Maria Schneider

Maria Schneider is one of the most important composers & arrangers of our time. A singular voice who is always recognizeable. To me, Maria is a pioneer, always finding new ways of ensemble writing that inspire her musicians to really engage with the music, and not just play their part. In the tradition of Duke Ellington or Gil Evans, she really writes for individuals and you can hear that in the unique sound that she gets out of her orchestra.

I was so excited to get to pick her brain about her process, my favorite albums of hers like “Concert in the garden” or “Allegresse”, about learning from Gil Evans and much more. Maria was on fire during the whole conversation. It felt to me like we were hanging out. I hope you enjoy this as much as I did.