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Oral History Project

A documentary project featuring in-depth interviews with Gunther Schuller's colleagues, friends and relatives about his multi-faceted career.

Interviews

David Amram

David Amram is a composer and multi-instrumentalist. He first met Gunther Schuller in 1954 in Frankfurt, Germany and remained close friends for the next several decades. Amram was interviewed in his home in Beacon, NY in 2017 by Susan Calkins and George Schuller.

David Amram

Samuel Adler

Samuel Adler is a composer, conductor, and teacher. He first worked with Gunther Schuller in 1965 when the Dallas Symphony performed Schuller’s piece Symphony. Adler was interviewed at New England Conservatory in Boston, MA in 2017 by Susan Calkins.

Samuel Adler

John Heiss

John Heiss is a composer, conductor, flutist, and teacher. Following the publication of his groundbreaking article on flute multiphonics in Perspectives of New Music, Gunther Schuller recruited Heiss to join the faculty at New England Conservatory in 1967, where he continues to be an integral member of the community. Heiss was interviewed at the New England Conservatory in Boston, MA in 2017 by Charles Peltz and George Schuller.

John Heiss

Frank Battisti

Frank Battisti

George Avakian

George Avakian was a leading record producer and executive for several major labels (Columbia Records, Warner Bros, and RCA) while establishing many "firsts" in the recording industry including the development of the album, the LP, live concert recordings and multi-tracking. He produced one of Gunther’s first major recordings for Columbia entitled Music for Brass with John Lewis, Miles Davis and Dimitri Mitropoulos (1956). Avakian was interviewed at his home in Manhattan in 2017 by Susan Calkins and George Schuller.  

George Avakian
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