
New music reed quintet Splinter Reeds in residence at University of Missouri School of Music Oct. 19-20
The new music reed quintet Splinter Reeds will be in residence at the University of Missouri School of Music on Oct. 19 and 20. Splinter Reeds is the West Coast’s first reed quartet and is committed to presenting top-tier performances of contemporary works, commissioning new works, and exploring the possibilities of a quintet made up…

Missouri Composers Project (MOCOP) expands to include additional categories for composers of new orchestral and choral music from neighboring states
The Missouri Composers Project (MOCOP) is looking for new orchestral and choral music written by residents of Missouri as well as neighboring states. Now in its eleventh year, MOCOP is a collaborative effort involving the Mizzou New Music Initiative, the Columbia Civic Orchestra (CCO), the Columbia Chamber Choir, and the Sinquefield Charitable Foundation to bring attention to new large ensemble…

Morima Yerby wins 2023 Sinquefield Composition Prize
The University of Missouri School of Music and the Mizzou New Music Initiative have awarded the 2023 Sinquefield Composition Prize to Morima Yerby. Now in its 18th year, the Sinquefield Composition Prize is the top award for a composition student at Mizzou. As this year’s winner, Morima Yerby will be awarded a $2,500 prize and will…

Composer José Halac’s Oct. 5-9, 2023 residency concludes with Mizzou New Music Ensemble concert
José Halac, an award-winning Argentinian composer and researcher of contemporary music, will be in residence from Wednesday, October 5 through Sunday, October 9, 2022 at the University of Missouri School of Music. Halac’s residency is funded by the Mizzou New Music Initiative (MNMI) and the Sinquefield Charitable Foundation. José Halac …

Mizzou International Composers Festival announces 2023 Festival Dates and Featured Guest Composers; Opens Resident Composer application process
The Mizzou New Music Initiative has set the dates, named the Featured Guest Composers, and will begin accepting Resident Composer entries for the 2023 Mizzou International Composers Festival (MICF). The 14th annual MICF will take place Monday, July 24 through Saturday, July 29, 2023 at the University of Missouri School of Music in Columbia, MO. [caption id="attachment_7367" align="aligncenter"…

A look back at the 2022 Mizzou International Composers Festival concerts
The 2022 Mizzou International Composers Festival returned to live concerts after two years of online-only performances at the 2020 and 2021 MICFs. If you attended the live MILF concerts presented at the Missouri Theater, and at Sheryl Crow Hall at the Sinquefield Music Center the last week of July, you experienced firsthand the energy and…

St. Louis Symphony Orchestra to Premiere Three New Works from Mizzou Student Composers at March 26 Concert at The Touhill
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,…

Mizzou New Music Initiative announces winners in the 2025 Creating Original Music Project Competition
The Mizzou New Music Initiative has announced the winning composers in the 2025 Creating Original Music Project (COMP). Now in its 20th year, COMP is an annual statewide competition sponsored by the University of Missouri School of Music and the Sinquefield Charitable Foundation. COMP showcases new, original music from Missouri student composers and songwriters in grades K-12, offering positive recognition,…

Mizzou student Henry Rusten featured in Cape Girardeau’s Southeast Missourian and on the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra’s SLSO Stories blog
Mizzou student Henry Rusten, a composer and multi-instrumentalist, was recently featured in Cape Girardeau’s Southeast Missourian and on the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra’s SLSO Stories blog. Rusten’s piece Paradigm Shift for string quartet will be given its world premiere performance at 7:30 p.m. March 6 as part of the SLSO’s “Live at the Sheldon” chamber-music series. Henry Rusten…

Works by Missouri Composers Project winners to be performed by Columbia Civic Orchestra, Premiere Vocal Artists in Sunday, April 13 concert
The Columbia Civic Orchestra (CCO) and Premiere Vocal Artists, conducted by Jeremy Wagner, will perform the winning works from the 2025 Missouri Composers Project (MOCOP) competition in a concert at 7:30 p.m. Sunday, April 13 at Broadway Christian Church, 2601 W Broadway in Columbia. Admission to the concert is free and open to the public. Now in its 13th…

2025 Sinquefield Prize winner Giovanni Porfirio invited to perform at Brazilian Legion of Good Will event in New York City
Giovanni Porfirio, the 2025 Sinquefield Composition Prize winner, has been invited to perform at the opening of the Brazilian Legion of Good Will’s new offices in New York City on Monday, March 10. The Legion of Good Will (LGW) is a nonprofit organization dedicated to providing educational and social assistance programs for economically disadvantaged communities. It was…

Mizzou International Composers Festival Announces Resident Composers for 2025
The Mizzou New Music Initiative (MNMI) and Alarm Will Sound have selected eight Resident Composers to participate in the 2025 Mizzou International Composers Festival (MICF). Presented by the MNMI and the University of Missouri School of Music from Monday, July 21 through Saturday, July 26, 2025, in Columbia, the sixteenth annual MICF will feature world premieres of…

Mizzou student Seda Balci featured on the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra’s SLSO Stories blog
Mizzou student Seda Balci, a composer and pianist, was recently featured on the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra’s SLSO Stories blog. Balci’s piece Adieu to the Moon will be given its world premier performance at 7:30 p.m. January 30 as part of the SLSO’s “Live at the Sheldon” chamber-music series. The series is an ongoing…

Top Performers, Composers, and Internationally Renowned Artists to be Showcased at Nine Upcoming Mizzou New Music Initiative Concerts in Columbia
The Mizzou New Music Initiative (MNMI) will present nine concerts this winter and spring in Columbia that will showcase the program’s newest musical groups and composers along with internationally renowned artists. MNMI is a diverse array of programs that position the University of Missouri School of Music as a leading center for the composition and performance of new music.…