NEWS
National Memorial Day Special
Jake Runestad's "Dreams of the Fallen", for piano, chorus, & orchestra, is the feature of a Memorial Day special broadcast nationwide to honor those who have served in the military. Listen to the special on your local NPR station or stream the special at any time...
Chicago Tribune Praises “Dreams of the Fallen”
The Chicago Composers Orchestra, Wicker Park Choral Singers, conductor Allen Tinkham, and pianist Yana Reznik gave a powerful performance of "Dreams of the Fallen" in Chicago, IL. The Chicago Tribune covered the event with a glowing review: Born in Rockford, Ill., and...
Choral Stream Interview
Brian Newhouse of Minnesota Public Radio and the Choral Stream inaugurated a brand new series with an interview with composer and conductor Jake Runestad. Listen to the stories behind some of his pieces and hear previously unreleased recordings. Listen here.
Reflections – new recording!
The renowned professional choir, the Santa Fe Desert Chorale, just released their newest album including "Reflections," a work they commissioned from me last season. Listen to the new recording on iTunes, Spotify, etc.
#PleaseStay — music for suicide prevention
#PleaseStay is an anthem for hope and suicide prevention — an attempt to destigmatize mental illness and challenge all of us to support those who are battling depression and thoughts of suicide. We just launched a new music video for the piece! This performance...
2017 McKnight Fellow
I am absolutely thrilled and honored to have been awarded as a 2017 McKnight Fellow! More information about the award is available here: The American Composers Forum (ACF) today announced the recipients of this year’s McKnight Fellowships for Composers, funded by...
Please Stay: An Anthem for Hope and Suicide Prevention
Thank you to Classical 101/WOSU of Columbus for this interview about my upcoming premiere and residency at Capital University. Listen to the interview including discussion of my new work addressing depression and suicide prevention. Listen to the interview here....
Pioneer Press: Young Composer Seeks Harmony In Social Justice
"Young composer seeks harmony in social justice themes" By Chris Hewitt When events overwhelm composer Jake Runestad, he responds the only way he knows how: with music. Minnesota-based Runestad and Magnum Chorum artistic director Mark Stover have created...
Living With A Genius Podcast
During a visit to Los Angeles, I had the pleasure of sitting down with Omar Crook for an interview on his podcast "Living With A Genius." Omar is a great guy and I love his approach to candid conversation. Have a listen: Listen here.
Find Your Forte Podcast
Thank you to Ryan Guth for this interview on the Find Your Forte Podcast! Have a listen to this conversation in which we discuss the terrible love songs I wrote in high school, "hating" a composer's music, artistic interpretation, and I stick up for Randall Thompson...
IFCM Interview
I had a lovely interview with the and Cara Tasher about my work, my creative process, and how I got my start as a composer. Check out the interview below. Full Text: His music in one word: Relevant. Jake Runestad, composer and conductor, is one of the...
Daughters of the Bloody Duke – video!
A video of the concert version (with piano reduction) of "Daughters of the Bloody Duke" is now available! This performance was produced in February of 2016 by the American Lyric Theater at National Sawdust in New York.
Winner of ASCAP’s 2016 Morton Gould Young Composer Award
New York, NY, April 1, 2016: ASCAP Foundation President Paul Williams has announced the recipients of the 2016 ASCAP Foundation Morton Gould Young Composer Award, which encourage talented young creators of concert music. The composers will be recognized at the annual...
Opera News – “…the rare modern opera comedy”
, the publication of the Metropolitan Opera Guild, gave a glowing review of "Daughters of the Bloody Duke" in New York City. "But the afternoon’s highlight was Daughters of the Bloody Duke. Its librettist, David Johnston, described it as “yet another...
Choir Chat Podcast
I had a delightful interview with John Hughes, the director of choral activities at Ripon College and host of the "Choir Chat" podcast, in which we cover topics like experimental vocal sounds, authentic relationships, and upcoming projects. Listen here: