Hear the full "AAPI Classical Musicians of Interlochen" podcast feature by clicking or tapping "Listen" above.
This May, Classical IPR celebrates Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month on Classical IPR by featuring just some of the many AAPI artists of Interlochen who play significant roles in the classical music world.
Composer Jennifer Jolley, who served as a Interlochen Arts Camp composition faculty member from 2015 to 2024, wrote a piece called "March!" for the World Youth Wind Symphony, which premiered in 2021.
While marches are usually associated with pride and patriotism, Jolley uses audio from the Korean demilitarized zone and interrupts it with bouts of percussion — redefining and challenging expectations of the genre while imparting her own Korean background.
"I identify as Korean American, or hapa, because I am biracial. My dad is white, and my mother is Korean," says Jolley. "I started piano lessons at 6, mainly because I was fascinated by the instrument, but also because my Korean mother wanted me to learn piano. She also wanted me to learn the violin, but because I loathed practicing two instruments, I declared that I would only practice the piano, since I was only half Korean.
"Because I grew up believing I wasn't Korean enough to include Korean music in my compositions, I didn't for a very long time. However, in 2020, I wrote a piece titled 'March!' for the American Bandmasters Association that featured melodies from both North and South Korea. In honor of my mother and fellow Koreans, I have the entire ensemble hum the South Korean national anthem."
Jennifer Jolley is currently Associate Professor of Music at CUNY Lehman College, and her compositions encapsulate classical music of our modern era. Her works are not only beautiful to listen to, but also address meaningful topics in today's society, such as climate change, the #MeToo movement and feminist histories.
