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The Work of Art: Nathaniel Stookey

Nathaniel StookeyTWOA logoA conversation with classical composer Nathaniel Stookey about writing for children and adults, how to fight loneliness with artistic collaborations (and lots of time in local bars and cafes), finding joy in urban planning and other areas outside the arts, and bringing humor to the classical music world.

First commissioned by the San Francisco Symphony when he was 17-years old, Nathaniel’s best known work is “The Composer is Dead,” a collaboration with the children’s book author known as Lemony Snicket, which has become one of the most widely performed classical works of the 21st century. He has had works commissioned by Frederica von Stade and the Kronos Quartet and spent several months at the San Francisco city dump’s Artist in Residence program, where he wrote the music and created instruments from discarded trash for the work he titled “Junkestra“.

Listen to the full interview:


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(Recorded September 23, 2015)

The complete series of conversations is available at The Work of Art. You can subscribe to future interview episodes via RSS, iTunes or email.