American Composers Forum: Recomposing America Minnesota Convening
Recomposing America is an initiative of the American Composers Forum that gives artists across Minnesota and throughout the United States the opportunity to offer their unique responses to the notion of “America”, in alignment with the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence. On March 21, Recomposing America artists and collaborative partners will convene at the Landmark Center to present their work, explore their creative intersections, and engage the broader Minnesota community. This convening will conclude with a pre-screening of Opus Cope: a new documentary exploring the relationship between composition and algorithmic intelligence, preceded by a discussion about the film and its themes with filmmaker Jae Shim and ACF Executive Director Loki Karuna.
Filmmaker Jae Shim strives to tell the truth no matter how challenging, uncomfortable, or unpopular it is to do so. As part of Recomposing America, ACF will host public screenings and community conversations around Jae’s film “Opus Cope” prior to its release on PBS in Fall 2026.
Jae attributes his first encounter with the groundbreaking work of composer David Cope to a Radiolab episode titled “Musical DNA.” Jae immediately resonated with Cope’s defiant spirit, challenging longstanding conventions of what classical music should look or sound like. Convinced there was more to the story, he made repeated trips with his camera to the Santa Cruz-based composer. The resulting documentary takes viewers on a musical exploration of creativity according to Cope, drawing from a lifetime at the intersection of art and technology.