Classical IPR got to spend part of this year's International Women's Day with a composer that the New Yorker has called "one of the most successful woman composers of all time."
Joan Tower is best known for "Fanfare for the Uncommon Woman," a set of six instrumental fanfares loosely inspired by Aaron Copland's "Fanfare for the Common Man."
Her "Fanfare for the Uncommon Woman" was performed as part of theinauguration of Vice President Kamala Harris in 2021 - Copland's "Fanfare for the Common Man" was performed for the inauguration of President Joe Biden.
Tower has also written five string quartets, a ballet and a number of instrumental tone poems. She won a Grawenmeyer Award in 1990 for her piece "Silver Ladders" as well as multiple Grammy Awards for her "Made in America."
Tower is currently in residence at Interlochen Center for the Arts, where she's working with student and faculty composers and performers.
Interlochen faculty pianist Kara Huber will perform Tower's complete piano worksSaturday afternoon in the Dendrinos Chapel and Recital Hall. The recital is free and open to the public.
Tower also visited IPR during her time in northern Michigan.
She shared the history and context of several of her best known pieces, including some of the Fanfares, the chamber piece "Petroushskates" and the solo piano work "Ivory and Ebony."
Tower explained that "Petroushskates" was written as a compromise with the other members of the Da Capo Chamber Players in 1980. She wanted them to play a piece by Philip Glass, and they wanted her to write a new piece for them. Tower agreed to write a piece only if the group would also play music by Glass.
Tower also expressed her excitement about having Kara Huber playing all of her piano pieces. She noted that it's unusual enough to have a pianist commit to learning the complete piano works of any composer, let alone a living composer.
In fact, Huber's interpretations have made Tower appreciate her own music even more. Regarding "Ivory and Ebony," Tower said that she wasn't quite sure about the piece while she was writing it, but after hearing Huber perform it, Huber "made it work."
"I actually liked the piece better after hearing her play it," Tower said.
Music of Joan Tower heard in this segment
Fanfare for the Uncommon Woman no. 1
Ivory and Ebony
Tambor
Fanfare for the Uncommon Woman no. 5
Fanfare for the Uncommon Woman no. 6
Petroushskates
Additional support for this interview came from Eric Stomberg, Kara Huber and Amanda Sewell.
