Krishan Oberoi is a Massachusetts-based artist, educator and entrepreneur who has been featured in the Boston Globe, Variety and the Los Angelos Times.

How did you first come across this piece of work and what was your initial reaction?

I first learned about this piece in 2017, when I was a research assistant at Boston University. At that time, I was helping my mentor André de Quadros with his book on global choral music in the 21st century. A section of that book is devoted to the work of Eugene Rogers, the conductor who commissioned Joel Thompson’s “Seven Last Words.”

So, as a research assistant, I interviewed a number of choral musicians for this book. I had a lengthy conversation with Dr. Rogers in 2017, and that was really when I learned about this incredible piece. Dr. Rogers does amazing work at the University of Michigan, and commissioning this piece was part of his broader work as a conductor who’s really passionate about bringing people together to engage with the pressing issues of our time.

My initial reaction to the piece was the same as what I feel when I hear it today. I was, and am, awed by the power, the sensitivity, the technical prowess and the emotional depth of Joel’s music. He grapples with an incredibly difficult issue in a way that’s graceful, profound, persuasive and painfully immediate. I think his music reminds us that this is not just an issue for the black community; Joel’s music moves us on a fundamental level, and reminds us that we’re all touched by this issue.

What do you see as the relationship between this and Joseph Haydn’s Seven Last Words of Jesus Christ?

Haydn’s setting of the “Seven Last Words of Christ from the Cross” may be the most famous setting of this liturgical text, but there are many different musical settings, going back to the 17th century. What’s remarkable about Joel’s “Seven Last Words” is that he’s essentially resurrected a rather antiquated liturgical form, and infused it with so much new vitality and purpose. The “seven last words” are really seven last “statements” or utterances. Christ’s last “word” from the cross was: “Father, into your hands I commend my spirit.” In the corresponding place in his piece, Joel uses instead the words of Eric Garner: “I can’t breathe.” The composer has really created a profound corollary between the words of Christ and those of Garner- both of them unarmed men who died unjustly. He reminds us that divinity is in all of us, and he challenges our complicity in the taking of human life.

Both the composer and the conductor of this piece are black, is that a rarity in the orchestral music world? (forgive my ignorance, I rarely cover this type of music.)

 I wouldn’t say it’s a rarity- there are several black conductors and composers doing incredible work in the field today. Anthony Davis, an African-American composer currently based in San Diego, where I used to live, just won the Pulitzer Prize this year, for his opera on the “Central Park Five.” Having said that, I do believe that composers and conductors of color have an uphill battle in a field that has been so traditionally slanted toward a certain stereotype. Part of my role as a conductor is to help amplify the voices in our culture that I think need to be heard. That’s why I’m so honored to be able to introduce Joel’s work to my choristers and our audience.

What are your thoughts on the diversity within this music scene?

We have a long way to go, but there is a lot of great work happening in the choral world. Over the past decade, I’ve seen many organizations really begin to focus on programming music that’s more representative of the wider culture. There was a time not too long ago, when being a contemporary composer meant having to take a back seat to 19th century European composers, but that’s starting to change.

I come from a mixed-race background, and I was raised in a household with very eclectic music. We listened to jazz, showtunes, Beethoven, Ravi Shankar, the Beatles- you name it. So as a conductor, my programming tends to be very eclectic, and I like to include music that reflects a wide variety of cultures and experiential perspectives. .

Is there any non orchestral music (pop, rock, hip hop etc.) you’ve been really enjoying lately?

Oh yeah, I listen to everything! I actually feel like this is a great time in pop music because it’s so much easier for musicians to get their music out there than it was 20 or 30 years ago. Some of my favorite artists right now are St. Lucia, Twin Shadow, Kendrick Lamar (who also won the Pulitzer), Pale Waves and the 1975. There’s so much great music out there!