Emmy-winning and Grammy-nominated composer and conductor Jake Runestad will join Cornell as the artist in residence April 15–17. His residency will conclude with a performance by the Cornell choirs singing many of his works.
They will sing “Come to the Woods,” featuring the writings of John Muir, and “A Silence Haunts Me,” which features a letter written by Beethoven to his brothers, admitting he was going deaf. The performance will include guest percussionist Nicole Wehring, piano work featuring first-year student Gabriella Niewhoner ’29, and accompaniment by Visiting Lecturer Jess Monnier. The concert will take place at 7 p.m. on Friday, April 17, at the United Methodist Church of Mount Vernon.
Tickets are free and open to the public, and can be reserved online. There will also be a livestream of the event available. The church is located two blocks from campus at 304 First Street SW in Mount Vernon.
Runestad believes music can create positive change, and he composes socially conscious music that explores a range of human emotions and experiences. His work has been heralded as imaginative and uplifting, winning several awards.
Junior Patricia Frodl ’27 is excited to work with Runestad, learning about his process, why he made each piece the way he did, and the many layers of his music.
“Having these artists is not just about singing their music, it is about making connections with the artists, with the history and intention of every piece,” Frodl said. “It makes the performance more impactful and personal because those pieces are no longer just notes and words, but a history that we all get to be a part of.”
Assistant Professor of Music Christopher Nakielski is looking forward to having Runestad on campus, especially since many students are already familiar with his work.
“He's a composer who focuses on community-building within his works, in addition to tackling social issues. And I think that with our current generation of college students and their extra value or emphasis put on social responsiveness, Jake Runestad is a composer that is very important to them,” Nakielski said.
For Runestad, composing music driven to make a positive difference requires more than just coming up with the right notes. It also involves a lot of research on the person or topic he’s writing about. In “Come to the Woods,” John Muir, a Scottish-American naturalist and author known as the “Father of the National Parks,” and his connection to nature drove the research stage of his creation process.
“I think finding the text is really the longest part of my process. It takes longer than writing the music, and that doesn’t mean that writing music isn’t hard, but I just spend so much time on the front end trying to learn as much as I can,” Runestad said in an interview with the Oregon Repertory Singers.
Runestad’s process results in impactful compositions that cause the audience–and the singers–to go on an emotional journey. Moving beyond the direct impact his music has, Runestad donates a portion of the proceeds from his sales to nonprofit organizations connected to the themes in his music.
Junior Meredith Sconce ’27 believes the artist in residence program at Cornell is a rewarding experience that builds confidence and creates more well-rounded musicians.
“I am very excited for Jake Runestad to visit. Of all the concerts I have performed in during my time at Cornell, this music will probably be at the top of my list. His work is deeply moving and has been a joy to learn,” Sconce said. “When he comes, I know we will gain an even deeper appreciation for his compositions and the thought behind them.”
Runestad holds a Master’s degree in composition from the Peabody Conservatory of the Johns Hopkins University. He will be the seventh artist in residence in the last three years and Cornell’s second artist in residence this year—Reena Esmail was on campus in November.