Carlisle Floyd

“The thing that I wanted to do was to create an American opera.”

“All of my operas are about outsiders, about the individual versus society.”

“I've always felt that music should be a direct and vital communication between the composer and the listener.”

“The libretto is the floor plan of the house. The music is the house.”

“You simply have to have a story that you're dying to tell.”

“I think opera is the most complete art form.”

“I’m a Southerner. It’s part of my DNA. It’s a very rich and fertile ground for a writer.”

“For me, the text always comes first. The music grows out of the text.”

“I've always believed in the power of the sung word.”

“Susannah is about the ubiquity of evil and the destruction of innocence.”

“I write for the audience. I don’t write for critics or for posterity.”

“I feel that melody is the absolute bedrock of music, particularly vocal music.”

“Teaching has been a very important part of my life. It keeps you on your toes.”