The Miller Theatre at Columbia University School of the Arts in New York City has announced a new music reality television series, Desperate Measures, in which composers vie for the chance to be the next big name in new music. The show will feature Zosha Di Castri, Ashley Fure, Michael Gordon, and David T. Little, cut off from their family and friends and living together in Allegro House. It will air this fall, immediately following The Voice. Judges for the show include violinist Jennifer Koh; Steve Smith, assistant arts editor at the Boston Globe; and Norman Ryan, Schott Music’s vice president of composers and repertoire. The show will feature Speed Composing, Atonal Lip-Syncing, and The Obstacle Course of Landing a Commission, juxtaposed with behind-the-scenes footage and candid “composer confessionals.” Says Melissa Smey, executive director of the Miller Theatre, “Miller Theatre has a strong track record for discovering and promoting great compositional talent, but few people know about the drama that goes on behind closed doors.… With Desperate Measures, we finally have a chance to show audiences just how scintillating new music can be.” Click here to watch a trailer for Desperate Measures. And happy April Fool’s!
Posted April 1, 2016
