Five Questions with Composer Henry Rusten
By Eric Dundon
When St. Louis Symphony Orchestra musicians present chamber music as part of the SLSO’s Live at The Sheldon series, they’re given artistic control of the program and perform a wide range of repertoire not generally heard on classical programs. This also includes chamber music by rising composers at the University of Missouri, part of the orchestra’s long-running collaboration with the Mizzou New Music Initiative (MNMI)—a program of the university that supports emerging composers.
On most Live at The Sheldon programs this season, SLSO musicians will give the world premiere performances of MNMI composers’ works, including Henry Rusten’s Paradigm Shift on March 6.
A Missouri native, Rusten began composing music in high school, when in 2022 he won the High School Orchestral category winner in MNMI’s statewide Missouri Composers Project for his composition Themes of Imagination. He hopes to write music for TV, film, and video games.
Here, he talks about the world premiere of Paradigm Shift.
This interview has been edited for length and clarity.
SLSO: What is your musical history? How has it influenced your voice so far as a composer?
Henry Rusten: I began taking piano lessons when I was five years old. I also began taking guitar and viola lessons when I was nine. I was in youth orchestra and music classes, and then in high school was a part of jazz band, string orchestra, and choir. Also, my family is very musical with the main influence being my grandmother who was a piano teacher for over 40 years. Being surrounded by music throughout my childhood caused me to be well versed in different aspects of performance and theory.
Tell us about your composition process.
My composition process is very piano focused. I typically start by improvising until I find a short melodic or harmonic idea on the piano that I like and then expand on that. I then intertwine those ideas with new themes and harmonies in different ways to create interesting movement throughout the full duration of the piece.
Tell us about your piece, which will receive its world premiere at the March 6 Live at The Sheldon chamber music concert.
My piece, Paradigm Shift, consists of a four-note theme, which is utilized with various keys, instruments, and harmonic surroundings to create a sense of building throughout the piece until a more uncovered and homelike quiet consonant harmony at the end.
What should audiences listen for in your piece? What do you hope they take away from listening?
The audiences should listen for how the theme with the same notes can be felt as consonant or dissonant or ambiguous depending on the texture surrounding it. I hope listeners take away a sense of having been on a journey with this short theme throughout its many uses and I hope listeners feel a sense of unexpected arrival at the end.
This performance is a result of the collaboration between the SLSO and the Mizzou New Music Initiative, connecting the orchestra to rising composers’ voices. What does the experience of having professional musicians perform your music mean to you? What do you anticipate learning or taking away from the experience?
Having the opportunity to work with professional musicians, especially as a sophomore undergraduate student, is incredible. I am very thankful for this collaboration. It is great to be able to get practice and experience rehearsing with a professional ensemble as well as insight into how a professional ensemble operates. I anticipate learning how to more efficiently and effectively use time during a rehearsal and also receive comments from professionals on how my sheet music is formatted and what could’ve been done better.
Eric Dundon is the SLSO’s Public Relations Director.
