Rich G. Chwastiak a.k.a. The WIG, DJ

RR: What is the inspiration for your work? It’s very interesting what you do, blending classical, traditional elements of music with very modern, electronic performances.

RGC: I’m an instrumentalist first, before I’m a DJ. I try to mix live performance with my show…. To my knowledge, no one else in the world is doing this right now with this technology. I’m always pulling all sorts of different international rhythms into my electronic dance music.

RR: What’s your goal in doing all this?

RGC: I want to reach a mainstream audience as well as those who would listen to classical music. This could bring a whole new crowd to classical music. We’re chopping the songs and remixing and restructuring, and it’s been done before but not to this degree.

RR: What do you think Bach and Beethoven would think if they could see your set?

RGC: I think they would all have an open mind. It might take them five minutes or maybe a good half hour. But once they got used to it, they’d listen and pull out the parts of their songs—like, “There’s my theme; it’s not sonata form, but compositionally it is solid music.” I feel like Beethoven would be a pretty good dancer as well.

RR: But Beethoven was deaf.

RGC: Oh, yeah, you’re right. He probably wouldn’t have known what was going on.

Vladislav V. Skobelev and Yuriy Horokhivskyy, attendees

RR: How are you two enjoying the show?

VVS: I usually like trance and house, and I love classical, so this is a perfect harmony. I’ve been in Boston for 12 years, and I’ve never seen something like this.

YH: Yes, I feel like good trance is like classical music 2.0.  It’s just so good.

RR: Is it fair to say that this DJ, The WIG, is the Yo-Yo Ma of electronic music?

YH: Yes, I would say so.