Home / Arts and Entertainment / 99-Year-Old Composer's Radical Hopeful Music Premieres
99-Year-Old Composer's Radical Hopeful Music Premieres
19 Aug
Summary
- Composer Thea Musgrave, 99, continues to write innovative music.
- Her new bassoon concerto, 'Out of the Darkness,' debuts at the Proms.
- The work explores themes of hope emerging from darkness inspired by Covid.
Scottish composer Thea Musgrave, born in 1928, continues to produce groundbreaking music at 99. She is known for her "dramatic-abstract" compositions, where orchestral players are given individual identities rather than following a conductor's unified direction. This innovative approach, inspired by a dream, has been a hallmark of her career since the 1960s.
Musgrave's new bassoon concerto, "Out of the Darkness," for bassoonist Amy Harman, is set to premiere at the Proms on August 23. The concerto draws inspiration from the Covid-19 pandemic, beginning with themes of sadness and gloom before introducing a melody of hope. Musgrave describes the piece as a journey through darkness toward determination and eventual light.
Her prolific output also includes an opera, "Orlando: An Escapade," scheduled for premiere next year. Musgrave's enduring drive and infectious optimism are evident as she continues to explore new musical territories, proving her compositional prowess remains undiminished with age.
