Paola Prestini is on the search for the next Philip Glass. The composer has been hailed among the “Top 100 Composers Under 40” by NPR and is responsible for two artistic incubators. After graduating from Juilliard, Prestini found herself struggling to get commissions and find funding. She eventually found her way and began writing for some of the most prestigious names in music, like the Kronos Quartet, Sydney Opera, and the New York Philharmonic, with her works having been performed at venues such as the Park Avenue Armory and the Barbican Centre in London. She realized there was a need for a non-profit that helped musicians fundraise and create projects. To return the generosity that so many gave to her, she founded VisionIntoArt, an organization that commissions artists from various disciplines to collaborate on projects. Then came National Sawdust, which serves as a performance venue for curious artists and intrigued listeners in Williamsburg, Brooklyn.
Prestini first crossed paths with the iconic American composer Glass when he spoke to her class at Juilliard. Glass has collaborated with everybody from Paul Simon to David Bowie. The driving force behind operas like Einstein on the Beach and Satyagraha, as well as the scores for Academy Award-winning films like The Hours and Kundun, Glass’s minimalist compositions have even earned his music a place in fashion show soundtracks for Louis Vuitton and Céline. Glass and Prestini talk about the struggles of being a rising musician, collaboration, and how Prestini hopes that her programs will one day yield the next Glass.
