1. If you could work with any composer, alive or dead, and/or rock band, alive or dead, who would it be?
Classical: Today I am going to say Frédéric Chopin. If I had a time machine, I’d jump straight to Paris in 1835 and try to sneak into a salon party that Chopin was improvising at. Make sure my iPhone is fully charged so I could record it. Have a cocktail with with him and George Sand and Delacroix. Do some advanced fundraising for FUSE. Sounds pretty good.
2. Apart from music, what else inspires you?
I’m inspired by individuals of extraordinary creative vision willing to work tirelessly to realize that vision. I’m inspired by transcendental beauty: beauty in art, beauty in people. I’m inspired by the awesomeness of nature and the opportunities that each new day represent. By variety. I’m inspired by my family and my friends and by moments that were only so good because they were earned. I’m inspired by my teachers and my heroes. I’m inspired by the person at Curtis who told me never to give up my individual voice as a creator: Dr. Ford Lallerstedt. I’m inspired by honesty- by people who do what they say they’re going to do. I’m inspired by people that aren’t afraid. I’m inspired by those people’s incredible stories. I’m inspired by the girl that was still in the practice room when you left, and the guy that was at the gym before you got there. I’m inspired by how much of these things and people are out there.
3. What is :STEREO HIDEOUT: and how does it influence your orchestral work?
:STEREO HIDEOUT: IS my work. It is my musical brand that represents the coming together of ‘high’ and ‘pop’ art in a virtuosic way. It can be classical mash-ups like the one we are discussing, that live in the ‘classical music world’ space, or it can be club music that superimposes classical music over EDM beats, that lives in the ‘pop music world’ space.
4. What are you currently listening to?
Loads of demos for the second STEREO HIDEOUT album, Tchaik 6, Mozart 40, Bruckner 9, and at all other times Kendrick Lamar ‘To Pimp a Butterfly’
Now that you know more about Steve Hackman, join him and the Colorado Music Festival Orchestra for THE 2015 MUSIC MASH-UP SERIES. Single tickets and series subscriptions are on sale now.
READ OUR PREVIOUS INTERVIEW WITH STEVE HACKMAN
Watch full performances of past Music Mash-Up concerts:
2013 BRAHMS V. RADIOHEAD
2014 BEETHOVEN V. COLDPLAY