Terry Gross

Composer Aaron Jay Kernis is one of the youngest composers to win the Pulitzer Prize. This Saturday, his latest composition will be performed by the Philadelphia Orchestra as part of the grand opening of the Kimmel Center, Philadelphia's new concert hall. The piece was commissioned specifically for the event. The Walt Disney Company has commissioned a piece by Kernis. His many awards include a Guggenheim Fellowship, an NEA grant, a New York Foundation for the Arts award, and two Grammy nominations. Kernis was born in Philadelphia and is 41 years old.

It's been twenty-five years since Sissy Spacek's memorable performance in the 1976 horror film Carrie, based on a Stephen King novel. Her new film is In The Bedroom, a family drama/tragedy. It won several awards in this year's Sundance festival. Spacek won an Oscar for her performance in Coal Miner's Daughter, and she's been nominated for Best Actress 5 times. She got her start in the film Badlands. She's had roles in numerous films and TV dramas, including Three Women, Raggedy Man, Night Mother, and The Straight Story.

David Atkins directed Novocaine, a new film starring Steve Martin. It's about a dentist who's lured into a life of crime. Atkins is also a drummer and songwriter, and participated in the creation of several songs on the movie soundtrack. He also wrote the screenplay for the film Arizona Dream, starring Johnny Depp, Faye Dunaway and Lili Taylor. It something of a cult classic in the U.S., although it was successful overseas. Novocaine is his feature film directorial debut.