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…
Aug. 18, 2026
Katherine Balch and David Longstreth Named Distinguished Guest Composers for 2027 Mizzou International Composers Festival; Applications Open for Resident Composers
Internationally acclaimed composer Katherine Balch and American songwriter and composer David Longstreth will serve as Distinguished Guest Composers at the 18th annual Mizzou International Composers Festival (MICF), which will take place July 25-31, 2027 in Columbia, Missouri. Applications are now open for eight Resident Composers to write new works for GRAMMY Award-winning Resident Ensemble Alarm Will Sound. The 18th annual MICF will feature concerts of music by contemporary composers performed in front of live audiences, along with in-person workshops, master classes, and other events.
Aug. 9, 2026
Utku Asuroglu, University of Missouri School of Music Assistant Professor of Composition and Assistant Artistic Director of the Mizzou International Composers Festival, Awarded 2026 Music Commission from Library of Congress’ Koussevitzky Foundation
The Serge Koussevitzky Music Foundation in the Library of Congress has awarded Utku Asuroglu, University of Missouri School of Music Assistant Professor of Composition and Assistant Artistic Director of the Mizzou International Composers Festival, a commission to compose a new musical work. He is one of six composers worldwide to win the commission, which is granted jointly by the foundation and the performing organization that will present the world premiere of each work. Ensemble Dal Niente co-sponsored Asuroglu’s commission. Based in Chicago, Ensemble…
July 18, 2026
MICF Afterparty Featuring Maxubishi and RP Boo
An afterparty featuring DJ Maxubishi and Chicago Footwork electronic music producer RP Boo will be held immediately following the Mizzou New Music Concert on Friday, July 24 in the Sinquefield Music Center‘s Room 130. Maxubishi Maxubishi is a Columbia, Missouri, DJ whose path started accidentally, digging through dollar bins while tagging along on resourcing trips for his wife’s vintage clothing shop, Maude Vintage. What began as just digging turned into a full-blown creative practice shaped by curiosity, instinct, and a love for the rooms in which he’s asked to play.
July 18, 2026
Bio: MICF Performers Yarn/Wire
Percussion-and-piano quartet Yarn/Wire will perform world premieres by Selim Göncü and Dominick DeStefano as well as works by Steve Reich and Brittany J. Green, at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, July 22 in the Sinquefield Music Center’s Sheryl Crow Hall. Described by the New York Times as “key figures from the contemporary music scene… with unmistakable devotion and excitement” and “wildly virtuosic” by The Wire, Yarn/Wire is a New York-based percussion-and-piano quartet (Russell Greenberg and Dustin Donahue, percussion; Laura Barger and Julia Den Boer, pianos) dedicated to the promotion of creative, experimental new music.
June 29, 2026
MNMI Artistic Director Stefan Freund’s “The Three Robbers” performed at UMKC
Mizzou New Music Initiative Artistic Director Stefan Freund joined the American Wild Ensemble for a performance of his piece The Three Robbers on Wednesday, June 24, at the University of Missouri – Kansas City. Freund’s piece was part of AWE’s 10th anniversary concert, which also included works by Michael-Thomas Foumai, Takuma Itoh, and Chris Stark, all of whom have been Resident Composers at the Mizzou International Composers Festival. The performance continued the decade-long collaborations between the American Wild Ensemble and MNMI, the highlights of which included a fall 2020 performance at Mizzou and…
June 4, 2026
MNMI releases schedule for Mizzou International Composers Festival
The Mizzou New Music Initiative has released the schedule for the 2026 Mizzou International Composers Festival, which takes place Monday, July 20 through Saturday, July 25 in Columbia, Missouri. Public events run from July 21-25. Admission is free. The schedule is as follows: Tuesday, July 21, 7:30 p.m., Sinquefield Music Center (SMC 130)Distinguished Guest Composers Jlin and Karola Obermüller deliver lecture presentations on their works and careers Wednesday, July 22, 7:30 p.m., Sheryl Crow Concert Hall (SMC 132)New-music quartet Yarn/Wire…
May 19, 2026
Mizzou Director of Choral Activities Brandon Boyd’s “Redeem the Dream” to be performed at Lincoln Center on Sunday, May 24, and as part of the Sing Democracy 250-50 States Program
Distinguished Concerts International New York at Lincoln Center will present Brandon Boyd’s Redeem the Dream at 7 p.m. May 24 in its David Geffen Hall. The concert is the New York Signature Concert of Sing Democracy 250, a nationwide musical initiative commemorating the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence. Redeem the Dream is based on Langston Hughes’ poem “Let America Be America Again”, written in 1935. The poem reflects on the gap between the ideals of American democracy as articulated in the Declaration of Independence and the reality…