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Interview with Jocelyn Hagen and Emily Threinen

Minnesota-based composer Jocelyn Hagen has always been a fierce advocate for gender equality and inclusivity. A founder of the Compose Like A Girl initiative, her work has helped amplify the music of women composers, diversify concert programming and commissioning, mentor emerging composers, and much more.  

At 7:30 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 6, one of Hagen’s compositions will be receiving its Midwest premiere at Ted Mann Concert Hall at the University of Minnesota. “

 is an immersive, transcendent experience that invites audiences to reflect on the interconnectedness of life, light and love, reimagining the story of existence through a feminine lens,” Hagen’s website states. “An oratorio in three parts, the piece is a celebration of beauty, creativity and the profound act of bringing life into the world. Scored for Treble Choir and wind ensemble — this work blends music, poetry and visuals to craft a deeply moving artistic experience.” The piece will be performed by the University Wind Ensemble, University Treble Chorus and Minnesota Chorale, and will be conducted by Emily Threinen, Betsy McCann and Kathy Romey.

Listen as host Steve Seel speaks with Hagen and Threinen in advance of the premiere through the player above.

 Jocelyn Hagen's NEW Multimedia Symphony: CREATION!

The libretto for the piece is based on works by eight women poets that explore themes of “the universe’s birth, the formation of life on Earth, motherhood, and the power of community.” Two of the poems by writer, artist and scholar Gretchen Ernster Henderson are newly commissioned. 

Hagen also states that piece is dedicated to Cecilia Payne, the pioneering scientist who discovered the composition of the universe, embodying the work’s themes of knowledge, wonder and humanity. 

Find out more about the concert and how to attend on 

Steve Seel is the morning host on YourClassical from 6 a.m. to 10 a.m. on weekdays, and host of YourClassical’s weekly SymphonyCast. Until the fall of 2026, he was also host of the trailblazing music show Extra Eclectic. He possesses a broad knowledge of many musical genres, having hosted radio programs ranging from classical to jazz and even avant-garde music at radio stations around the country. Steve began his love affair with public radio at 24 working whatever shifts he could at his hometown station of WUSF-FM in Tampa, Florida, and from there worked his way to snowy Buffalo, New York, and its renowned classical station WNED-FM, where he hosted middays and the weekly experimental-music show Present Tense.  In 2005, Steve became one of the founding voices on Minnesota Public Radio's eclectic station, the Current. While there, he hosted afternoons and mornings, and conducted in-depth interviews with pop music luminaries ranging from Brian Eno to David Byrne to Tori Amos.


Steve Seel

At 7:30 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 6, Jocelyn Hagen’s ‘Creation’ — a piece that “invites audiences to reflect on the interconnectedness of life, light and love, reimagining the story of existence through a feminine lens” —  will be receiving its Midwest premiere at Ted Mann Concert Hall at the University of Minnesota. 


A woman stands in a vast field of tall grass fringed by distant trees

Jocelyn Hagen's 'Creation' receives its Midwest premiere in Minneapolis

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