Diversity matters

He is one of the most exciting conducting personalities of his generation. Like few others, Kevin John Edusei moves effortlessly between eras and styles: from early to contemporary music. Influenced in no small part by Pierre Boulez, he has no fear of crossing boundaries. With this profile, he also caused a sensation as chief conductor in Bern.

Alex Paxton is a dazzling figure who truly transcends boundaries: The English-born composer, jazz improviser, and trombonist has received numerous awards. He and the Basel Sinfonietta present an exceptionally diverse program. Then there's Julius Eastman: As a gay Black man, he faced massive discrimination throughout his life in the USA. Despite being admired by figures like John Cage and Morton Feldman, he died forgotten and impoverished in 1990.

He was one of the leading exponents of a free "minimal music" with improvisational elements, as heard in "Stay on It" from 1973. Derrick Skye also moves in minimalist territory, reflecting on traditions from the Balkans, Ghana, and North India in "Prisms, Circles, Leaps" from 2014. Jessie Cox, who grew up in Biel, Switzerland, with roots in the Caribbean, also sees herself as a bridge-builder.

In "Shadow Play" from 2023, he fills soundscapes with multifaceted rituals. These rituals simultaneously uphold the Creole heritage of the Maloyas during the time of slavery, in order to rebel against all forms of racism. In contrast, Missy Mazzoli's "Sinfonia (for Orbiting Spheres)" from 2014 explores the boundaries between minimalism, cluster-like soundscapes, and lyrical song.