Interview with George Benjamin, 16th Frontiers of Knowledge Award in Music and Opera

The BBVA Foundation Frontiers of Knowledge Award in the Music and Opera category has gone in this sixteenth edition to Sir George Benjamin (composer, conductor and Henry Purcell Professor of Composition at King’s College London) for “his extraordinary contribution and impact in contemporary creation in the realms of symphonic music, opera and chamber music,” said the committee in its citation. KEY MOMENTS: 00:05 The jury highlights that you have "modernized the operatic language, proposing new narrative structures and an emotional dramaturgy that moves the public of the 21st century". To what extent do you think this is the case and what characteristics do you consider make your operas so recognizable? 02:29 You had to dismiss almost a hundred writers and practically give up the idea of writing operas until you met Martin Crimp, who immediately became the playwright for all your operas. What did you see in him that made him the chosen one and what is the creative process like between the two of you? 07:46 Why is the opera still considered one of the most complete and complex forms of musical creation? 10:37 How do classic dramas connect with the most complex challenges of our times, whether social, cultural, economic or political? 13:34 "Dream of the Song" is partly inspired by texts of Federico García Lorca and you have conducted the music of Manuel de Falla. To what extent has your work as a composer and conductor been inspired by Spain and Spanish culture? 17:23 What do you gain from passing on your teachings to young composers through the Henry Purcell Chair at King's College London that you hold? Discover more here: https://www.frontiersofknowledgeaward... Follow us and learn about all our initiatives: Twitter:   / fundacionbbva   Facebook:   / fundacionbbva   LinkedIn:   / fundacion-bbva