Jan. 31, 2022
Mizzou International Composers Festival announces resident composers for 2022
The Mizzou New Music Initiative (MNMI) and Alarm Will Sound have selected five resident composers to participate in the 2022 Mizzou International Composers Festival (MICF). Presented by the MNMI and the University of Missouri School of Music from Monday, July 25 through Saturday, July 30 in Columbia, the thirteenth annual MICF will feature world premieres of new works written by each of the selected composers. Listed with their current places of residence, they are: Caterina Di Cecca, (Rome, Italy) Oswald Huynh (Columbia, MO) Jia Yi Lee, (Baltimore, MD) Piyawat Louilarpprasert, (Ithaca, NY) Cassie…
Nov. 4, 2021
Meredith Monk and Angélica Negrón to serve as distinguished guest composers for 2022 Mizzou International Composers Festival
The Mizzou New Music Initiative will welcome Meredith Monk and Angélica Negrón (both pictured below) as distinguished guest composers at the 2022 Mizzou International Composers Festival (MICF), scheduled for Monday, July 25 through Saturday, July 30, 2022 on the campus of the University of Missouri in Columbia. The week-long MICF will feature concerts of music by Monk, Negrón, and other contemporary composers performed in front of live audiences, along with in-person workshops, master classes, and other events. All events will take place at the Sinquefield Music Center. Saturday night’s grand finale will present the world premieres of new works from the festival’s resident composers performed…
Oct. 7, 2021
Mizzou International Composers Festival (MICF) Announces 2022 Festival Dates; Opens Resident Composers Application Process
Alarm Will Sound in concert The Mizzou New Music Initiative is accepting applications for resident composers to take part in the 2022 Mizzou International Composers Festival (MICF), which will take place Monday, July 25 through Saturday, July 30, 2022 at the University of Missouri School of Music in Columbia, MO. The week-long MICF will feature concerts of music from contemporary composers performed in front of live audiences, along with in-person workshops, master classes, and other events. All events will take place at the Sinquefield Music Center. Saturday night’s grand finale will present the world premieres of new works from each of…
July 23, 2021
Composers Festival spotlight: Chen Yi
The Mizzou New Music Initiative is pleased to welcome Chen Yi as one of two distinguished guest composers for the 2021 Mizzou International Composers Festival. Chen (pictured) is a distinguished professor of composition at the Conservatory of Music and Dance at the University of Missouri-Kansas City. A finalist for the 2006 Pulitzer Prize for Music for her composition “Si Ji” (“Four Seasons”), she was born and raised in Guangzhou, China and is known as a prolific composer who blends Chinese and Western traditions, transcending cultural and musical boundaries. She holds a BA and MA in music composition from…
July 22, 2021
Composers Festival spotlight: David T. Little
The Mizzou New Music Initiative is pleased to welcome David T. Little as one of the two distinguished guest composers for the 2021 Mizzou International Composers Festival. Called “one of the most imaginative young composers” by The New Yorker, he has been recognized particularly for his operas “Dog Days,” “JFK,” and “Vinkensport” (with librettos by Royce Vavrek), and “Soldier Songs,” which have been widely acclaimed, “prov[ing] beyond any doubt that opera has both a relevant present and a bright future,” according to the New York Times. Little (pictured) holds degrees from Susquehanna University (2001), University of Michigan (2002), and…
July 21, 2021
Composers Festival spotlight: Nina Shekhar
Resident composer Nina Shekhar is a first generation Indian American who grew up in Detroit and now lives in New Jersey, where she is pursuing her PhD in composition at Princeton University. She previously completed composition graduate studies at the University of Southern California and undergraduate studies at the University of Michigan, earning dual degrees in composition and chemical engineering. Shekhar (pictured) has the unusual distinction of having three of her pieces programmed as part of the 2021 MICF. The new work she wrote as a resident composer, “Turn Your Feet Around,” will be performed by…
July 20, 2021
Composers Festival spotlight: ANTiCX
Founded in 2021, ANTiCX is an artist collective of composers and makers. The group’s name is an acronym of the first letters of the first names of its members. They are (pictured clockwise from upper left): Annika Socolofsky is a composer and avant-folk vocalist who is assistant professor of composition and artistic director of Pendulum New Music at the University of Colorado Boulder Nina Shekhar currently is pursuing her PhD in composition at Princeton University. She is a composer teaching artist fellow for Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra and is on faculty at Idyllwild Arts Academy…
July 19, 2021
Composers Festival spotlight: Andrew Tholl
Andrew Tholl comes to the 2021 MICF from Los Angeles, CA, where he works as a violinist, composer, drummer, and improvisor. He holds degrees from Arizona State University, University of Michigan, and the California Institute of the Arts, and has served on the faculty at CalArts, Moorpark College, Ventura College, The Kadima Conservatory of Music, and Harmony Project. Tholl’s performances and compositions have been heard across the United States and Europe, as he “continues to be involved with music for concert halls, art galleries, films, puppet shows, bars, garages, bedrooms, and coat closets.” As…