wnyc.org / 93.9fm / am 820

James DePreist faced more than the average number of obstacles to becoming a successful conductor. He has polio, and conducts from a wheelchair. And he is African-American, which is still a surprisingly rare thing to be in the world of classical music. Still, DePreist has achieved great success on the podium, and after more than 20 years as music director the Oregon Symphony recently became Director of Conducting and Orchestral Studies at the Juilliard School. He joins us to tell his remarkable story. Also: Carl Orff's 1937 cantata "Carmina Burana" is based on bawdy medieval Latin texts and is a surefire crowd-pleaser. But it also has a checkered past. We're joined by musicologist Richard Taruskin, who sheds some light on its dramatic history.
Additional Resources:
» James DePreist's Web site
» Talking Music With a Maestro at Juilliard