Celebrating the Earth

On this episode of Arizona Encore, we’ll explore music inspired by our planet earth, and hear first-hand how our relationship to nature has changed. We’ll start with music by Ludwig van Beethoven, who, as a city-dweller, loved to go to rural Austria for rest and rejuvenation.

We’ll also hear the world premiere performance of Jake Runestad’s Earth Symphony. From his 2022 lens, Runestad sees the earth as a refuge which humanity and industry has abused. Where Beethoven luxuriated in the natural world, Runestad’s music makes a compelling case to fight for it. Earth Symphony won the 2022 Rocky Mountain Emmy Award for Musical Composition. And it started right here, in Arizona.

In honor of Earth Day, tune in Arizona Encore to listen to the beautiful and complex harmonies composers have found in the environment.