Osvaldo Golijov

by Euan Kerr, Minnesota Public Radio

Argentinian composer Osvaldo Golijov draws from many influences. There is the classical music and klezmer he learned through his Russian Jewish immigrant parents. There is the passionate tango of Astor Piazzola which resonates through Argentina, as well as the deep, and at times militant, Christianity of South America. Golijov brought all of these influences together in his composition "St Mark Passion". The piece re-tells the story of the Crucifixion from a South American viewpoint. It has been a huge critical success and enraptured audiences. Golijov was in the Twin Cities recently. He told Minnesota Public Radio's Euan Kerr he finds nothing strange in combining all these different musical threads.