Mission: Commission

The premiere of Wang Lu's onward, wayward performed by pianist Vicky Chow and percussionist Russell Greenberg. Commissioned by Miller Theatre at Columbia University for the Mission: Commission podcast.Missioncommissionpodcast.com

The premiere of Ann Cleare's gravity dreams ii performed by pianists Laura Barger and Julia Den Boer. Commissioned by Miller Theatre at Columbia University for the Mission: Commission podcast.Missioncommissionpodcast.com

The premiere of Miguel Zenón's Layer Upon Layer performed by pianist Matt Mitchell and guitarist Miles Okazaki. Commissioned by Miller Theatre at Columbia University for the Mission: Commission podcast.Missioncommissionpodcast.com

The composers have reached the last stages of writing the piece - what more remains to be done before the music can finally take on a life of its own?Visit missioncommissionpodcast.com for a full listing of pieces, performers, and recordings included in this episode.

The pieces have taken on a definitive shape, and a life of their own. How do composers communicate their vision - to the musicians, and to the audience? And how do they choose a name for their creations? Visit missioncommissionpodcast.com for a full listing of pieces, performers, and recordings included in this episode.

We've reached that point in the creative process where hard decisions need to be made: keep, cut, continue, end – or maybe even start again? Which direction will the piece take?Visit missioncommissionpodcast.com for a full listing of pieces, performers, and recordings included in this episode.

This season, the composers are writing music for piano plus one other instrument. We hear about their relationship with the piano, and their different approaches in composing for this instrument.Visit missioncommissionpodcast.com for a full listing of pieces, performers, and recordings included in this episode.

Where do musical ideas and inspiration come from? In hearing these origin stories, we also learn more about the composers themselves.Visit missioncommissionpodcast.com for a full listing of pieces, performers, and recordings included in this episode.

An introduction to our composers: Ann Cleare, Wang Lu, and Miguel Zenón, as they begin their creative journey to compose new pieces of classical music in 6 weeks for Mission: Commission. Visit missioncommissionpodcast.com for a full listing of pieces, performers, and recordings included in this episode.

What do you see when you hear music? Once you know the story behind the music, and the person behind the story, you'll listen to music in a completely different way. Season 3 follows the creative journey of three world-class composers, Ann Cleare, Wang Lu, and Miguel Zenón. Over 6 weeks, listen as the very first ideas and notes grow and evolve into vibrant new pieces of music. Hosted by Melissa Smey, Artistic Director of Miller Theatre at Columbia University in New York.Learn more at missioncommissionpodcast.com 

The premiere of Kate Soper's Telephone. Performed by Kate Soper and the Parker Quartet.Missioncommissionpodcast.com

The premiere of Vijay Iyer's Room for Ghosts. Performed by Vijay Iyer and the Parker Quartet.Missioncommissionpodcast.com

The premiere of Oscar Bettison's all keens and slow airs... . Performed by the Parker Quartet.Missioncommissionpodcast.com

As the creative journey comes to an end, we hear reflections on genre, and hear why these pieces defy categorization.Visit missioncommissionpodcast.com for a full listing of pieces, performers, and recordings included in this episode.

The composers rehearse or prepare for rehearsal with the Parker Quartet, and the pieces start to come to life.

The composers are deep in the work: writing, rewriting, tinkering with the myriad details that make the piece what it is, and what it will be. But what guides their decisions about how to shape the piece, or what direction to take it in?

To navigate the terrain of classical music, you need some trail markers, and that's where form comes in. It's the underlying structure of the way things happen in music. Composers today don't always want to follow the age-old rules of form. How do our composers think about form as they work on their pieces?Visit missioncommissionpodcast.com for a full listing of pieces, performers, and recordings included in this episode.  

Mission: Commission takes us into the inner worlds of our three composers so you can understand more about the real people making the music. We go deeper in understanding how each composer thinks as they document their process through audio diaries–sometimes words, sometimes music, sometimes both.Visit missioncommissionpodcast.com for a full listing of pieces, performers, and recordings included in this episode.

An introduction to our composers—Oscar Bettison, Vijay Iyer, and Kate Soper—as they begin their creative journey to compose a new piece of classical music in 6 weeks for Mission: Commission. Visit missioncommissionpodcast.com for a full listing of pieces, performers, and recordings included in this episode.

How does classical music actually get made? In season 2, the podcast follows the creative journey of three world-class composers, Oscar Bettison, Vijay Iyer, and Kate Soper, as they compose new works and unpack their creative process in real time. Over a period of 6 weeks, listen as the very first ideas and notes grow and evolve into vibrant new pieces of music. Hosted by Melissa Smey, Artistic Director of Miller Theatre at Columbia University in New York.Learn more at http://missioncommissionpodcast.com

The premiere of Augusta Read Thomas’s Enchanted Invocation and Bebop Riddle. Performed by percussionist John Corkill.Missioncommissionpodcast.com

The premiere of Marcos Balter’s Omolu. Performed by harpist Parker Rasmsay.Missioncommissionpodcast.com

The premiere of Courtney Bryan's Synchronicity. Performed by Andrae Murchison, trombone, and Courtney Bryan, piano. missioncommissionpodcast.com 

A look back at how the pieces came to life, and what happens next for our composers.Visit missioncommissionpodcast.com for a full listing of pieces, performers, and recordings included in this episode.

Still in the weeds, the composers grapple with how to shape the piece, and focus on the difficult task of balancing their inner composer with their inner editor.Visit missioncommissionpodcast.com for a full listing of pieces, performers, and recordings included in this episode.

The composers are deep in the zone, sifting through their ideas for the piece, and reflect on where those ideas come from.Visit missioncommissionpodcast.com for a full listing of pieces, performers, and recordings included in this episode.

At some point in every creative journey, things slow down - or even fall apart. What that stage feels like, and sounds like for every composer is wildly different.Visit missioncommissionpodcast.com for a full listing of pieces, performers, and recordings included in this episode.

Exploring how collaboration and improvisation are crucial to the creative process. Visit missioncommissionpodcast.com for a full listing of pieces, performers, and recordings included in this episode.

An introduction to our composers: Augusta Read Thomas, Courtney Bryan, and Marcos Balter, as they begin their creative journey to compose a new piece of classical music in 6 weeks for Mission: Commission.  Visit missioncommissionpodcast.com for a full listing of pieces, performers, and recordings included in this episode.

How does classical music actually get made? Mission: Commission sets out to answer that question by starting at the very beginning - with the composers who write the music. The podcast follows the creative journey of three world-class composers, Augusta Read Thomas, Courtney Bryan, and Marcos Balter, as they compose new works for the show. Over a period of 6 weeks, listen as the pieces gradually take shape, from idea to final recording, and the composers reveal insights into how they work and think about music. Hosted by Melissa Smey, Artistic Director of Miller Theatre at Columbia University in New York.Learn more at http://missioncommissionpodcast.com