Composer, conductor, and creative thinker - John Adams occupies a unique position in the world of American music.  His works, including operatic, symphonic, and chamber music, stand out among contemporary classical compositions for their depth of expression, brilliance of sound, and the profoundly humanist nature of their themes. Over the past 25 years, Adams’s music has played a decisive role in turning the tide of contemporary musical aesthetics away from academic modernism and toward a more expansive, expressive language. His best known orchestral works are Harmonielehre (German for “study of harmony”) and his Violin Concerto. Among his operas, most notable are Nixon in China and Dr. Atomic. His chamber music includes well-known pieces such as Shaker Loops (which uses fragments of Wavemaker, a string quartet) and his String Quartet.