Jennifer Higdon is a rarity in contemporary classical music: a serious composer with populist appeal. Last year she won a Pulitzer Prize and a Grammy for two different concertos. And this summer you can hear her work played around the country and the world.
But Higdon doesn’t have the typical musician’s background. She didn't pick up an instrument – a pawn-shop flute brought home by her mother – until she was fifteen. She tells Kurt Andersen that her childhood home was more steeped in the Beatles than Beethoven. (Originally aired: May 7, 2010)
Hear more Higdon this summer: Upcoming performances of Jennifer Higdon's work