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University of Missouri School of Music student Mon Ieong Cheok Kai has been accepted to participate in the Vienna Contemporary Composers Festival, scheduled for July 3-16, 2026 in Vienna, Austria. He will join University of Missouri School of Music graduate Seda Balci, who was previously accepted, and Mizzou New Music Initiative Associate Director Tiffany M. Skidmore, who will serve as one of the Festival’s faculty members.
The Vienna Contemporary Composers Festival is designed for composers looking to refine their craft, receive professional performances of their works, and immerse themselves in the rich musical culture of Vienna. Each selected composer will have their new work performed during the festival. Participants will also benefit from private composition lessons with Viennese and
international composers, including Dr. Skidmore, as well as lectures and masterclasses on contemporary music and advanced theory.
Mon Ieong Cheok Kai is from Macau, China. Mon is currently pursuing his master’s degree in both percussion and composition at the University of Missouri, studying percussion with Dr. Megan Arns and Dr. Julia Montag and composition with Dr. Stefan Freund. He earned his bachelor’s degree in music performance from Sam Houston State University, where he studied percussion under the guidance of Dr. John Lane, Dr. Brian Graiser, and Dr. Craig Hauschildt, and composition with Dr. Kyle Kindred.
“Mon is a very exciting composer,” Dr. Skidmore said. “His music can be complex and dramatic, and yet also very nuanced. I was thrilled to find out that he was accepted to the VCCF and I’m really looking forward to working more closely with him during this year’s festival.”
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