Schedule
HostsWays to Give
HomePlaylistSchedule
HostsEventsOn DemandOur StoryOur TeamWays to Give Become a Sponsor
How to ListenVisit Help CenterContact Us

Find Us on Social Media

Logo image

Download Our Mobile App

google play icon

About

HomePlaylistSchedule
HostsOn DemandOur StoryOur Team

Community

EventsWays to Give Become a SponsorPressDiversity StatementCareersKUSC EEO ReportKDFC EEO ReportDigital Accessibility

Help

How to ListenVisit Help CenterContact Us

Find Us on Social Media

Sweepstakes RulesKUSC Local Public FilesKDFC Local Public FilesPrivacy PolicyCode of Integrity

©2026 Classical California

articles / New Music

From Learning Major Chords to Grammy Awards

New MusicOpen EarsWomen in ClassicalPop Culture

Photos by Candace DiCarlo

One of today’s finest composers was a compositional late bloomer. Jennifer Higdon wrote her first pieces in college and went on to win the 2010 Pulitzer Prize (for her Violin Concerto) and two Grammy Awards (for her Percussion Concerto and Viola Concerto). She has been praised as “a savvy, sensitive composer with a keen ear, an innate sense of form and a generous dash of pure esprit.”

When I interviewed Higdon in 2007, I asked her if she came from a musical home:

From Learning Major Chords to Grammy Awards
00:00

Explore some of incredible music by Jennifer Higdon below:

New MusicOpen EarsWomen in ClassicalPop Culture
Written by:
Alan Chapman
Alan Chapman
Published on 06.09.2020
Loading...

MORE LIKE THIS

Gay Guerilla: Julius Eastman Comes to Los Angeles

Gay Guerilla: Julius Eastman Comes to Los Angeles

This article explores the life and work of Julius Eastman, a gay Black American composer who fused jazz and classical music. It discusses his struggle with identity, his unique compositions, and his posthumous recognition.

02/12/2024
A Musical Tribute to RBG

A Musical Tribute to RBG

A musical tribute to Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, "Notorious RBG in Song", has been released by Cedille Records. The album features songs reflecting on Ginsburg's life and career.

03/06/2020
How a Dream About Steinways on the 5 Freeway Made it to the Concerthall

How a Dream About Steinways on the 5 Freeway Made it to the Concerthall

Pianist Orli Shaham discusses her experience performing John Adams' Grand Pianola Music, inspired by a dream of piano-limousines. Adams himself conducts at the LA Phil.

04/01/2019
Finding Grief and Comfort in Dale Trumbore’s “How to Go On”

Finding Grief and Comfort in Dale Trumbore’s “How to Go On”

LA Master Chorale performs Dale Trumbore's "How to Go On" and Maurice Duruflé's Requiem, exploring themes of grief, consolation, and human mortality through music and poetry.

04/01/2019
‘A Lovely Job to Be In’

‘A Lovely Job to Be In’

Pianist Helen Jane Long is set to perform with a live string ensemble at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music, featuring music from her latest CD, Perspective.

03/27/2019
A Seven Soloist Concerto from One Found Sound

A Seven Soloist Concerto from One Found Sound

One Found Sound, a conductorless orchestra, features seven wind soloists and percussion in a concert at Heron Arts, San Francisco, playing music by Frank Martin, Reena Esmail, and Mozart.

03/27/2019