“At the vanguard of new music, composer/conductor/curator Christopher Rountree is certainly having a moment,” writes Victoria Looseleaf in Saturday’s (5/18) San Francisco Classical Voice. Roundtree, founder of the ensemble wild Up, “is the curator of the Los Angeles Philharmonic’s Fluxus Festival, a celebration of the anti-establishment interdisciplinary art movement that emerged in the ‘60s, [culminating] in … marathon concerts (May 25 and June 1). Q: A highlight of the festival is sure to be John Cage’s Water Walk. Rountree: Yes…. I’ll be pushing these antique radios off the table eight times. This is a piece between live theater and music. Q: You have composed music … that responds directly to political injustices & oppression. Can you tell us about your approach to contemporary classical music and … engaging with activism or resistance movements? Rountree: A lot of people mention that I have tendencies toward ‘political music,’ but I would like to think of it differently. What is inspiring to me is exploring the stories that are affected by political situations. Q: What advice would you give young musicians today? Rountree: I’d say to make work from your heart. Don’t worry what other people think…. Don’t wait to be asked to dance—just dance.”
Posted May 22, 2019
