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Seda Balci is one of eight Resident Composers selected to participate in the 2025 Mizzou International Composers Festival. MICF Resident Ensemble Alarm Will Sound will perform her composition Riffscape at 7:30 p.m. on Saturday, July 26, at Columbia’s Missouri Theatre. The concert is free and open to the public.
Born in Turkey to a jazz-loving father and a mother fond of traditional folk songs, Balci grew up immersed in diverse musical worlds. She began studying piano at age 11 and later earned double degrees in piano and composition from Mimar Sinan Fine Arts University. After completing her master’s and doctorate in piano, she shifted focus to composition. As a pianist, she performed as a soloist with the Mimar Sinan and Anadolu University Symphony Orchestras. In 2023, she moved to the US to pursue composition at the University of Missouri. She was commissioned by the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra and won the 2024 Sinquefield Prize, composing a piece for choir and electronics. In 2025, she received a Sheldon Commission to write a work for clarinet quartet featuring members of the St. Louis Symphony. Her music blends European classical traditions with Turkish folk influences, often exploring themes of the universe, nature, and sound.
We recently chatted with her via email.
What is your musical background? When and how did you begin composing?
Thanks to my father, who was involved with music from a young age and sang and played guitar in a pop band, there was always music playing in our home. When I was in elementary school, I remember watching him play on a small 25-key keyboard, and I’d try to imitate whatever he was doing. That’s when I started composing – almost instinctively.
Later, I began formal music training at a conservatory. In short, composing and making music have always gone hand in hand for me, right from the beginning.
How did you hear about MICF?
As someone who just completed their master’s in composition at the University of Missouri, I’ve always been closely connected to MICF. In fact, I was on staff for the festival last year. This year, I’m participating as a composer!
Tell us about your piece that will be performed at MICF. What should we listen for?
Riffscape is an experimental reflection of my years immersed in metal music. I’ve always been obsessed with the riffs of Opeth, one of my favorite progressive metal bands, and I felt it was finally time to translate those sounds into my own musical language. The title Riffscape comes from that idea: a sonic landscape of recurring riffs. It’s a highly rhythmic piece where percussion plays a central role, and you’ll hear a lot of energy, drive, and raw texture.
What does it mean for you to work with an ensemble like Alarm Will Sound?
Alarm Will Sound is an extraordinary ensemble whose work I’ve followed with great admiration. To have my music performed by such a group is an incredible honor. For a composer trying to grow and expand their portfolio, this is an amazing opportunity, and I’m truly grateful for it. I also believe there is so much to learn throughout the rehearsal process from these remarkable musicians, who continually push the boundaries of performance.
What do you hope to learn from your MICF experience?
The excitement of writing for Alarm Will Sound pushed me to explore techniques and modes of expression I had never tried before. I believe working closely with the guest composers during the festival will help me develop my artistic voice even further. I’ll learn what works and what doesn’t through direct experience. I’m also really looking forward to meeting the other seven resident composers and getting to know their music. I see a festival like MICF as a major step in any composer’s career, and I’m thrilled to be taking that step.
For more information on Seda Balci, visit her website. To hear some of her music, visit her Soundcloud page.