First hour: Understanding a community of people that chooses to live without technology
Second hour: Exploring American compositional and symphonic music
It might seem hard to believe, but a community of people in a remote jungle were closed off to the rest of the world until as late as 1970. They call themselves the Korowai, and they have built a remarkable existence in Indonesia, including homes high in the trees above the rain forest. For several decades, tourists have been allowed to interact with the Korowai, and that interaction has led to some misunderstandings on both sides. Rupert Stasch from the University of Cambridge has spent a great deal of time with the Korowai, and he's in Rochester to discuss his findings. First, he's our guest on Connections.
In our second hour: The United States has a long and rich music history, but here's a question: what is the American identity in classical and symphonic music? Even classical music lovers don't know much about Piston and his colleagues. Why not? The RPO's Ward Stare has put together a series of events to showcase American composition. We'll talk about great American music -- the kind that tends to get ignored by professional orchestras. Our guests:
- Ward Stare, music director for the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra
- Alan Fletcher, president and CEO of the Aspen Music Festival and School, and music administrator and composer
