Caroline Shaw writes music for the voice that catches you off guard. Singers talk over each other, break into huge chords and use stunning vocal techniques from all over the world.
Caroline was the youngest composer to win the Pulitzer Prize, at age 30, for her composition “Partita for 8 Voices.” She wrote it for Roomful of Teeth, the vocal group she sings in. It’s gotten standing ovations in concerts where it’s the first piece on the program.
That’s a tough act to follow. But Caroline Shaw has a new piece for Roomful of Teeth.
It's called "This Might Also Be a Form of Dreaming." Roomful of Teeth recently performed it for just the second time at a concert in Denver, at the Newman Center for the Performing Arts. The Playground Ensemble, a contemporary classical group, helped commission the piece and play it in concert.
Here's a live recording of that performance -- plus a look at Caroline's unique vocal music, and why she's so excited about this new piece. Click the audio link above to hear this episode of Centennial Sounds, the newest podcast from CPR Classical and Colorado Public Radio.
More music to explore:
- Watch Roomful of Teeth sings music from Caroline Shaw's Partita for 8 Voices and Ted Hearne's "Coloring Book" in the CPR Performance Studio.
- Hear about Playground Ensemble's work to mentor K-12 student composers, as well as the group's Soundpainting lessons and performances
- Hear Roomful of Teeth sing an earlier version of "This Might Also Be A Form of Dreaming" during its Ojai Music Festival world premiere in 2016.
