
Musician Jonathan Bagg, of Duke’s Ciompi String Quartet, enjoys putting on performances that combine the intellectual power of words with the emotional nuance of music. His latest hybrid is called Project Orfeo. It weaves two compositions together with readings by acclaimed novelist Richard Powers. The text is from Powers’ most recent novel, “Orfeo” (Norton, 2014), about an avant-garde composer turned biologist.

“A Famous Novelist and a Duke Composer Combine Their Powers in Project Orfeo,” by Dan Ruccia, IndyWeek, September 21, 2016. An interview with composer Scott Lindroth about Project Orfeo, based on the Powers novel. “Lindroth’s raving about the book to musicians Jonathan Bagg and Laura Gilbert led Gilbert to reveal that she had grown up with Powers. That conversation from 2014 resulted in an unexpected collaboration….”

“Music as a Muse: Making Project Orfeo,” by Eric Ferreri, Duke Today, September 20, 2016. “Duke composer Scott Lindroth explains how he turned author Richard Powers’ words into music.” Includes a printed interview and video (also available on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PiiJtpnHUQk).

Project Orfeo will be performed at Duke University on September 25, 2016. Powers joins Duke faculty composer Scott Lindroth, the Horszowski Piano Trio, clarinetist Benjamin Fingland, flutist Laura Gilbert and Duke faculty violist Jonathan Bagg in a mixed-media concert that combines readings from Powers’ 2014 novel Orfeo with performances of Messiaen’s Quartet for the End of Time, and the premiere a new Lindroth composition.

“Cadences,” a sextet composed by Scott Lindroth, inspired by the Richard Powers novel Orfeo, was performed in the Electric Earth series at the Avaloch Farm Music Institute in New Hampshire on August 27, 2016. Lindroth gives opening remarks and Powers reads from Orfeo. The performance is available on YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QGIqcJi0fRw.

“Richard Powers provides literary strand for Electric Earth concert,” by David Weininger, Boston Globe, August 25, 2016. Weininger interviews Powers about the “Project Orfeo” concerts.
Link to information on the scheduled performances of “Project Orfeo.”

Project Orfeo is a a concert, inspired by Powers’ novel Orfeo, that combines the music of Olivier Messiaen and composer Scott Lindroth. It will be performed on August 27, 2016, at Bass Hall in Peterborough, New Hampshire. (Link to Peterborough performance)
A second performance will be at the Baldwin Auditorim at Duke University on September 25, 2016. (Link to Duke performance)