The first concert of Zeitgeist's season is happening this weekend at Studio Z, and I'm especially excited about these concerts because we will be performing a piece that I've wanted to bring to the Twin Cities for a very long time: Apprehensions for clarinet, voice, and piano by Shulamit Ran, based on a poem Sylvia Plath. I had the great fortune to work with Shulamit some years ago, and at her composer talk she played a recording of this piece. It blew me away instantly, and I've been wanting...
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Zeitgeist is pleased to welcome pianist Julie Sweet to the stage with them this season, starting with the New Music Harvest concerts next weekend. Julie will be stepping in for the 2013-14 season as Shannon Wettstein takes a leave of absence. Here's an interview with Julie so you can get to know her and say hello at the next Zeitgeist concert!


Tell us about your musical background before joining Zeitgeist.

I started with piano lessons at age 7 (I remember watching my dad, in total awe, playing...
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Composer Christopher Hopkins shares the inspiration behind his piece “Echoes Fantasy” for two pianos and two vibraphones. Zeitgeist will perform this work in their New Music Harvest concerts Sept. 26-28 alongside music by Shulamit Ran, Cort Lippe, and Abbie Betinis.


Echoes Fantasy is one of several recent compositions in which I integrate ideas from historical and modern musical forms. In these compositions I look to the deeper motivations and overarching poetic gestures found in historic...
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