Composers Festival spotlight: Ana Paola Santillán Alcocer

Resident composer Ana Paola Santillán Alcocer comes to the 2021 Mizzou International Composers Festival from Mexico City, Mexico. She earned her doctoral degree in composition from McGill University in Montreal, Canada, where she was composer-in-residence for the McGill Contemporary Music Ensemble and also worked with electronic media at the McGill Digital Composition Studios. Previously, she…

Mizzou New Music Ensemble featured on new recording

The Mizzou New Music Ensemble is featured on Black Pierrot, a new album by Mizzou's University Singers that is being released this week on the Centaur Records label. The album (pictured) is described as "a program of great choral works, including one work from the 1500s, works from the 20th Century," plus the title track,…

Mizzou International Composers Festival to return
July 26-31 with nine world premieres and more

After a year in which the COVID-19 pandemic forced last-minute changes in programming, the Mizzou International Composers Festival (MICF) is back in 2021 in a more familiar form. Presented Monday, July 26 through Saturday, July 31 by the Mizzou New Music Initiative (MNMI) and the University of Missouri School of Music, the twelfth annual MICF…

Springfield Symphony to perform Stefan Freund’s “Ragfare” in concerts on Saturday, May 8

The Springfield Symphony will perform "Ragfare," a work written by University of Missouri professor of composition Stefan Freund, in a pair of concerts on Saturday, May 8 at the Juanita K. Hammons Hall for the Performing Arts in Springfield, MO. Freund (pictured), who's also a cellist, conductor, and the artistic director of the Mizzou New…

New documentary with score by Mizzou students to get free screening Monday, May 3 at Missouri Theatre

A new documentary film produced at Mizzou and featuring a musical score composed and performed by students from the School of Music will get a free screening at 7:00 p.m. on Monday, May 3 at the Missouri Theatre. "Keep the Cameras Rolling: The Pedro Zamora Way" tells the story of one of the early stars…

[Switch~ Ensemble] virtual residency at Mizzou will include presentations plus a free online concert on Sunday, May 2

The new music group [Switch~ Ensemble] will do a “virtual residency” this spring for the Mizzou New Music Initiative, culminating in a online concert featuring works by Mizzou student composers. The concert at 8:30 p.m. on Sunday, May 2 will include new works by Mizzou's Santiago Beis, Luis Bezerra, and Oswald Huynh, as well as…

Sheldon commissions to be available for online viewing

New works written on commission by Mizzou student composers for premiere at the Sheldon Concert Hall in St. Louis soon will be available for everyone to view via The Sheldon's YouTube channel. The first three pieces that will go online at 8:00 p.m. Thursday, March 25 are "The Grace of Falling" by Santiago Beis, "Aubade…

George Lewis’ virtual residency at Mizzou to include public panel discussion and more

The renowned composer, musician, educator, and author George Lewis will take part in a “virtual residency” for the Mizzou New Music Initiative next month. Lewis (pictured) will coach the Mizzou New Music Ensemble in preparation for their performance of his composition “Les exercises spirituels” in an online concert at 7:00 p.m. Wednesday, April 14. The…