Edward W. Said (1935-2003) was University Professor of English and Comparative Literature at Columbia University. He was the music critic for the Nation and the author of numerous influential books, including Culture and Imperialism and Orientalism. Said's Columbia University Press books include Humanism and Democratic Criticism, Musical Elaborations, and Music at the Limits.

Wouter Capitain is a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Göttingen. His doctoral dissertation at the University of Amsterdam examined Edward Said's music-related work.

Peter Sellars is a leading opera director, MacArthur fellow, and distinguished professor in the Department of World Arts and Cultures/Dance at the University of California, Los Angeles.