Irving S. Gilmore Music Library

Major Figures in American Music now streaming online

Julia Wolfe
August 3, 2020

Oral History of American Music (OHAM) is pleased to announce that its cornerstone collection, Major Figures in American Music, is now accessible online. Major Figures in American Music incorporates over 1400 interviews with noted American composers, performers and other significant musicians, dating from 1970 to the present. OHAM continues to conduct interviews and add these to the collection every year. The collection notably features multiple interviews with a number of celebrated musical figures, such as Aaron Copland, John Adams, Julia Wolfe, Willie Ruff, and David Lang. Interviews were often conducted at various stages of their careers, and this provides a unique insight into their life and work over time.

The collection's finding aid includes links to stream each interview online via OHAM's AV access system, Aviary. Yale users can connect to the Yale VPN to stream these interviews without restriction. Other users are able to request access to interviews directly through Aviary. For access instructions, see OHAM's website.

Users may also find interview Tables of Contents and request transcripts through OHAM's website.