Three University of Missouri School of Music students will have their original compositions performed by the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra (SLSO) at a special concert at the Touhill Performing Arts Center at the University of Missouri in St. Louis on March 26, 2025 at 7:30 p.m.

This concert will feature works by Harry Gonzalez, a master’s student from Medellin, Colombia; Atticus Schlegel, a senior from St. Louis; and JT Wolfe, a senior from St. Joseph, MO. They were selected through a collaboration between the SLSO and the Mizzou New Music Initiative (MNMI). The program is funded by the Sinquefield Charitable Foundation.

The new works to be performed include:

• Deer of Great Soul by Atticus Schlegal, a graduate of Clayton High School. Last year a quintet from the SLSO also played his piece “Forgotten Fantasy” at The Sheldon in St. Louis as part of a partnership between MNMI and the orchestra.
• La Sal by JT Wolfe, a graduate of Central High School. In 2021, his music was featured at the Mizzou International Composers’ Festival, and in 2024 he studied at the Emerging Composers Intensive at Hidden Valley, California, collaborating with world-class musicians.
• Fragments of a Memory by Harry Gonzalez, a graduate of Red de Escuelas de Música de Medellín. He has received two commissions by The Sheldon to compose “Barely Alive for Violin and Piano” and “Insomnolence for String Trio,” both performed by members of the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra.

Each year, three composers are selected to write new works to be premiered by the Symphony. In the Fall semester, the Symphony reads the works in a private session for the students; following a revision period in the Winter, the Symphony performs the final versions of the works at a public concert in the Spring. The March 26 concert is free and open to the public.

“These collaborations are incredibly valuable for Mizzou student composers as they gain experience writing for and having their music performed by musicians of the highest caliber,” said Stefan Freund, MNMI Artistic Director. “The composers are provided with an archival recording of their performance, which can be used for their portfolio to expand their career. These collaborations are also an important part of SLSO’s educational mission as they provide young composers with the opportunity to create new works, growing the contemporary repertoire for orchestra.”

For more information on the collaboration between SLSO and MNMI, visit St. Louis Symphony Orchestra Collaborations | Mizzou New Music Initiative.

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