March 25, 2021

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 performance will be available to view on the University of Missouri School of Music’s YouTube channel and on the Mizzou New Music Facebook page. Then on Thursday, April 15, Lewis will be one of the panelists for a School of Music convocation…

March 17, 2021

COMP Festival to showcase award-winning works from
Missouri student composers in streaming concert on Saturday, April 24

In a year of unprecedented challenges for students, teachers, and parents, Missouri’s young composers in grades K – 12 once again have produced a wide variety of creative expressions in sound for the Mizzou New Music Initiative’s 16th annual Creating Original Music Project (COMP) Festival. This year’s COMP Festival showcasing the best of those compositions will take place online, beginning at 10:30 a.m. Saturday, April 24 on the University of Missouri School of Music’s YouTube channel and the Mizzou New Music Facebook page. The junior division concert, featuring works from elementary and middle school winners of this year’s…

March 10, 2021

Khemia Ensemble to perform new works by
Mizzou student composers during virtual residency

The new music group Khemia Ensemble will perform new works by five student composers in an online concert as part of a virtual residency this month at Mizzou. The concert of student works will be one of two performances during the residency, which also will include a presentation to the School of Music’s composition seminar as well as individual private lessons and master classes for instrumental students. In their first performance at 7:00 p.m. CDT on Monday, March 22, Khemia Ensemble will present a program of works for solo instruments, featuring music by composers Nicole Chamberlain, Melissa Dunphy, Reena…

March 2, 2021

Mizzou New Music Initiative welcomes
Gahlord Dewald for virtual residency in March

The Mizzou New Music Initiative will welcome Gahlord Dewald for a virtual residency this month and an online concert in April. Dewald (pictured) is a bassist, electronic musician, composer, and community organizer who is based in Burlington, Vermont. His Mizzou residency during the second week of March will include presentations to the School of Music’s introduction to electronic music class and to the composition seminar. He’ll follow up those residency activities next month with a free online streaming performance presented by Mizzou at 7:00 p.m. Monday, April 19. Dewald’s concert will be available to view on the University…

Feb. 8, 2021

Mizzou New Music Ensemble to perform
works by Onishi, Berko in a free online concert
on Wednesday, February 17

The Mizzou New Music Ensemble will perform recent works by Yoshiaki Onishi and Alex Berko in a free online concert at 7:00 p.m. Wednesday, February 17. The concert will be available to view on the University of Missouri School of Music’s YouTube channel and the Mizzou New Music Facebook page. “Antefenas-Studies” was written in 2018 by Onishi, who is a postdoctoral fellow in composition at the University of Missouri School of Music and serves as the Ensemble’s assistant conductor. Using both live instrumentation and prerecorded electronics, the piece explores “the kinetics of one sound responding to…

Jan. 28, 2021

Mizzou International Composers Festival announces resident composers for 2021

Clockwise from top left: Ana Paola Santillán Alcocer, Daniel Fitzpatrick, Paul Mortilla & Nina Shekhar The Mizzou New Music Initiative (MNMI) has selected four resident composers to participate in the 2021 Mizzou International Composers Festival (MICF). Presented by MNMI and the University of Missouri School of Music from Monday, July 26 through Saturday, July 31 in Columbia, the twelfth annual MICF will feature world premieres of new works written by each of the selected composers. Listed with their current places of residence, they are: * Ana Paola Santillán Alcocer – Mexico City, Mexico * Daniel Fitzpatrick –…

Jan. 21, 2021

Mizzou New Music Initiative to present Duo Cortona
in a free online concert on Friday, February 5

The Mizzou New Music Initiative will present Duo Cortona in a free online concert at 7:00 p.m. Friday, February 5. The concert will be available to view on the University of Missouri School of Music’s YouTube channel and the Mizzou New Music Facebook page. It was recorded in conjunction with a “virtual residency” in November 2020 by the duo that also included reading and recording new works by Mizzou student composers and making a presentation to composition students. The program will include music by Mizzou assistant professor Carolina Heredia; Evan Chambers, who also had a…

Jan. 19, 2021

Yoshiaki Onishi chosen as MMTA’s Commissioned Composer for 2021

The Missouri Music Teachers Association (MMTA) has selected Yoshiaki Onishi as their Commissioned Composer for 2021. Onishi (pictured), a postdoctoral fellow with the Mizzou New Music Initiative, was chosen after submitting a portfolio of works anonymously to a panel of three judges. As the winner of the award, he will be commissioned to write a new work to be premiered in November 2021 at MMTA’s annual conference. The winners of the Commissioned Composer competition in various states also are eligible to compete for the Music Teachers National Association’s “Distinguished Composer of Year” award, which includes…