From playing double bass, to teaching historic performance at Julliard, to writing poetry and works of music, contemporary American composer Doug Balliett stays busy. As composer-in-residence for the chamber music series of the forty-second Spoleto Festival USA, Doug is not only providing original works, arrangements, and guidance on their interpretation, but is also a performer in a majority of the series’ thirty-three concerts. The series runs through June 10th, with all performances held at the Dock Street Theatre in Charleston.
In this interview that aired Monday, May 28th, S.C. Public Radio’s Bradley Fuller spoke with Doug about his newly-composed string octet Gawain’s Journey, his dual role as performer and composer, and the inspiration he draws from classical mythology and medieval legend.