emotion, rhythm, and then reassemble it in a way that reveals new meaning and relevance. Grappling with the legacies of...

Composer Elainie Lillios creates electroacoustic soundscapes reflecting her fascination with observing and manipulating the qualities of sound itself.  Come with Tarik and Anna on a journey to a world of dreams and memory at the edge of the Immeasurable...