“The Independent newspaper in London recently asked why classical musician biographies are so numbingly dull,” writes Amanda Angel on Wednesday (9/23) at New York classical radio station WQXR. “However, some performers are already writing more creatively about themselves … [and] share a quite a bit of personality in their texts…. Pianist Jonathan Biss … offered the most writerly bio we found. He begins with his first appearance at Carnegie Hall, as a fetus, during his mother’s performance with the Cleveland Orchestra…. Pulitzer Prize–winner Caroline Shaw … includes a list of things she loves: the color yellow, Mozart opera, and the sound of a janky mandolin…. Russian pianist Daniil Trifonov … details his upbringing in the wake of the fall of the Soviet Union…. The most elaborate biography we discovered is on [Gustavo Dudamel’s] website, which takes the form of a 7-chapter multimedia feature [providing] a thorough history of Dudamel’s past from his upbringing in Venezuela to the podium of the Los Angeles Philharmonic.” Also included are composer Terry Riley, organist Cameron Carpenter, soprano Danielle de Niese, and pianist Hélène Grimaud.
Posted September 25, 2015
