Oct. 3, 2012

Sinquefield Charitable Foundation commissions new works from Mizzou composers to celebrate The Sheldon’s 100th anniversary

The famous German composer Robert Schumann once said, “In order to compose, all you need to do is remember a tune that nobody else has thought of.” While that may be true, getting that new composition performed and heard once it is written can be another matter entirely. For an emerging composer writing music inspired by the classical tradition, performance opportunities can be few and far between. To give some of those composers a chance to be heard, the Mizzou New Music Initiative, the Sheldon Concert Hall and the Sinquefield Charitable Foundation have joined forces to commission…

Oct. 1, 2012

Augusta Read Thomas, Daniel Kellogg named as guest composers for the 2013 Mizzou International Composers Festival

Continuing its emerging tradition of pairing an acknowledged master and a rising star, the Mizzou New Music Initiative has named Augusta Read Thomas and Daniel Kellogg as guest composers for the 2013 Mizzou International Composers Festival (MICF). Formerly known as the Mizzou New Music Summer Festival, the MICF will be held from Monday, July 22, 2013 through Saturday, July 27 on the campus of the University of Missouri. As in the past, the 2013 Festival will feature a series of public concerts featuring music from contemporary composers, as well as workshops, master classes and other events. The…

Sep. 10, 2012

Mizzou New Music Initiative’s summer event gets a new name:
Mizzou International Composers Festival

With applicants coming from dozens of countries on five different continents, the Mizzou New Music Summer Festival already has attracted significant international attention in its first three years. The composers from abroad who have been selected to participate clearly have influenced the Festival’s musical direction. They also have helped to spread the word about the event much farther and faster than originally anticipated. In a nod to these welcome developments, the event now will be known as the Mizzou International Composers Festival, effective immediately. Though the name has changed, the format will remain essentially the same. The…

Aug. 31, 2012

“Conversations with Composers” podcast – Episode 103

Here’s the third installment in our series of “Conversations With Composers” podcasts recorded at this year’s Mizzou New Music Summer Festival. Episode 103 is the second and final part of a conversation including guest composer Donnacha Dennehy and resident composers Stephanie Berg, Brian Ciach, Charlie Piper and Asha Srinivasan. Give it a listen using the embedded player below:…

Aug. 29, 2012

“Conversations with Composers” podcast – Episode 102

Here’s another installment in our series of “Conversations With Composers” podcasts. Recorded during the 2012 Mizzou New Music Summer Festival, episode 102 is the first part of a conversation among guest composer Donnacha Dennehy and resident composers Stephanie Berg, Brian Ciach, Charlie Piper and Asha Srinivasan. You can hear it in the embedded player below:…

Aug. 27, 2012

“Conversations with Composers” podcast – Episode 101

The Mizzou New Music Initiative’s “Conversations With Composers” podcasts offer an inside perspective from the composers who took part in the 2012 Mizzou New Music Summer Festival, featuring candid discussions of their work, backgrounds, influences and processes; their experiences during the Festival; and much more. Episode 101 features guest composer Steven Stucky talking with resident composers Stylianos Dimou, Ted Goldman and Patrick Harlin. Check it out in the embedded player below:…

July 27, 2012

More Mizzou New Music Summer Festival press coverage

As the Mizzou New Music Summer Festival has progressed this week, we’ve seen some more coverage of the Festival in the press and online: * The Kansas City Star had a feature story about resident composer Stephanie Berg, who grew up in the KC suburb of Parkville. * The Columbia Daily Tribune‘s Art Axis blog published interviews that reporter Aarik Danielsen conducted with guest composers Donnacha Dennehy and Steven Stucky. * Violist Nadio Sirota, who’s a substitute player this week with the Festival’s resident ensemble Alarm Will Sound, has written about her…

July 25, 2012

Behind the scenes with Alarm Will Sound

Before the start of the Mizzou New Music Summer Festival, resident ensemble Alarm Will Sound spent a week rehearsing at the Sinquefield Reserve in mid-Missouri. While they did have time to pose for a photographic homage to George Seurat’s “Sunday Afternoon on the Island of Grand Jatte” (pictured), there was a lot of hard work, too, as you can see in these photo sets posted to AWS’ Facebook page: . Alarm Will Sound rehearsals, Day 1 Alarm Will Sound rehearsals, Day 2 Alarm Will Sound rehearsals, Day 3 Alarm Will Sound…