Three Composers on the Necessity and Pitfalls of Political Music

Artist-in-Residence David Lang discussed the power of political music and what makes it successful with Joshua Barone of the New York Times, saying, "It’s very hard to have a kind of music that changes someone’s mind without really noticing it. A really incredible piece of art about politics is “The Threepenny Opera.” No one is a good character, and no one tells you what to think. It’s this disturbing situation that’s also really enjoyable with music. The social message is something you have to decode, maybe weeks later as you think about it or sing the songs to yourself."

Read more from Lang about his own political works, along with those of Caroline Shaw and Ted Hearne, which will be performed at the Institute on Friday, November 10 and Saturday, November 11.