John Adams in conversation with Noah Bendix-Balgley (17 min.)

John Adams’s time as Composer in Residence included not only his debut conducting the Berliner Philharmoniker and a concert together with the Orchestra Academy, but also the performance of a number of the composer’s older and newer works under the direction of a variety of conductors. In January 2017, Adams’s oratorio The Gospel According to the Other Mary was performed under the baton of Sir Simon Rattle. A first-class ensemble of singers featuring the mezzo-soprano Kelley O’Connor filled this alternative Passion narrative with musical and dramatic intensity. The composer talks here with the orchestra’s 1st concertmaster, Noah Bendix-Balgley, about Adams’s predecessor as Artist in Residence – Peter Sellars – who wrote the libretto, the political responsibility of the artist in distressing times and working together with the Berliner Philharmoniker.