{"id":96363,"date":"2018-12-10T19:50:00","date_gmt":"2018-12-11T00:50:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.bu.edu\/cfa\/?post_type=bu-article&p=96363"},"modified":"2023-02-01T13:46:17","modified_gmt":"2023-02-01T18:46:17","slug":"conversation-missy-mazzoli-valerie-coleman","status":"publish","type":"bu-article","link":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/cfa\/magazine\/articles\/2018\/conversation-missy-mazzoli-valerie-coleman\/","title":{"rendered":"Conversation: Missy Mazzoli & Valerie Coleman"},"content":{"rendered":"\t
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Missy Mazzoli and Valerie Coleman discuss the privacy of composing, the vulnerability of performing<\/h4>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\n\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t

Edited by Lara Ehrlich | Photos by Marylene Mey and Benedict Evans<\/p>\n\t\t\n\t<\/div>\n\n\t\n

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December 10, 2018<\/div>\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\t
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Grammy-nominated composer and flutist\u00a0Valerie Coleman<\/a>\u00a0uses her \u201cskillfully wrought, buoyant music\u201d (New York Times<\/a><\/em>) as a form of storytelling: in one chamber work, nomadic Roma tribes journey along dusty roads while a flute sonata gives voice to slaves trafficked from West Africa. Coleman (BUTI\u201989, CFA\u201995) premiered her latest piece,\u00a0Shot Gun Houses<\/a><\/em>, a suite for clarinet and string quartet based on the life of\u00a0Muhammad Ali<\/a>, in 2018.<\/p><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Missy Mazzoli<\/a>\u2019s \u201csavage, heartbreaking and thoroughly original\u201d (Wall Street Journal<\/a><\/em>) music is distinctive for its ferocity that veers into horror, like her opera dismantling the American dream through the story of 19th-century Nebraskan homesteaders and an operatic work reimagining the story of Lot\u2019s wife. Recently named composer-in-residence at Chicago Symphony Orchestra<\/a>, Mazzoli (BUTI\u201998, CFA\u201902) premiered her newest opera, Proving Up<\/a><\/em>, in 2018.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Mazzoli and Coleman were both listed among the top 35 women composers in classical music<\/a> by the Washington Post<\/em>. Their work has been performed at Carnegie Hall<\/a> and Kennedy Center<\/a>, among other venues, though never in the same season. Mazzoli is the founder of (and keyboardist in) the all-female chamber music ensemble Victoire<\/a>. Coleman is the founder of (and flutist in) the Grammy-nominated all-female chamber music ensemble Imani Winds<\/a>\u2014which has performed Mazzoli\u2019s music.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Although their paths have crossed musically time and time again, they\u2019ve never met. They\u2019d never even spoken, until they connected by phone to talk about the addictiveness of the flow state, how motherhood influences creativity, and finding inspiration while surfing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Missy Mazzoli:<\/strong> I\u2019ve known of you for so many years. It\u2019s nice to talk to you, finally.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Valerie Coleman:<\/strong> Yeah! This is great.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

MM:<\/strong> In my own work, performing, teaching, and writing are all essential. I can\u2019t give any of it up because it\u2019s all part of the puzzle. If I weren\u2019t performing, my writing wouldn\u2019t be as rich and I\u2019d feel like I was losing touch with my performers. How do you look at the puzzle of your life?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

VC:<\/strong> I would say that one has to celebrate the imperfections of juggling all of it. For example, motherhood is a wonderful thing, but it\u2019s also a challenge to find headspace when your daughter\u2019s decorating the house with bits of paper\u2014but even in that moment, there\u2019s an energy that can be inspiring.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

MM:<\/strong> I love this idea of embracing the imperfection of it all. Similarly, a long time ago, I accepted that I would not be the greatest pianist in the world, and that\u2019s actually good because it forces me to come up with creative pieces, turning these quote-unquote imperfections into an asset and creating something new out of them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u00a0I think human beings are the most inspiring thing in the world. I\u2019m interested in how we\u2019re flawed.<\/div>