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Augusta Read Thomas keeps her music “organic and kaleidoscopic, like nature”

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Some of the class members of IMAGINATION AND EXPERTISE IN COMPOSITION course at the University of Chicago

Augusta “Gusty” Read Thomas is the newest composition faculty member in the Department of Music. When asked about the coming year, she replies:  “I’m looking forward to teaching and working with my fabulous colleagues.  I have a really busy season in terms of my own works being played.”  And busy is right!  Within the next two months, she will premiere two new pieces, including one on Oct. 11th at Carnegie Hall with world-famous singers Nathan Gunn and Sasha Cook and the Orpheus Chamber Orchestra, as well as another work entitled “Resounding Earth” written for over 300 bells and bell-like objects.  You can meet Gusty at the Logan Launch Festival when she leads an interactive workshop that is free and open to the public.  Continue reading to learn more about Gusty’s upcoming season, what inspires her, and what to look forward to in the coming year from the University’s composition students!

 

As the newest department faculty member in composition, what path brought you here?  And why did you choose to work specifically at the University of Chicago?

For starters, I feel very lucky to be here at UC – exceptionally blessed!  It has only been a year but I think UC has the most fantastic music department – and say that having had the opportunity to teach for a decade at the fantastic Eastman School, for six years at stellar Northwestern, in addition to teaching at Tanglewood and Aspen in the summers.  In short: the opportunity to be at UC is categorically special.  I’m still pinching myself that it’s actually true! I’ve admired and known many of the music faculty for decades.  They are all famous superstars doing a hundred wonderful things – furthermore, all categorically nice, civilized, polite and elegant.

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