May 20, 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 experienced by…
May 14, 2026
World premiere of MNMI Artistic Director Stefan Freund’s composition “How Mr. Silver Stole the Show” previewed by St. Louis media
The Metropolitan Orchestra of St. Louis will present the world premiere of Mizzou New Music Initiative Artistic Director Stefan Freund’s How Mr. Silver Stole the Show as part of its program “Breathtaking and Heartwarming.” The piece is based on the children’s book by Kate Klise, illustrated by M. Sarah Klise. The concert will be held at 3 p.m. Sunday, May 17, at the 560 Music Center in University City. Tickets are $33.85 for general admission, $23.18 for seniors, and $7.18 for children or students and…
May 7, 2026
May 13 St. Louis Symphony Orchestra concert of MNMI students’ world premieres featured in St. Louis Magazine
St. Louis Magazine recently spoke with MNMI students Mon Ieong Cheok Kai, Dominick DeStefano, and Dean Wibe about the upcoming St. Louis Symphony Orchestra concert featuring world premieres of their compositions. Ieong’s Self-Balance, Wibe’s Leaves strung from webs, and DeStefano’s MASSES will be performed at 7:30 p.m. May 13 at Powell Hall in St. Louis. The concert is free and open to the public. You can read the St. Louis Magazine piece here. For more information on the collaboration between SLSO and MNMI, click here.
April 27, 2026
St. Louis Symphony Members to Perform World Premiere of Student Composer Nate Leslie’s “Open Your Eyes, Now Is The Time” on April 30 at The Sheldon
St. Louis Symphony Orchestra musicians will perform the world premiere of Open Your Eyes, Now Is The Time, a new work for string quartet written by Mizzou New Music Initiative student composer Nate Leslie, as part of the SLSO’s Live at The Sheldon program on April 30, 2026. This expressive chamber concert will be curated by SLSO violists Chris Tantillo and Shannon Williams. “My piece reads like a fortune cookie, as it is about my journey in realizing the kind of person I would like…
April 22, 2026
Mizzou Graduate Oswald Huynh Named a 2026 Guggenheim Fellow in Music Composition
Oswald Huýnh, a 2022 graduate of the University of Missouri School of Music with a Master of Music degree in Composition, has been appointed as a 2026 Guggenheim Fellow in Music Composition. Oswald attended Mizzou through a Teaching Assistantship provided by the Mizzou New Music Initiative. Huýnh is among 223 new Guggenheim Fellows whose work encompasses 55 disciplines and artistic fields. They range in age from 28 to 76 and represent 97 academic institutions, 33 U.S. states and the District of Columbia, three Canadian provinces, and eight countries…
April 3, 2026
St. Louis Symphony Orchestra to Perform Three New Works by Mizzou Student Composers in May 13 Powell Hall Concert
Three University of Missouri School of Music students will have their original music compositions performed by the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra (SLSO) at a special concert at 8 p.m. on May 13, 2026 at Powell Hall in St. Louis. This concert will feature works by Mon Ieong Cheok Kai, a master’s degree student from Macau, China; Dean Wibe, a master’s degree student from Cedar Rapids, Iowa; and Dominick DeStefano, a master’s degree student from Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. They were selected through an annual composers workshop in a collaboration between the SLSO and the Mizzou New Music Initiative…
April 3, 2026
Webster-Kirkwood Times spotlights MNMI Artistic Director Stefan Freund’s “How Mr. Silver Stole the Show,” set for May 17 in University City
The Webster-Kirkwood Times recently featured Mizzou New Music Initiative Artistic Director Dr. Stefan Freund‘s composition How Mr. Silver Stole the Show, which is set for a May 17 performance by the Metropolitan Orchestra of St. Louis at the 560 Music Center in University City, Missouri. You can read the article here. Dr. Stefan Freund Tickets may be purchased on the day of the concert at the venue or online in advance from Eventbrite.com. For more information, see moslmusic.org. To stay…
April 3, 2026
School of Music Student Mon Ieong Cheok Kai to Participate in Vienna Contemporary Composers Festival
University of Missouri School of Music student Mon Ieong Cheok Kai has been accepted to participate in the Vienna Contemporary Composers Festival, scheduled for July 3-16, 2026 in Vienna, Austria. He will join University of Missouri School of Music graduate Seda Balci, who was previously accepted, and Mizzou New Music Initiative Associate Director Tiffany M. Skidmore, who will serve as one of the Festival’s faculty members. Mon Ieong Cheok Kai The Vienna Contemporary Composers Festival is designed for composers looking to refine their craft, receive professional performances of their works, and…