Coming together: a playlist for the US election

F. Victor Gillam, “Keep off! The Monroe Doctrine must be respected”, 1896

By Lawrence Dunn, 08 November 2022

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“In the indifferent brutality, incessant noise, I can act with clarity and meaning.”

Kurt Gottschalk, 31st March

Among the most performed living composers by orchestras worldwide, Montgomery talks about her personal approach to musical storytelling, and writing a new cello concerto for Abel Selaocoe.

A political composer? John Adams revisits Nixon in China

Thomas May, 30th September

Returning to conduct Rome’s Orchestra dell’Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia this November, John Adams reflects on the situation of music in the US – and why he has so often been labelled a ‘political’ composer.

EMCY connects young musicians together amid a disrupted Europe

Bachtrack, 9th July

A network of around 50 classical music competitions, EMCY has also been mounting unusual performance projects, which respond to the challenges posed by Coronavirus and the war in Ukraine.

Film composer Lalo Schifrin dies at the age of 93

Bachtrack, 27th June

The composer of scores for films such as Mission: Impossible, Bullitt, Cool Hand Luke and Dirty Harry has died aged 93.

One big family: BRAND New gathers young musicians from across world

Peter Quantrill, 1st October

Since 2020, the European Union of Music Competitions for Youth (EMCY) have been running BRAND New, a series of unusual performance projects joining together young musicians from across the world.

Eclectic programming of a restless spirit: Conrad Tao

Kurt Gottschalk, 3rd November

Ahead of his concert at 92NY this December, Conrad Tao discusses Rachmaninov’s lush harmony, and the parallels between his music and classic songwriting of Billy Strayhorn and Harold Arlen.

Lawrence Dunn

Lawrence is commissioning editor at Bachtrack. He is a composer, improviser, pianist and writer. He has taught at Cambridge, Huddersfield and Sheffield universities. He has written music for, among others the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra, Ensemble Modern, Slagwerk Den Haag, Philip Thomas, Juliet Fraser, Ilya Gringolts, Plus-Minus, Exaudi, Apartment House and Explore Ensemble.