Michael Torke, Master of Musical Color

American composer Michael Torke joins conductor Devin Patrick Hughes on One Symphony. Michael Torke's music has been hailed as "some of the most optimistic, joyful and thoroughly uplifting music to appear in recent years" by Gramophone, and the composer has been commissioned by such orchestras as The Philadelphia Orchestra, the New York Philharmonic, and the San Francisco Symphony; and  by ballet and opera companies around the world including the Met and the English National Opera.

He has been commissioned by Disney and Absolute Vodka, has written incidental music for The Old Globe Theater, and has been composer in residence with the Royal Scottish National Orchestra.

Beginning his career with exclusive contracts with Boosey and Hawkes, and Decca Records, he now controls his own copyrights and masters through his publishing company, Adjustable Music, and record company, Ecstatic Records.

Hailed as a "vitally inventive composer" by the Financial Times and "a master orchestrator whose shimmering timbral palette makes him the Ravel of his generation" by the New York Times, Michael Torke’s recent work, SKY, written for violinist Tessa Lark, was a finalist for the 2020 Pulitzer Prize, and was nominated for a Grammy for best classical instrument solo.

 

Thank you for joining us for on One Symphony. Thanks to Michael Torke for sharing his music and insights, you can get more info at https://www.michaeltorke.com. Works of his heard today include Ecstatic Orange, Time, Bright Blue Music, Being, Sky, and Four Proverbs.

Thank you to all amazing performers featured on today’s show including:

• David Zinman & the Baltimore Symphony
• Michael Torke and the Michael Torke Orchestra
• American Modern Ensemble
• David Alan Miller, Tessa Lark, & the Albany Symphony
• Lester Flatt & Earl Scruggs
• Catherine Bott and the Argo Band

And thanks to Michael Torke, Ecstatic Records, Albany Records, Columbia Records, and Decca Music Group for making the show possible.

You can always find more info at OneSymphony.org including a virtual tip jar if you’d like to support the show.  Thanks to Mary and Diane for making this episode possible! Please feel free to rate, review, or share the show! Until next time, thank you for being part of the music!