"There are no two points so distant from one another that they cannot be connected by a single straight line -- and an infinite number of curves."
Composer Lawrence Dillon has produced an extensive body of work, from brief solo pieces to a full-length opera. Partially deaf from birth, Dillon grew up in a bustling household with seven older siblings. He began composing as soon as he started piano lessons at the age of seven. In 1985, he became the youngest composer to earn a doctorate at The Juilliard School, and was shortly thereafter appointed to the Juilliard faculty. Dillon is now Composer in Residence at the North Carolina School of the Arts, where he has served as Music Director of the Contemporary Ensemble, Assistant Dean of Performance and Dean of the School of Music.
Dillon's music, in the words of American Record Guide, is "lovely...austere...vivid and impressive." His works are recorded by Albany Records, Channel Crossings and CRS, and published by American Composers Editions. He is represented by Jeffrey James Arts Consulting.
Rehearsals for Revenant are in full swing, so I may as well take this opportunity to report that I’ve never liked conducting very much. I’m actually pretty good at it, especially when it’s my music, but I only do it when I’m absolutely sure that it’s the best way to get the best performance.
Conducting is one of the two things that keeps me from composing fluently. (The other is music administration, but that’s another story.) I find that the kind of focus required for conducting is anathema to the creative process. I have no difficulty understanding why so few have been able to do both simultaneously. I just can't help thinking, in the midst of a complex series of cues, "gee, it would be great to put a quintuplet in the flutes here," which totally blows my concentration for the task at hand.
So, as happy as I am to have the premiere coming, and happy as I am to be able to play a vital role in shaping the performance, a huge part of me can’t wait for Saturday morning, when it will all be over and I can recapture the stillness and free flow of ideas I need to keep writing.
Almost forgot: the Stravinsky Tuesday night was lovely.
Rehearsals for