John Adams Essentials

American composer John Adams has continually pushed the boundaries of minimalism since he made his debut in the early '70s. Over his long and prolific career, Adams has developed a lush, melodic and subtly complex style that draws on both classical and popular music. Using minimalism's hypnotic repetition as a starting point, Adams composes pieces that can be grandly dramatic, quietly moving or slyly humorous, and despite the mainstream acclaim for groundbreaking works like his 1987 opera Nixon in China, his music remains unpredictable and adventurous.