Clockwise from top left: Cuong, Peck, Stark, McLosky

As this year’s Mizzou International Composers Festival was ending, news broke that several MICF alumni have won commissions in annual competitions sponsored by the Barlow Endowment and by Chamber Music America.

This year’s winners of general commissions from the Barlow Endowment include past MICF resident composers Viet Cuong (MICF 2018), Charles Peck (MICF 2017), and Christopher Stark (MICF 2015). In addition, Lansing McLoskey, who visited the Mizzou campus as a guest composer in 2015, also won a Barlow commission for 2018.

The Barlow Endowment for Music Composition was established in 1983 at Brigham Young University, and makes annual awards in support of the Barlow Prize, general commissions, commissions for composers from the Church of Latter Day Saints, and education grants.

From left: Takuma Itoh, Amy Beth Kirsten

Meanwhile, Chamber Music America this week announced the 2018 awards from its major grant programs, including the classical commissioning program, which for 2018 will include grants to former MICF resident composers Takuma Itoh (MICF 2016) and Amy Beth Kirsten (MICF 2010).

CMA’s classical commissioning program provides grants to professional U.S.-based presenters and ensembles whose programming includes Western European and/or non-Western classical and contemporary music.

Congratulations to all!