Born and raised in western North Carolina, Rhodes’ work is as strongly influenced by the traditional music of the Appalachian South as it is by the works of Bartok, Schoenberg, and Stravinsky. His output ranges from operas to works for Orff instruments with children’s voices, and from Gershwin settings to Bluegrass breakdowns. Major performances include those by the Atlanta Symphony at Carnegie Hall, the Cleveland Orchestra at the Blossom Festival, and the National Symphony at the Kennedy Center.