Episodes
| Series | Episode | Title | First Broadcast | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 01 | Conversations With The Past | 20240101 | Kate Molleson chats with Caroline Shaw about her musical heritage and music making in the community. At the age of just 30, in 2013 American composer Caroline Shaw made the headlines when she became the youngest person to win a Pulitzer Prize for her vocal work 'Partita for Eight Voices'. It's a mind-blowing, joyous celebration of every sound and technique the human voice can achieve. The unexpectedly gained Pulitzer could have pigeonholed Shaw's future career, as a 'composer', but central to her identity as a creator is the fact that Shaw regards herself as musician. She's a violinist, a vocalist, producer and a composer, and it's the sum of all these parts that make up the creative impetus for her music. Blending performance with composition, blurring the lines between different musical genres, Shaw has avoided categorisation in the multiplicity of her enthusiasms. She's worked with rappers Kanye West and Nas, and soprano Renée Fleming, and mezzo-soprano Anne Sofie von Otter. Her more than one hundred works encompass classical works, film scores, vocal music, and performing and working collaboratively she continues to engage in a diverse range of multimedia projects. Today we hear about Caroline's childhood musical memories and about the connections she makes in her own compositions with historic figures like Beethoven, Chopin and Haydn. Plan and Elevation IV: The Orangery Attacca Quartet Caroline Shaw, vocals Attaca Quartet Partita for 8 Singers IV: Passacaglia Roomful of Teeth New Amsterdam NWAM078 Gustave Le Gray Amy Yang, piano Entr'acte (version for String Orchestra) United Strings of Europe Julian Azkoul, conductor Kate Molleson talks to Caroline Shaw about her heritage and community music making. Kate Molleson talks to multi-award-winning musician Caroline Shaw about her musical heritage and music making in the community. |
| 2024 | 02 | Building Blocks And Materials | 20240102 | Today Caroline and Kate discuss Caroline's fascination with structure, space and proportion and the challenges of trying to represent them in music. Valencia Attacca Quartet Limestone and Felt Clare Bryant, cello Nadia Sirota, viola Punctum Boris Kerner New Morse Code Hannah Collins, cello Michael Compitello, percussion Thousandth Orange for violin, viola, cello, piano Rothko Collective Kate Molleson chats with violinist, vocalist, producer and composer Caroline Shaw. Kate Molleson in conversation with multi-award-winning violinist, vocalist, producer and composer Caroline Shaw. |
| 2024 | 03 | One Hundred Different Instruments | 20240103 | Kate Molleson and musician Caroline Shaw talk about the role the voice plays in her music. Today Kate and Caroline consider Caroline's approach to writing music and why thinking in vocal terms is often the starting point for new ideas. Fleishman is in Trouble Beef Lo Mein Caroline Shaw, vocals And the Swallow Ars Nova, Copenhagen Paul Hillier, director Partita for 8 Singers I: Allemande Roomful of Teeth Brad Wells To the Hands (Seven Responses project) (excerpt) The Crossing & International Contemporary Ensemble Donald Nally, conductor Narrow Sea (excerpt) Dawn Upshaw, soprano Gilbert Kalish, piano Sŀ? Percussion Its motion keeps Brooklyn Youth Chorus Dianne Berkun Menaker, conductor “The Listeners ? (excerpt) Amery Avereau, contralto Dashon Burton, bass-baritone Philharmonia Orchestra and Chorus Nicholas McGegan, conductor |
| 2024 | 04 | Collaboration | 20240104 | Kate Molleson and musician Caroline Shaw talk about the artistic possibilities of being a performer and a composer. Today Kate and Caroline consider the value of working with regular ensembles, and the creative opportunities a collective approach produces. Plan and Elevation V: The Beech Tree Mari Samuelsen, violin Three Essays III: Ruby Calidore String Quartet The Isle (excerpt) Roomful of Teeth In manas tuas for solo cello Clarice Jensen Taxidermy Caroline Shaw, vocals Sŀ? Percussion Blueprint for String Quartet Aizuri Quartet Ariana Kim, Miho Saegusa, violins Ayane Kozasa, viola Karen Ouzounian, cello Kate Molleson and musician Caroline Shaw talk about being a performer and a composer. Kate Molleson and musician Caroline Shaw talk about her work with some of the long-standing groups she belongs to and her role within them as both a performer and a composer. |
| 2024 | 05 LAST | Multimedia Projects | 20240105 | Today Kate and Caroline dip into Caroline's music for films and TV, life as a touring musician, and the challenges of bringing music and visual arts together in performance. And we reveal why Caroline's favourite colour is yellow, and her favourite smell is rosemary. Music includes: To the Sky Sŀ? Percussion Caroline Shaw, vocals Cast the Bells in Sand Partita for 8 Singers II: Sarabande Roomful of Teeth Fleishman is in Trouble (excerpts) Ritornello 2.sq.2.j.a for string quartet Attacca Quartet Kate Molleson and musician Caroline Shaw chat about working in multidimensional ways. Kate Molleson and musician Caroline Shaw chat about her evolving interests and working in multidimensional ways. |