Origins, Ep. 3 - Karen Borca

This episode focuses on bassoonist and composer, Karen Borca. Ms. Borca has been active on the New York music scene since the 1970s. She details her early years in northern Wisconsin where she first studied music and how she met pianist Cecil Taylor at the University of Wisconsin in 1970. She joined his circle of improvisers, which included Jimmy Lyons, Andrew Cyrille, and many others. She joined Taylor at Antioch College and then moved to New York City where she joined the community of musicians. Her work has transformed the bassoon as an improvisatory instrument. The interview included in this episode was recorded on October 15, 2020.