In 1995 Di Pietro's path crossed with that of Pierre Boulez, the famous composer and conductor. He describes this meeting with Boulez as part of a journey that was completely unforseen, an accident in an organic process on the road of the creative life. Boulez a fellow traveler and former 'fire source' of his youth was long ago set aside, because with the accumlation of experience, 'life is like that'.

Then for Boulez's 70th birthday a series of interviews took place and Di Pietro realized he was ready to question the composer of Le Marteau Sans Maitre, on what happened to modernism, in a much longer project. The result is this brilliant series of conversations:

Dialogues with Boulez: Conversations with Rocco Di Pietro, to be published in the summer of 2,000 by Scarecrow Press. The book will be launched in Orchestra Hall of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra with a book signing in the fall of 2,000. Excerpts have been published serially over the last three years by the journal 21st Century Music. Paul Griffiths noted critic and Boulez scholar has written a forward to the book calling these dialogues "the only interviews that capture Boulez's speaking voice". Excerpts, from the conversations can be heard audio sample, and a sample of the published interview can be downloaded written document

To receive more information about the Boulez Dialogues Scarecrow Press, or email Rocco Di Pietro at rdi@cscc.edu