Maria Schneider

A new series of free talks with well-known contemporary composers starts Sept. 28 with Maria Schneider, the Minnesota-born composer, conductor, arranger and jazz big-band leader.

Schneider will also conduct two weekends with the St. Paul Chamber Orchestra this month (Sept. 20-23 and Sept. 28-29).

Schneider is first up in the new Composer Conversation series being put on by SPCO, Minnesota Public Radio and the St. Paul-based American Composers Forum. The rest of the inaugural season looks like this:

John Corigliano

Laurie Anderson (2 p.m. Nov. 1, FULL), Nicola Campogrande (7 p.m. Nov. 13), John Corigliano (7 p.m. Feb. 13, 2013), John Luther Adams (7 p.m. April 16, 2013) and Shawn Jaeger (7 p.m. May 29, 2012).

Shawn Jaeger The talks, moderated by Daniel Gilliam of MPR, all take place at MPR's UBS Forum in downtown St. Paul. Events are free, but require registration. Details at classicalmpr.org/composers The interviews will also be available online in their entirety following the live events.