Sufjan Stevens and his Orchestra ride the BQE

Spinning on Air | May 18, 2010
Songwriter Sufjan Stevens has always shown a fascination with orchestral color and sound in his recordings, and his popular albums of songs usually include some purely instrumental pieces. Now he brings an orchestra of eleven players (including Sufjan himself) into the WNYC Studio for a live performance of pieces from his new instrumental composition “The BQE.” Sufjan talks with host David Garland about the music and the ideas behind it, which include the story of the Brooklyn Queens Expressway, the consequences of urban planning, and hula hoops. This music, scheduled for sold-out performances November 1 - 3 in BAM’s Next Wave Festival, receives its premier on Spinning On Air!

View photos from the session

About The BQE at The Brooklyn Academy of Music

About Sufjan Stevens at Asthmatic Kitty Records

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