One of America’s most famous living composers, John Adams is best known for producing dramatic works with highly topical subjects. A recent example is his Transmigration of Souls for chorus, children’s chorus, orchestra, and pre-recorded soundtrack. Commissioned by the New York Philharmonic for the opening of its 2002 season, the piece commemorated the first anniversary of the September 11, 2001 attacks on the World Trade Center. Its text consists almost entirely of missing-persons signs and memorials posted after September 11. This work is a testament to the significant place Adams occupies in American musical life.
Youth and Education
John Coolidge Adams was born on February 15, 1947, in Worcester, Massachusetts. The family soon moved, first to Vermont and then to New Hampshire. His father played the clarinet, and the young Adams also took up this instrument, traveling to Boston for clarinet lessons with t