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A $4.6 million gift from Dr. Jeanne Sinquefield, Rex Sinquefield, and the Sinquefield Charitable
Foundation will ensure University of Missouri students continue to redefine the sounds of
tomorrow through the Mizzou New Music Initiative.
The funding will expand opportunities for students and faculty, supercharging a program already
known for fostering bold, original compositions and turning visionary ideas into reality.
“My goal is to make Missouri a mecca for musical composition,” said Jeanne Sinquefield, a
member of the UM Board of Curators and founder of the Mizzou New Music Initiative (MNMI).
“The MNMI covers K-12, undergraduate, and graduate school students and international
composers. Critical to this is supporting concerts and recordings.”
The Sinquefields’ gift will support continued growth of the highly successful Mizzou New
Music Initiative, which includes a dynamic mix of festivals, competitions, and collaborations
designed to connect emerging composers with performers who bring their works to life. Among
the centerpiece events are the Creating Original Music Project Festival, a statewide K-12
program celebrating its 20th anniversary this summer; high school summer camps for composers;
and the internationally renowned Mizzou International Composers Festival, which features
Alarm Will Sound as ensemble-in-residence.
“The achievements of our students and alumni are a testament to the exceptional talent nurtured
here at Mizzou,” University of Missouri President Mun Choi said. “We’re incredibly proud of
the composers and performers who are shaping the future of music — and deeply grateful to Dr.
Jeanne Sinquefield and Mr. Rex Sinquefield for their extraordinary generosity, which continues
to open doors and inspire creativity across our campus and beyond.”
The new funding will support the addition of a production coordinator who will help with the
logistics of producing concerts and events, as well as an audio engineer to expand the initiative’s
ability to create and share professional-grade recordings. Scholarships and awards, including the
notable Sinquefield Composition Prize, will enable more students to pursue their artistic dreams.
A new mixed media studio — welcoming not just composers, but also filmmakers and digital
artists — will open collaborative possibilities across disciplines. Scholarships to support the
Mizzou New Music Ensemble will also be available.
“It’s incredible to have this level of support for students, faculty, guests, and resident artists who
are dedicated to creating new music,” Stefan Freund, professor of composition and artistic
director of the initiative, said. “These programs empower composers to express themselves not
only through melody and harmony but also through imagination and innovation.”
A legacy of impact
The Sinquefields’ commitment to music education at Mizzou spans more than two decades of
support for not only the initiative but also the Sinquefield Music Center, home to Mizzou’s
School of Music.
Since its inception in 2006, the Mizzou New Music Initiative has performed more than 1,250
original works, including 120 by Missouri high school students. More than 20 pieces have been
performed by the Saint Louis Symphony Orchestra, and others have debuted at events such as
the university’s Chancellor’s Arts Showcase.
And alumni of the program are making waves across the country. Mizzou graduate and composer
Stephanie Berg, for example, had a commission from the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra and has
seen her works performed by the Rochester Philharmonic. Oswald Huỳnh was recently
announced as the winner of the 2025 Rome Prize in Musical Composition, and José Martínez
teaches music at Colby College. Mizzou composition majors have also gone on to pursue
advanced degrees at top institutions, including the Juilliard School and the Eastman School of
Music.
The Mizzou New Music Initiative will remain rooted in its founding mission of cultivated
original voices while evolving, growing, and embracing new ideas, Freund said.
“Our compositions, performances, and ideas will continue to change the way we listen to and
think about music,” he said. “And we’re able to do that because of Jeanne Sinquefield’s
unwavering support of the arts and her belief in the power of new music to inspire, challenge, and
connect us all. On the top floor of the Sinquefield Center is a large sign with Jeanne’s favorite
quote, ‘The joy of life is music.’”