In this Opus 2 ENCORE interview episode, Sarah Pizzichemi interviews composer, singer, and professor Dr. Kaley Lane Eaton.
Kaley Lane Eaton’s edited interview is originally featured in Opus 2 Episode 5, Fanfare for the Uncommon Woman. In Episode 5, Skyros Quartet takes a look at the integral role of women in
the development of the chamber music genre, and the continuation of women composing for chamber ensembles. Unlike other genres of Western classical music like orchestras or solo performing, women have always had an important role in the development of chamber music. Sarah describes the history of women in chamber music and steps toward a more equitable future. Willie guides us through the steps we take in Skyros Quartet to include diversity in every program and resources to help others do the same.
A conservatory-trained classical pianist and vocalist who found a calling creating electronic music shortly after a stint playing Baroque lute, Seattle composer Kaley Lane Eaton’s music is colored by this eclecticism, expressing a preoccupation with harmony, improvisation, storytelling, emotion, physical gesture, and vocal virtuosity. She also teaches composition, voice, theory, and music technology at Cornish College of the Arts. In the interview, Sarah and Kaley discuss her path to composition, navigating the world of classical music as women, her new music ensemble Kin of the Moon, teaching artistry, COVID-19 projects, and more.
To find out more about Kaley, visit her website, or on the website for her chamber ensemble, Kin of the Moon. We also recommend reading an incredibly powerful article from Practice Magazine that Kaley wrote for young composers and those interested in composing, Things I Wish I Had Known When I Thought I Couldn’t Be A Composer.