The Columbia Civic Orchestra (CCO) and the Columbia Chamber Choir will perform the winning works from the 2020 and 2022 Missouri Composers Project (MOCOP) competition in a concert at 7:30 p.m. Sunday, March 11 at First Baptist Church, 1112 East Broadway in Columbia. Admission to the concert is free and open to the public.
Now in its tenth year, MOCOP is a collaborative effort involving the Mizzou New Music Initiative, the CCO, the Chamber Choir, and the Sinquefield Charitable Foundation. Composers from all over Missouri are invited each year to submit orchestral and choral works for potential performance, with winners selected by blind judging in two age categories, “open” and “high school.” In addition to the performance and a recording of their work, all four winners of the competition receive a $500 honorarium from the Sinquefield Charitable Foundation.
2022 MOCOP winners: Clockwise from top left-Devin Cholodenko, Henry Ruston, James Davidson, Thomas Libbert
Here are the winners in the 2022 MOCOP competition, and the compositions that will be performed at the March 20th concert:
Open Orchestral: Devin Cholodenko (Graduate of University of Missouri Kansas City), Mountains in the Distance.
High School Orchestral: Henry Rusten (Central High School, Cape Girardeau, MO), Themes of Imagination.
Open Choral: James Davidson (Faculty, Drury University, Fulton, MO), O Oriens.
High School Choral: Thomas Libbert (Fatima High School, Westphalia, MO), Fire Doesn’t Always Have to Burn.
Since the 2020 and 2021 MOCOP concerts were canceled because of COVID protocols, the 2022 concert will also feature performances of the winning compositions from the 2020 competition.
2020 MOCOP winners: Clockwise from top left: Jiyoun Chung, Dan Viggers, Robyne Sieh & David McCaulley
Here are the 2020 winners and their compositions:
Open Orchestral: Dan Viggers (St. Louis, MO), New Elegance.
High School Orchestral: David McCaulley (Junction High School, Carl Junction, MO), ‘Till the End of Time.
Open Choral: Jiyoun Chung (Kansas City, MO, Graduate University of Missouri Kansas City), My Beautiful One, Come Away With Me.
High School Choral: Robyne Sieh (Fort Zumwalt North High School, O’Fallon, MO), Peace.
The Mizzou New Music Initiative brings together a diverse array of programs positioning the University of Missouri School of Music as a leading center for the creation and performance of new music. The Initiative is the direct result of the generous support of Dr. Jeanne and Mr. Rex Sinquefield and the Sinquefield Charitable Foundation. Read more about the Sinquefields’ support for the MU School of Music.
The Columbia Civic Orchestra is a volunteer group located in Columbia, Missouri, dedicated to providing enjoyment for its members and audiences with the presentation and preservation of high-quality symphonic music.
The Columbia Chamber Choir is an ensemble of the Chorale Arts Alliance of Missouri, which works to promote choral music of the highest artistic quality and to stimulate a greater community understanding, appreciation, and enjoyment of choral music by presenting programs appealing to a wide cross-section of Missouri residents and visitors.