Composer Anna Clyne. Photo by Christina Kernohan.
In Wednesday’s (3/27) National Public Radio, Tom Huizenga writes, “As one of the most performed living composers, Anna Clyne fields commissions from major orchestras and institutions, and within the past seven months she’s welcomed five major world premieres, including a new piano concerto debuting March 28 with soloist Jeremy Denk and the Dallas Symphony Orchestra. Clyne: “If a piece is genuine, then we’re accessing something from within ourselves. But for me, it’s a bit like being a movie director. If you’re trying to evoke a certain thing, it’s not always something that’s within you. Sometimes I write very dark, turbulent music, which doesn’t necessarily mean that’s a reflection of my inner world—it’s a reflection of my curiosity to evoke a range of different emotions. And if I’m cheerful most of the time, I don’t want to be always writing cheerful music. I hope that my music connects with people on an emotional level, because that’s what I’m trying to tap into…. I think it’s a way to connect human beings.” Anna Clyne is a recipient of a commission through the League of American Orchestras’ Virginia B. Toulmin Foundation Orchestral Commissions Program.
