Feb. 5, 2015
Missouri Composers Orchestra Project chooses works
by Zachary Cairns, Hans Heruth for performance on Saturday, March 7
The famous conductor James Levine once compared the orchestra to a “treasure chest,” but the relative scarcity of modern works on orchestral programs means that few contemporary composers ever get the chance to access those riches. Zachary Cairns Now, two more Missouri composers will receive that valuable opportunity, as the Columbia Civic Orchestra (CCO) and the Mizzou New Music Initiative have announced the selection of two orchestral works written by Missouri residents to be performed by the CCO at a concert on Saturday, March 7 in Columbia. The winning compositions were chosen in a statewide competition conducted under…
Jan. 5, 2015
Mizzou International Composers Festival announces resident composers for 2015
The Mizzou New Music Initiative has selected eight resident composers to participate in the 2015 Mizzou International Composers Festival. Presented by MNMI and the University of Missouri School of Music from Monday, July 20 through Saturday, July 25 in Columbia, the sixth annual MICF (http://composersfestival.missouri.edu/) will feature world premieres of new works written by each of the selected composers. Listed with their current places of residence, they are (from top left): * Thomas Dougherty, Houston, TX * Emily Koh, Waltham, MA * Andrew McManus, Chicago, IL * Justin…
Dec. 18, 2014
Relevant Tones two-part radio special about
Mizzou International Composers Festival now available online
Last Saturday, the syndicated radio program “Relevant Tones” broadcast the second part of a two-hour special about the 2014 Mizzou International Composers Festival. Now, both episodes about the MICF can be streamed online. You can hear part one of the special here, and part two here. Originating from WFMT (98.7 FM) in Chicago, “Relevant Tones” also is heard on nearly 40 other NPR, public, and commercial stations, plus 150 “translator” frequencies, in the USA, Canada and New Zealand.
Dec. 16, 2014
Mizzou International Composers Festival gets
record number of resident composer applicants for 2015
With all the applications for 2015 submitted and logged, the Mizzou International Composers Festival has set another new record this year for the number of submissions from prospective resident composers. The MICF got a total of 231 applications for the 2015 festival, including 82 returning applicants and 149 who applied for the first time. Fifteen percent of the submissions came from outside the US, with applications arriving from composers in Australia, Brazil, Canada, Colombia, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Mexico, Netherlands, South Korea, Spain, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom. Last weekend, festival organizers met in St. Louis to review…
Dec. 4, 2014
Missouri Composers Orchestra Project
2015 entry deadline extended to Monday, December 15
The Missouri Composers Orchestra Project (MOCOP) deadline for 2015 submissions has been extended until Monday, December 15. Now in its fourth year, MOCOP is a collaborative effort of the Mizzou New Music Initiative, the Columbia Civic Orchestra (CCO), and the Sinquefield Charitable Foundation to bring attention to orchestral works written in the state of Missouri. By identifying composers of orchestral music and providing opportunities for the performance of their work, MOCOP strives to showcase the talent of Missouri and share it with the community Each year, works are selected through a competitive, blind judging process to…
Dec. 2, 2014
Mizzou International Composers Festival to be featured
on “Relevant Tones” radio program December 6 and December 13
The 2014 Mizzou International Composers Festival will be the subject of two upcoming episodes of the syndicated radio program “Relevant Tones,” which originates from WFMT (98.7 FM) in Chicago. The two episodes will feature the world broadcast premiere of music from the 2014 MICF, plus interviews with many of the participating composers. Part one will air on WFMT at 5:00 p.m. Central time this coming Saturday, December 6, with part two to follow at the same time on Saturday, December 13. You can listen to a live stream of the broadcasts at http://www.wfmt.com/streaming. Once they’ve aired, episodes…
Dec. 1, 2014
Mizzou New Music Ensemble to perform new works from Missouri composers
and more on Sunday, December 7 at Whitmore Recital Hall
The Mizzou New Music Ensemble will play their second concert of the academic year (and their final show of 2014) at 7:30 p.m., Sunday, December 7 in Whitmore Recital Hall, 135 Fine Arts Building on the University of Missouri campus. Admission is free for Mizzou students, $5 suggested donation for the general public. The program will feature a turn-of-the-century piece from a Pulitzer Prize and Grammy Award winning composer, plus four brand new works written right here in Missouri. The prizewinner in question is Jennifer Higdon (pictured), the acclaimed contemporary composer whose major awards include a Pulitzer…
Nov. 24, 2014
MNMI alumni in the news
Several Mizzou composition alumni have been in the news this fall: * Grant Fonda, who earned his master’s degree at Mizzou in 2012, was featured as a “composer to watch” as part of ASCAP’s “Composer Spotlight.” Fonda (pictured) was selected earlier this year to take part in the the organization’s Film Scoring Workshop in Los Angeles. * Michael Anderson, who graduated and won the Sinquefield Composition Prize in 2012, had a new work, “The Heart of A Land” premiered by the combined forces of the Parkville Symphonic Band and the Platte City…