Meet a force in Contemporary Music: Gil Rose

Gil Rose is a conductor and  the founder and artistic director of the performing and recording ensemble the Boston Modern Orchestra Project (BMOP), which is dedicated exclusively to commissioning, performing, and recording music of the twentieth and twenty-first centuries, and Odyssey Opera which is dedicated to performing lesser-known older operas as well as contemporary new works. Rose is also the founder of BMOP/Sound, BMOP’s independent record label, which was created in 2008 to provide a platform for BMOP’s (and then Odyssey’s) extensive archive of music.

In this podcast, Gil Rose shares his motivation behind starting BMOP( which is celebrating its 25th anniversary) and his desire  to create a musically interesting and worthwhile project focused on contemporary music and focused on the dynamic between composers, performers, and the audience. Rose discusses his emphasis on flexibility and collaboration with other arts organizations and creating a great orchestra with exceptional free-lance musicians—a decision that allows BMOP to perform a wide range of repertoire, from 90-player orchestra pieces to smaller ensembles. Rose also talks about the critical aspect of fundraising and the challenges of sustaining BMOP and Odyssey, and the importance of grants, particularly those received from the National Endowment for the Arts which have provided integral support for a variety of projects, and whose endorsement acts as a seal of approval and often helps in raising money from other sources. Gil Rose also discusses the "As Told By" initiative, a five-year project commissioning, premiering, and recording opera works by black composers about black historical subjects. (The first opera premiered was "X:The Life and Times of Malcolm X" by Anthony Davis; the second scheduled for 2024 will be “Harriet Tubman” by Nkeiru Okoye—both received grants from the Arts Endowment.) And finally, Rose reflects on BMOP's 25th anniversary, their many collaborations and partnerships, their debut at Carnegie Hall, which received glowing reviews from The New York Times and what’s on the road ahead. Let us know what you think about Art Works—email us at artworkspod@arts.gov.