Nov. 10, 2026
Nate Leslie Awarded 2027 Sinquefield Composition Prize
The University of Missouri School of Music and Mizzou New Music Initiative have awarded Nate Leslie the 2027 Sinquefield Composition Prize. The prize is the top award for composition students at Mizzou and is made possible by Dr. Jeanne Cairns Sinquefield, Rex Sinquefield, and the Sinquefield Charitable Foundation. Leslie receives a $2,500 scholarship and a commission to write a new work for the University Symphony Orchestra titled “CARDS ON THE TABLE, GUNS BY THE DOOR.” The new composition will premiere at the President’s Mizzou Arts Showcase on Feb.
Nov. 1, 2026
New issue of “Resonance, the Magazine of the Mizzou New Music Initiative,” now available
The Mizzou New Music Initiative has issued the Fall 2026 issue of its magazine, Resonance. The publication includes a schedule of upcoming MNMI concerts and new music articles and essays, including Mizzou New Music Ensemble violinist Juliana Vieira’s Q&A with Music Theory Assistant Teaching Professor Dr. Bonnie McLarty regarding an upcoming MNME performance of her composition, “Snow Angel.” MNMI plans to publish three issues of Resonance – Fall/Spring/Summer – per year. You can view the Fall issue here. To stay up to date…
Oct. 25, 2026
November Concerts Present Internationally Acclaimed TAK Ensemble and Tyondai Braxton, Including World Premieres by Three Mizzou Student Composers
Two concerts coming to Columbia in November 2026 will feature performances by internationally acclaimed new classical music performers and educators that will be in residencies with students and faculty at the University of Missouri School of Music. One concert will also include the world premiere of new musical compositions by three Mizzou music students. On November 10, TAK Ensemble will perform a work by Bethany Younge, a composer and performer whose work interrogates the physicality of music-making, merging acoustic and electronic sound with the visceral presence of the performer. …
Sep. 30, 2026
World Premiere of John Orfe’s “The Midnight Ride of Paul Revere” Musical Arrangement to be Performed by Mizzou Wind Ensemble October 7 at the Missouri Theatre
The world premiere of a new musical arrangement of The Midnight Ride of Paul Revere, by acclaimed composer and pianist John Orfe of the Grammy-Award winning new music ensemble, Alarm Will Sound, will be performed by the Mizzou Wind Ensemble at the Missouri Theatre on October 7 at 7:00 pm. Inspired by one of the most iconic events leading to the American Revolution, the performance will be the finale of an evening concert featuring iconic and patriotic works celebrating America’s 250th anniversary. The concert will celebrate…
Sep. 29, 2026
Craig Colorusso’s “Sun Boxes” in the news
More than a thousand people attended the September 22 opening of Craig Colorusso’s Sun Boxes, an interactive display of solar-powered speakers independently playing continuously looping guitar notes. So did the print, television, and radio media. You can read/watch/listen to their coverage below. The event, which celebrated the Autumn Equinox, was held at Pickard Plaza and featured a sunset performance by the Mizzou New Music Initiative Creative Improvisation Collective ensemble, performing the world premiere of Piece for Sun Boxes and Musicians, written for the occasion by Mizzou student composer Dominick DeStefano. …
Sep. 15, 2026
University of Missouri Board of Curators names Mizzou New Music Initiative Artistic Director Stefan Freund a Curators’ Distinguished Professor
Mizzou New Music Initiative Artistic Director Stefan Freund has been named a Curators’ Distinguished Professor, the highest and most prestigious rank bestowed by the Board of Curators. He is one of six University of Missouri faculty members to receive the honor. Freund is a composer and cellist who has helped establish Mizzou’s School of Music as a destination for contemporary music. Through programs including the Mizzou International Composers Festival, Creating Original Music Project, and Missouri Composers Project,…
Sep. 9, 2026
The Mizzou New Music Initiative has released its fall 2026-spring 2027 schedule of events
The Mizzou New Music Initiative has released its fall 2026-spring 2027 schedule of events taking place in Columbia and St. Louis. All concerts are free and open to the public unless otherwise noted. Fall 2026 Craig Colorusso “Sun Boxes” Installation5 p.m., Tuesday, September 22: Performance with the Mizzou Creative Improvisation Collective, featuring a new piece composed for this project by MU composer Dominick DeStefano, Pickard Plaza (more information can be found here) Mizzou New Music Ensemble Concert7:30 p.m., Sunday, October…
Sep. 8, 2026
Three MNMI-associated composers represented on the American Composers Orchestra’s “2023 Earshot Readings” Album
Three composers associated with the Mizzou New Music Initiative are represented on a new album by the American Composers Orchestra. Released August 21, 2026 on Presto Music’s Platoon label, 2023 EarShot Readings features works by Oswald Huỳnh, Daniel Sabzghabaei, and Brittany J. Green. Huỳnh’s Gia Đình, Green’s Rencontres, and Sabzghabaei’s (گر آتش بارد به پیکرم)Hommage à Khāleqī were recorded in New York City’s Tishman Auditorium at the SONiC Festival’s 31 st EarShot Readings. The performances were conducted by Tito Muñoz and developed with…