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When I came to Minneapolis for my interview with VocalEssence, one of the first people to show me around the twin cities was "local" composer Jake Runestad. Little did I know that the word local was not an accurate word to use when describing Jake Runestad and his compositional reach. This guy has received commissions and performances by Craig Hella Johnson, Patrick Quigley, Philip Brunelle, Andre Thomas, James Bass and the list goes on.
Funny thing is, he is only 27 years old...and in some conversations...a rising choral rockstar. It is evident that he has an excellent pedigree; having studied with acclaimed composer Libby Larsen and Pulitzer Prize winning composer Kevin Puts. So to put it simply, Jake Runestad is the real deal.
His latest project, Dreams of the Fallen, will be premiered on Monday night and will feature pianist Jeffrey Biegel, the Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra, and the Symphony Chorus of New Orleans. This work is part piano concerto and part choral symphony with emotionally charged text by Iraq War veteran Brian Turner. Honoring Our Heroes - A Veterans Day Concert will be performed at the National World War II Museum in New Orleans, Louisiana. There will be a live web-stream of the performance starting at 7pm and it can be found at www.lpomusic.com. Did I mention that actor John Goodman will be making an appearance to narrate Aaron Copland's Lincoln Portrait? I'll definitely be watching and hopefully you will too!
MPR Exclusive Sneak Peak of Dreams of the Fallen
Jake Runestad's description of Dreams of the Fallen
Best YouTube Performance
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