A Composer's Corner

andrew.celentano
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Andrew Celentano interviews composers from all walks of life, including classical, jazz, rock, country, political, folk, math rock, and more. He explores what role music played in their childhood, how music became an integral part of their life, how they approach the composition process, and what influences affected them along the way.

  1. 29/12/2025

    Meet Jazz Bassist, Composer Bob Nieske

    Bob Nieske holds a bachelor's and master's of music degree with honors from New England Conservatory. He was a member of legendary saxophonist and clarinetist Jimmy Guiffre’s bands for twelve years and contributed compositions to his critically acclaimed Soul Note recordings. Bob has recorded or performed with guitarists Charlie Byrd, Duke Robillard, Atilla Zoller, and Larry Coryell, jazz vocalist Dakota Staton, Jackie and Roy, The Either/Orchestra, George Russell’s Living Time Orchestra, David Grisman, and legendary jazz violinist Stephane Grappelli. As a composer and arranger, Bob’s own projects include a suite for jazz trio and the Lydian String Quartet, documented on his critically acclaimed album, “Simplicity.” Bob is Professor of Practice at Brandeis University and on the Faculty at the New England Conservatory. You can find out more about Bob Nieske on his website:http://bobnieske.com/

    57 min

  2. 22/12/2025

    Singer /Songwriter/Composer/Entertainer Bonnie MacLeod

    Join interviewer Andrew Celentano for an engaging discussion with guest Bonnie MacLeod. She is a highly versatile and accomplished pianist, entertainer, singer, and composer. Bonnie combines a fascinating and eclectic array of artistic influences in her performances. Her gifts have brought her around the world including Europe, Eastern Europe, Scandinavia, and North Africa. She performed regularly at night clubs in New York City, Boston and on cruise ships, as well. You can hear her music on Amazon, Spotify, TikTok, Apple Music, Pandora, Dream Farm Radio and more. Bonnie has played at assisted living facilities in and around Boston, including Cornerstone Living in Canton and Maplewood in Weston. She features saucy selections like “Peel Me a Grape”, “Mambo Italiano”, “Ten Cents a Dance”, “I’m Tired”, while in tandem her repertoire can be reflective and musically insightful." You can find out more about her on her website: https://www.bonniemacleodmusic.com/

    1 h y 3 min

  3. 15/12/2025

    Swedish Composer Peter Malmsjo living in Italy

    Join me to hear the soft, gentle, beautiful music of Peter Malmsjö. Peter was born on March 1, 1962 in Saltsjö-Boo, Stockholms län, Sweden. He had acting roles early on in his life and is known for Ture Sventon - Privatdetektiv (1972), Grisjakten (1970) and Niklas och figuren (1971). His father, Jan Malmsjö is a great singer and musical star in Sweden, and his mother, Lena Malmsjö, was a production manager and actress, known for Loving Couples (1964), Badarna (1968) and Night Games (1966). Peter, has also performed in the theater and dance productions, and moved to Italy, performing in the ballet. He traveled extensively and was in a band at one point as well. Meanwhile, Peter has been composing ever since he was a boy, and his music is widely heard on the internet. His compositions are soft, gentle, and restful and have an organic feel to them that is hard to resist. His piano is tuned to 432 (instead of the more typical 440). Peter is now an Osteopath in Italy and uses his music to soothe his patients. You can find him on Facebook and view his recordings here: https://www.halidonmusic.com/en/peter-j-malmsjo-a-8081.html

    1 h y 10 min

  4. 09/12/2025

    Our interview with Composer Michael Laster

    Michael Laster is an eclectic composer who weaves seamlessly through many genres and musical styles. He is a composer of traditional orchestral works (the Yakima Symphony Chamber Orchestra) and film (Denture Adventure, Interreflections), as well as chamber works (Quatro Puntos, and the Seasons String Quartet), and large-scale piano works for Robert Frankenberry and Craig Ketter. In addition to music written for classical ensembles, Michael has composed and performed on numerous alternative rock singles including Snerg Dergus, Vulture Street, Stories, and Physical Dream. For lyrics, performers, song details, and more, explore his Soundcloud page Michael maintains a busy private teaching studio, scores films, gigs in clubs, and arranges for colleagues including social activist Peter Joseph. A recipient of the Presser Scholarship at the City College of New York where he studied with David Del Tredici, Manhattan-based composer / guitarist Michael Laster has been a fellowship composer at the Seasons Music Festival in Washington, where he worked with Daron Hagen, Larry Alan Smith, Chris Brubeck, and at the Wintergreen Summer Music Festival in Virginia, where he worked with Gilda Lyons. You can find more information at https://www.michaellaster.com/

