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…

Nov. 4, 2020

Duo Cortona, Evan Chambers doing virtual residencies for Mizzou

While the current pandemic-related restrictions may be limiting some in-person interactions, Mizzou students still are getting opportunities to work with and learn from composers and performers from throughout the world of new music. For example, this month new music ensemble Duo Cortona and composer Evan Chambers both will take part in virtual residencies for MNMI. Chambers (pictured, top left) is a professor of composition at the University of Michigan whose works have been performed by the Cincinnati, Kansas City, Memphis, New Hampshire, and Albany Symphonies, among others. Recordings of his music have been released by labels such as Albany…

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 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…

July 16, 2018

Robert Morris to serve as guest composer for 2018 Mizzou International Composers Festival; Chen Yi withdraws for medical reasons

Composer Chen Yi, who had been scheduled to be one of the distinguished guest composers later this month at the 2018 Mizzou International Composers Festival, has withdrawn from the festival due to medical reasons. In place of Chen, Robert Morris, composer and professor at the Eastman School of Music, has agreed to serve as a guest composer for the 2018 MICF. “We regret that Chen Yi is unable to participate in this year’s festival. She recently had surgery and though a full recovery is expected, it’s taking longer than originally anticipated,” said Stefan Freund, professor of…