16 Sep Scarecrow Overture
Joseph Turrin (b.1947) is a greatly valued contributor to contemporary American musical life, thanks to his wideranging activities as a composer, orchestrator, conductor, pianist, and teacher. He studied composition at the Eastman School of Music and the Manhattan School of Music, and pursued a career that has always been multifaceted. As a composer, he has produced works in many genres. Scarecrow Overture is taken from Turrin’s 2006 opera The Scarecrow. This opera is based on a short story written by the well known author, Nathaniel Hawthorne. In Hawthorne’s story, a scarecrow named Feathertop is created by a lonely old witch who brings him to life, teaches him to act human, sends him into town, and watches him struggle with the emotional complexity of human society.