    1 h

  5. 01/12/2025

    Classical Composer Dan Perttu Joins Us

    Music has always been a kind of magic for Dan, a portal to other realms. When he was young, he was inspired by fantasy novels such as The Lord of the Rings, and is still drawn to myths and legends. He has written works on themes ranging from the planets, the sorcery of Merlin, and the Callanish Stone Circle, to the Torngat Mountains. His aim is to write music that invites audiences into other worlds, so they can re-discover their own sense of wonder. Although Dan always loved to compose, he was resistant to pursue composition as a career when he was young. As an undergraduate student, he hedged his bets by studying music and English. He also took numerous courses in psychology and neuroscience and even considered a career in law. When he was awarded a Jacob K. Javits Fellowship to study music in graduate school, he threw caution to the wind and decided to go “all in.” It worked. Upon graduating with his doctorate in composition, he took a position as a music professor at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette and now teaches at Westminster College, where he is serving again as the chair of the School of Music. See more on Dan at https://www.danielperttu.com/

    1 h y 9 min

  6. 24/11/2025

    Ben Schwendener, expert on the Lydian Chromatic Concept

    Composer / pianist Ben Schwendener sustains a unique voice in contemporary creative music and is a leading authority on George Russell's Lydian Chromatic Concept of Tonal Organization, which he assisted Russell in teaching at the New England Conservatory from 1986 to 2004. Schwendener’s latest book Organic Music Theory (Pumping Station, 2017, Heights Music International, 2020) presents a new direction in natural pedagogy and dialogue-based arts education, establishing Organic Music Theory and Universal Musical Elements as primary creative sources. He has given lectures, workshops and seminars at Universities and institutions around the world. Schwendener has been on the faculty at the New England Conservatory and Longy School of Music of Bard College for over 30 years. He has also designed classes for non-musicians, based on the inter-discipline correspondences of Organic Music Theory for the Creative and Critical Thinking Department in the Graduate College of Education at UMass Boston. As a touring performance artist, his groups include FUGUE, with Domenico Botelho and Henry Godfrey, the Mobile Trio with drummer Kenwood Dennard and bassist Marc Friedman, LYRIC with singer Carley DeFranco, as well as collaborations with international musicians and dancers. Ben lives in Boston with his wife Shari and three children Elodi, Uli and Blue.

    1 h y 3 min

  7. 10/11/2025

    Christina Rusnak speaks with A Composer's Corner

    Composing passionately about the human experience, composer Christina Rusnak works at the intersection of place, nature, culture, history and art to integrate context into her music from the world around her. A storyteller, she seeks to convey something meaningful about the human experience to both the audience and performers. An award-winning freelance composer living in the Pacific Northwest, Ms. Rusnak composes for diverse instrumentations with lyrical lines and organic rhythms and textures. Her pieces address social and environmental justice, houselessness, immigration from 19th to 21st century perspectives, and more. Her choral work, Liberty’s Light, examines immigration from Ellis Island to the Texas border. “Water and Stone” explores climate, and the impact of water, heat and cold in sculpting Death Valley National Park. “From the Sidewalk”, addresses the invisibility of a homeless woman in New York City. In 2020, Rusnak was commissioned Fanfare for Justice (also Call for Justice) to commemorate the Black Lives Matter movement. In 2025, she is composing a multi-movement work for women’s choir, Women’s Rights are Human Rights addressing degrading rights of women globally. Recent awards and honors include a 2022 Residency at the Visby International Centre for Composers; 2023 Bronze Global Music Award for Voices of the Land; 2024 American Prize 2nd Place Orchestra for The South Pass, a finalist for FREE LAND, and a 2025 finalist for the American Prize for Orchestra for Time After All. In 2019, she led the renowned Composing in the Wilderness Seminar in Denali for the Fairbanks Summer Arts Festival. An advocate for New Music, Rusnak currently serves as president of the International Alliance for Women in Music. Her essays on music and advocacy can be found on LandscapeMusic.org and New Music Box and more. Her works are available from Amazon, Naxos and Parma Recordings. Scores are available through her website http://christinarusnak.com and various distributors, and can be viewed via ISSUU.

    1 h y 16 min

  8. 03/11/2025

    Posthumous interview of Composer Andrew Violette

    Andrew Violette (1953-2021) studied at the High School of Music and Art in New York City from 1968 to 1971. He studied composition with Elliott Carter and Roger Sessions and counterpoint with Otto Luening at the Juilliard School of Music in New York from 1971 to 1975, where he earned his B.Mus. and M.Mus., as well as the Lado Prize in Composition. He has composed music for orchestra – including Dawn (1988), Fanfare (1992), and Music In 6 Parts (2000) – as well as chamber music, vocal music, piano solos, and organ solos. His works have been performed throughout the U.S. Among his honors are seven grants from Meet the Composer (1977, 1982-1987), three fellowships at MacDowell (1983-1985), and fellowships at Yaddo and the Virginia Center for the Arts (both 1999). He composed over 90 works leaving a legacy of wonderful music. Bruce Posner, friend of the composer for 46 years, witnessed the creation of many of Violette’s works. Bruce is preparing an archive of Violette’s writings and performances for posterity.

    1 h
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Andrew Celentano interviews composers from all walks of life, including classical, jazz, rock, country, political, folk, math rock, and more. He explores what role music played in their childhood, how music became an integral part of their life, how they approach the composition process, and what influences affected them along the way.

Información

  • Creador
    andrew.celentano
  • Años de actividad
    2024 - 2025
  • Episodios
    69
  • Clasificación
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  • Copyright
    © andrew.celentano
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    A Composer's Corner