July 12, 2019
Composers Festival spotlight: “0150719 by reference”
In addition to the expanded schedule of concerts celebrating the festival’s tenth year, another first for the 2019 Mizzou International Composers Festival is “0150719 by reference,” a generative eight-channel audio installation created specifically for the MICF by Kenneth Kirschner and Daniel Neumann. The installation will be open starting on Tuesday, July 23 and continuing through Saturday, July 27 in the second-floor lobby of the Missouri Theatre. Hours are 5:30 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. Tuesday and Wednesday, and 5:00 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday. The sounds for “050719 by reference” are based on a…
July 11, 2019
2019 MICF in the media
With this year’s Mizzou International Composers Festival fast approaching, MNMI has been working to get the word out via local media. For starters, the “Mizzou Music” radio program, heard at 6:00 p.m. Wednesday evenings on Columbia’s classical music station KMUC, has been airing a series of interviews with participants in this year’s MICF. Composers interviewed by host Aaron Hay so far include Peter Shin, Nicole Murphy, Inti Viggis-Vizueta, Donnacha Dennehy, Chelsea Komschlies, Kristina Wolfe, Theo Chandler and Mizzou’s own Aaron Mencher. Still to come are interviews with Charles Halka, Amy Beth Kirsten,…
July 11, 2019
Composers Festival spotlight: Eli Keszler
For this year’s expanded edition of the Mizzou International Composers Festival, the Mizzou New Music Initiative is teaming up with Columbia-based experimental music organization Dismal Niche to present two free late-night concerts on Thursday, July 25 and Friday, July 26 after the performances at the Missouri Theatre. Friday’s late-night concert will feature percussionist, composer, and artist Eli Keszler in a solo performance starting at 9:30 p.m. at the Firestone Baars Chapel on the campus of Stephens College. Keszler (pictured), who’s based in New York City, earned his BA in music performance and composition from the New…
July 10, 2019
Composers Festival spotlight: Aaron Mencher
Resident composer Aaron Mencher is representing the University of Missouri at this year’s Mizzou International Composers Festival. Originally from Atlanta, GA, Mencher (pictured) received his bachelor’s degree in music from Mizzou this year, and in the fall will begin studies for a master’s in music at the Peabody Institute in Baltimore, MD. For the MICF, he’s written a piece titled “Haworthia,” which will be performed by Alarm Will Sound along with new music from the seven other resident composers as part of the festival’s grand finale on Saturday, July 27 at the Missouri Theatre. While at…
July 9, 2019
Composers Festival spotlight: Nicole Murphy
Originally from Sydney, Australia, Nicole Murphy is only the second Australian to be a resident composer for the Mizzou International Composers Festival. (Holly Harrison, MICF ’14, was the first.) Murphy (pictured) earned her PhD from the University of Queensland and is represented as an associate artist by the Australian Music Centre. Her music is published by Wirripang, Austalia’s leading independent print music publisher of classical and jazz. She is composer-in-residence at the Queensland Academy for Creative Industries in Brisbane, Queensland, and in 2018 was the inaugural recipient of the Australia Ensemble‘s Emerging…
July 8, 2019
Composers Festival spotlight: Theo Chandler
Resident composer Theo Chandler comes to the 2019 Mizzou International Composers Festival by way of Houston, TX, where he currently is working on a doctorate of musical arts at the Rice University Shepherd School of Music. He’s already had a busy summer, having served as composer in residence for the Maryland Wind Festival, held in June in Frederick, MD, and as a fellow at the Britten-Pears Young Artist Programme, which is going on right now in Suffolk, England. The piece Chandler (pictured) has written for the MICF, “Familiar Punchlines,” will be performed by Alarm Will…
July 1, 2019
If you’re coming to Columbia…
There’s never been a better time to visit Columbia for the Mizzou International Composers Festival, because to celebrate its tenth year in 2019, the MICF has added more concerts and has made ALL festival events, including Saturday’s grand finale featuring eight world premieres performed by Alarm Will Sound, FREE. You can see a complete schedule of all 2019 MICF events here. Also, you may find these links useful for planning and/or during your visit: Visitors information Columbia Convention and Visitors Bureau University of Missouri Visitors Guide Columbia Regional Airport…
May 20, 2019