Augusta Read Thomas

by Gianna Capobianco

Augusta Read Thomas asked herself

What would happen if I spent the next 30 or 40 years giving back to the music community?  And really do it for other people and let them get the prize, let them get the residency.

This incredibly generous, community-centered mindset has led Thomas to launch the careers of countless musicians and to elevate the entire music community.  She has worked as the Composer-in-Residence for Chicago Symphony Orchestra where she launched the MusicNOW series. She also spearheaded Ear Taxi Festival 2016, and created Chicago Center for Contemporary Composition at the University of Chicago and the Grossman Ensemble which has premiered 41 new works by emerging composers.

Thomas is among the preeminent composers of our time, and truly among the most respected, prolific, and highly sought after in the field.

Thomas has volunteered countless hours to American Music Center, and The American Academy of Arts and Letters to name just a few.  Read more about Thomas here.

Picosa is honored to collaborate with such an empathetic and trailblazing leader who is committed to empowering others and helping them succeed.

Picosa has performed works by Thomas more than any other composer. In addition, Picosa presented the world premiere of the clarinet version of Scat. Thomas found Scat “interesting to compose” and “loved the premiere”.

In addition, Picosa has performed …a circle around the sun…, Capricci, Euterpe’s Caprice, and Piano Etudes; III. Cathedral Waterfall, V. Rain at Funeral. Thomas “loves the spirit of Picosa” and the “skill and nuance of the performers”.

Thomas has a clean, imaginative, and fresh style of composing which pulls at the performers and listeners heartstrings. These attributes are especially prevalent in Plea for Peace which Picosa Artistic Director and Flutist Jennie Oh Brown premiered the alto flute version on her solo album Giantess to critical acclaim.

Brown says about Plea for Peace:

I was so profoundly moved as I first listened to Plea for Peace. It captured grief in a way that words could never accomplish, which was indeed Thomas’ intentions. Her choice to write the piece as a wordless vocalise allowed it to transcend barriers of language and culture. Working with Thomas on new settings for flute and alto flute, and performing the alto version live and in recording were highlights of my recent years, largely because of the joy that always exists in any collaborative endeavor with Thomas.

Watch several performances of Plea for Peace here.

It’s impossible to think of a musical professional who has more creative impact than Augusta Read Thomas. She is among the most prolific and highly respected composers of our time. Her music is nothing short of a reflection of who she is as a creative being; it is filled with vibrancy, intense rhythmic energy, and a limitless range of human expression. It is simply masterful art.