Adolphus Hailstork on AMP Commission “Don Quixote (Quest)”
Interview
3/18/26
AMP interviewed composer Adolphus Hailstork about his new piano piece “Don Quixote (Quest)”, inspired by the poem Quest by Naomi Long Madgett. “Don Quixote (Quest)” was commissioned by AMP for American Mavericks Project Vl. 1: Quest—a celebration of Black Arts poetry through the lens of new piano music. Quest will premiere on March 20th at the DuSable Black History Museum.
In your notes on “Don Quixote (Quest)” you write: “The themes in the poem of rising up, winning, and singing with mirth sparked thoughts of the famous novel, by Miquel Cervantes, DON QUIXOTE.” Did you intend for certain sections to reflect particular passages or stanzas of Madgett’s “Quest” or Cervantes’ “Don Quixote”? Did you draw upon the rhythms and cadences of the poem or novel?
The goal was to capture the energy and the “heroic” character of the character.
How did you approach writing “Don Quixote”? What was the process like?
The piece simply flowed. I enjoyed the writing process immensely!
How do you interpret the poem “Quest” and what about it resonates with you? How were you able to “translate” its meaning through music?
“Searching” “tracking” “winning” good values.
How does setting a poem to an instrumental piece differ from setting music to words? What (if any) are the challenges?
Setting words is stricter. But you have more options when writing an instrumental piece.
What projects are you currently working on and what’s next for 2026?
A Horn concerto, a violin concerto, a piece for flute and strings and a piece for piccolo and strings.
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