Aug. 16, 2018
Construction progressing on Mizzou’s new School of Music building
After a ground-breaking ceremony in April, construction of the School of Music’s new building has been progressing throughout the spring and summer. For an overview of what’s happened so far, check out the embedded video in this post. The new building will bring together in one place offices and classrooms that currently are spread across six different locations on the Mizzou campus, and is scheduled to open in time for the Fall 2019 semester. The project is being funded by donations including a $10 million lead gift from Dr. Jeanne and Rex Sinquefield and the Sinquefield Charitable Foundation.
Aug. 3, 2018
MICF alumni win commissions from Barlow Endowment, Chamber Music America
Clockwise from top left: Cuong, Peck, Stark, McLosky As this year’s Mizzou International Composers Festival was ending, news broke that several MICF alumni have won commissions in annual competitions sponsored by the Barlow Endowment and by Chamber Music America. This year’s winners of general commissions from the Barlow Endowment include past MICF resident composers Viet Cuong (MICF 2018), Charles Peck (MICF 2017), and Christopher Stark (MICF 2015). In addition, Lansing McLoskey, who visited the Mizzou campus as a guest composer in 2015, also won a Barlow commission for 2018. The Barlow Endowment for Music…
July 30, 2018
A look back at the 2018 Mizzou International Composers Festival
July 26, 2018
MICF in the media
If you’ve missed any of the media coverage of the 2018 Mizzou International Composers Festival, you can catch up by following the links below: * The Columbia Daily Tribune‘s coverage included interviews with resident composers Viet Cuong, Douglas Osmun and Gemma Peacocke, plus a guide to the entire festival. * The Columbia Missourian published a short feature story offering an overview of the festival, along with a gallery of photos. * MNMI managing director Jacob Gotlib was interviewed by Diana Moxon of KOPN’s “Speaking of the Arts.” Moxon also interviewed resident composers…
July 22, 2018
Composers Festival spotlight: Robert Morris
The Mizzou New Music Initiative is most grateful to Robert Morris for agreeing to serve as one of the two distinguished guest composers at the 2018 Mizzou International Composers Festival. Morris, a composer and professor at Eastman School of Music, graciously re-arranged his summer schedule on short notice to come to Columbia after composer Chen Yi had to withdraw for medical reasons. Festival-goers will be able to hear two of Morris’ works during the MICF. As part of their concert on Thursday night at the Missouri Theatre, resident ensemble Alarm Will Sound will perform Morris’ “In…
July 21, 2018
Composers Festival spotlight: Igor Santos
Originally from Curitiba, Brazil, resident composer Igor Santos comes to the 2018 Mizzou International Composers Festival by way of Chicago, where he recently earned his PhD in music composition from the University of Chicago. Before that, Santos received his M.A. from the Eastman School of Music, where he was an active member of the Ossia New Music group, assisting in organizing and promoting concerts of contemporary music. He earned his B.M. in composition and electronic music from the University of South Florida, also serving as a board member and pianist for the USF Composer’s Consortium. Santos…
July 20, 2018
Composers Festival spotlight: Gemma Peacocke
Over the past nine years, the Mizzou International Composers Festival has had portfolios submitted from all over the world, and this year, resident composer Gemma Peacocke became the first New Zealander ever to be part of the MICF. Now living in the USA and working toward a PhD at Princeton University, Peacocke grew up in Hamilton, New Zealand in a home once occupied by another creative individual – Richard O’Brien, who wrote the book, lyrics. and music for The Rocky Horror Show. Before attending Princeton, she did undergraduate work at New Zealand School of Music and…
July 19, 2018
Composers Festival spotlight: Mizzou New Music Ensemble
As has become tradition over the past nine years, the Mizzou New Music Ensemble will be performing during the Mizzou International Composers Festival as part of Friday night’s “Mizzou New Music” concert at the Missouri Theatre. Their portion of the evening’s program will include works by the MICF’s two distinguished guest composers – “Portraits and Repetitions” by Alex Mincek and “Mountain Streams” by Robert Morris – as well as “Near Distance” by Chen Yi (who last week had to withdraw from the festival for medical reasons and was replaced by Morris). The Mizzou New Music Ensemble is made…