Kaija Saariaho: A Primer

Kaija Saariaho: A Primer

By Susan M. Brown Though now hailed as one of the greatest Finnish composers of her generation, Kaija Saariaho readily recalls a time at the Sibelius Academy when male teachers balked at teaching a “pretty girl,” claiming it was a waste of their time. But...
Schneider Crosses Over to Classical–and Wins a Grammy

Schneider Crosses Over to Classical–and Wins a Grammy

Maria Schneider has a knack for choosing to work in musical genres where women have traditionally been least represented and recognized—and then flipping the script to win all kinds of renown and accolade. As a jazz composer and big-band leader, Schneider has been...

Maria Schneider and Spring for Music

I’m late in posting this, but the Spring For Music series (which I mentioned earlier), teamed with NPR to make the performance the St. Paul Chamber Orchestra available to stream online. One of the pieces heard in this performance is a relatively newly commissioned...