John Zorn - An Informance with John Zorn, 2007

Improv 21: = Q A: An Informance with John Zorn (2007) Taking questions directly from the audience and extrapolating from there, composer, saxophonist, Tzadik record label owner, and MacArthur Fellow John Zorn, talks about his work and the avant-garde music scene as he sees it. Joined by moderator Larry Ochs of the ROVA Saxopone Quartet and percussionist William Winant, Zorn discusses a number of topics including the use of texts in musical compositions; the influence of Judaism on his music; the process of composing 300 tunes in a matter of months; working within and for a community of composers and performers; the traditional packaging of music versus downloads; and Zorn’s early foray into performance art with his Theater of Musical Optics. Never one to be shy about his opinions Zorn is in a typical feisty mood during this engaging give and take with the audience. Producer: ROVA:Arts