Momena Quartet’s Composers at Home series, a selection of interviews composers, kicks off the first published interview with composer and Civitellian Christopher Stark (CRF 2012).
Q: What is an early musical experience that has stayed with you throughout your career?
A: The first time I saw an orchestra (or chamber orchestra in this case) was during my freshman year of college when the St. Paul Chamber Orchestra toured to Missoula, Montana and played Copland’s Appalachian Spring. That experience completely blew my mind and set me on a path of wanting to be a composer.
Q: Is there a particular favorite book/movie/TV show you’ve recently read/watched that you’d recommend?
A: I’ve recently been reading the art criticism of Rosalind Krauss, which is just brilliant and very applicable to the field of music. I’d recommend her essay entitled, “Grids.” As for TV, I’m really invested in HBO’s My Brilliant Friend––mainly for the incredibly chic production! I also watched the film Booksmart recently, which is very funny.
Read the full interview here.