It seems remarkable that career firsts are still possible for this composer, conductor and pianist extraordinaire. Born in 1971, he burst onto the scene as a youngster in the 1990s with audacious works including the chamber opera Powder Her Face (1995) and orchestra piece Asyla (1997), whose sheer facility and invention swiftly secured his recognition worldwide as one of the outstanding composers and musicians of our time. Since then, he has continued to reap widespread acclaim with a prodigious output and performances spanning intimate chamber venues to the New York Metropolitan Opera House.
Yet, as our conversation unfolds during his flying visit home to London-between engagements in a 'woozily hot but very enjoyable Tanglewood (as artistic partner since 2016 with the Boston Symphony Orchestra) and Lucerne (where, among other things, he will conduct Anne-Sophie Mutter in the world premiere of his new work for violin and orchestra, Air) – it’s clear that ongoing firsts should be no surprise. As I discover, this is not least because the business of doors – open, shut and unexpected – remains on a profound, structural level central to his music.
In practical terms, the past year has seen Adès happily embark on a schedule that he nonetheless describes as ‘daunting’ even by his standards; pandemic lockdowns had offered the silver lining of composing at home, ‘more in tune with the world as the process didn’t feel quite so slow and quiet’ during that time.
This story is from the December 2022 edition of BBC Music Magazine.
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This story is from the December 2022 edition of BBC Music Magazine.
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