I know that I’ve built lasting, extraordinary friendships, and created ties to a magical city that will remain with me for a lifetime.

Swiss architect Peter Zumthor, who has described music as the supreme art form, is primarily concerned with how buildings can move someone.

This week I analyze seven national anthems to see if I could
discover any tips or hints for those of you who have been commissioned
to compose an anthem for a new country.

When a group of artists works in close quarters, we are conscious of each other’s progress, of each other’s writer’s blocks, and our own productivity becomes effected whether we like it or not.

Does an abstract piece of art or music substantially gain power
from its name?

While I love Sciarrino’s 6 Capricci for its quiet bravura and powerful, concise musicality, I find its notation a sometimes-exasperating exercise in code breaking.

What if many frogs make a prince of a piece?

Those of us who were taught before notation software may be suspect of composing without paper, but does it allow you to hear fresh new rhythms and textures?

Why is a synagogue’s choir, in a city where keeping a certain tradition alive is unusually important, seemingly going out of its way to assimilate its music?

I’m struck by the long, fruitful partnerships that Osvaldo Golijov creates with performers, but my only reservation to his process comes when considering the fine line one crosses in such a close collaboration.