With a “keen ear for musical color and a deft ability to adapt structural elements from popular music into the symphonic idiom” (Houston Chronicle), Michael Abels has gained widespread recognition for his orchestral pieces Global Warming and Frederick’s Fables. Global…
Notes from the Symphony – Volume 1 | Issue 1 Liquify is a tone poem, featuring a series of waterfront scenes. There are rapids, followed by a peaceful pastoral scene. Then the water starts to rise in geysers. Click here…
Primarily a composer of large forms, Abels has applied his skillful compositional approach to over 20 orchestral works. His much-admired piece Global Warming—written around the time of the collapse of the Berlin Wall and the end of the Cold War—was…
CYSO’s Symphony Orchestra will accompany alums Anthony and Demarre McGill to perform the world premiere of composer Michael Abels’ Winged Creatures at the League of American Orchestras’ national conference on Thursday, June 14. Abels, who composed the score to the…
There were no doubt many methods of remembrance Monday for Martin Luther King Jr. Day. For area music lovers, the place to be was Orchestra Hall, at the Chicago Sinfonietta’s stirring tribute to the civil rights leader. The musical forces…
Meet the man partially responsible for your goosebumps while viewing the hit films Us and Get Out: Michael Abels. In addition to being a critically-acclaimed film composer, Abels maintains an equally impressive repertoire of concert music. Cedille Records features his…
Jordan Peele’s smash hit Us is dominating the box office and sparking a lot of discussion due to the idea that everyone sees its intent and purpose differently. While Peele’s first movie, Get Out, was more cut-and-dry in the message…
“Visit your local record shop to find out how you can be part of Hands Across America,” intones a cheery TV promo at the beginning of Jordan Peele’s terrifying new film Us, in theaters now. The reference to the 1986…
What if it had been “Cell Therapy” instead? Goodie Mob’s 1995 hit—and the Atlanta group’s biggest ever—is sufficiently spectral and crawly. It’s also a song about a spurned community growing in the shadow of a common enemy: suspect city politics….
The Sphinx Laureates Concert at Carnegie Hall on Sept. 25, 2007 will feature the Harlem Quartet’s premiere of Delights and Dances, a work by Michael Abels which was commissioned by the Sphinx Organization to celebrate its 10th Anniversary as well…
A world premiere from composer Michael Abels, At War With Ourselves is an evening-length work for string quartet, chorus and spoken word, originally commissioned by new music’s premier ensemble, the Kronos Quartet, who perform for these two exclusive nights. Best…
Delights & Dances, the Chicago Sinfonietta’s first recording with its new music director, award-winning conductor Mei-Ann Chen, does what this singular ensemble does best: it captivates listeners of all ages and diverse ethnic backgrounds through irresistible music and superb musicianship….
On February 18th, 2018, Michael Abels received the Composer of the Year Award at an event produced by MusicUNTOLD, an organization dedicated to representing programs that promote diversity and human dignity, with a focus on African-American composers. The award has…
The definition of come-from-where success for many concerned, Jordan Peele’s “Get Out” revealed a TV-centric comedian who could turn satire into a socio-political cinematic knife. Equally captivating was the work of modern classical composer Michael Abels, who enlightened the body…
Michael Abels, who recently composed the magnificent score to Us (2019) for Jordan Peele, is an artist who is as comfortable with words as he is music. His insights into his own creative process are valuable, fascinating, and wholly revealing….
Michael Abels is an African-American composer known for his orchestra works Global Warming, Delights & Dances, and Urban Legend, and choral pieces such as Be The Change and Limitless. keen ear for musical color and a deft ability to adapt…