March 8, 2022
Mizzou New Music Initiative announces winners in the 2022 Creating Original Music Project Competition
The winning composers in the 2022 Creating Original Music Project (COMP) have been announced by the Mizzou New Music Initiative. Now in its 17th year, COMP is an annual statewide competition sponsored by the University of Missouri School of Music and the Sinquefield Charitable Foundation. COMP showcases new, original music from Missouri student composers and songwriters in grades K-12, offering positive recognition, prizes, performances, educational opportunities, and more. For the competition, students in grades K-5 submit compositions in two categories, Songs With Words and Instrumental. For grades 6-8, the categories are Fine Art Music and…
Jan. 25, 2022
Missouri Composers Project (MOCOP) announces winners of 2022 competition
The Missouri Composers Project (MOCOP), a collaborative effort involving the Mizzou New Music Initiative, the Columbia Civic Orchestra (CCO), the Columbia Chamber Choir, and the Sinquefield Charitable Foundation designed to bring attention to new large ensemble works written in the state of Missouri, is pleased to announce the winners of the 2022 MOCOP competition. This year’s winners competed in four categories: High School Choral and High School Orchestral for Missouri composers currently in high school; and Open Choral and Open Orchestral for Missouri composers of any age. Here are the four winners and the two composers who received honorable mention: Open Orchestral: Devin…
Oct. 15, 2021
Mizzou’s 2022 Creating Original Music Project (COMP) offers awards, cash prizes for Missouri student composers
The Mizzou New Music Initiative (MNMI) has returned to presenting live perfomances for the 2021-22 season. As part of our upcoming season, MNMI is looking forward to once again providing young music students in Missouri with the opportunity to hear their new compositions performed in concert through the MNMI Creating Original Music Project (COMP). Now in its 17th year, COMP is an annual statewide competition sponsored by the University of Missouri School of Music and the Sinquefield Charitable Foundation. COMP showcases new, original music from Missouri student composers and songwriters in grades K-12, offering positive recognition and prizes, performance and educational…
Oct. 13, 2021
Missouri Composers Project (MOCOP) seeks new orchestral, choral music for concert in March 2022
The Missouri Composers Project (MOCOP) is looking for new, large-ensemble music written by Missouri residents to be performed in a concert on March 20, 2022. Now in its tenth year, MOCOP is a collaborative effort involving the Mizzou New Music Initiative, the Columbia Civic Orchestra (CCO), the Columbia Chamber Choir, and the Sinquefield Charitable Foundation to bring attention to new large ensemble works written in the state of Missouri. By identifying composers and providing opportunities for the performance of their work, MOCOP showcases emerging talent from Missouri and shares it with the world. Columbia Civic Orchestra performs works at MOCOP concert Each year…
Feb. 25, 2019
Mizzou New Music Initiative gets $2.5 million gift
from Sinquefield Charitable Foundation
In a news conference on Thursday, February 21, University of Missouri officials announced that the Mizzou New Music Initiative will receive a gift of $2.5 million from the Sinquefield Charitable Foundation to help continue the program over the next three years. The funds will help support all of MNMI’s activities, including the costs of faculty and staff, graduate student assistantships, and two full-tuition scholarships per year for undergraduate composition majors; presenting the Mizzou International Composers Festival; bringing guest composers and performers to campus; funding the Sinquefield Composition Prize; and more. The University will match the $300,000 portion designated for…
Jan. 18, 2018
Missouri Composers Project selects four works for Columbia Civic Orchestra concert on Sunday, March 11
The Mizzou New Music Initiative (MNMI) has announced the selection of four winners in the 2018 Missouri Composers Project (MOCOP) competition. Now in its seventh year, MOCOP is a collaborative effort involving MNMI, the Columbia Civic Orchestra (CCO), the Columbia Chamber Choir, and the Sinquefield Charitable Foundation. Composers from all over Missouri are invited each year to submit orchestral and choral works for potential performance, with winners selected in two age categories, “open” and “high school.” All four winners of the 2018 competition will receive a $500 honorarium from the Sinquefield Charitable Foundation, and the CCO…
March 15, 2017
William Averitt’s “Black Pierrot” inspired by poet Langston Hughes
Mizzou musicology professor Stephanie Shonekan (at left) leads a discussion with composer William Averitt (second from right) on the poetry of Langston Hughes. For his latest commissioned work “Black Pierrot,” composer William Averitt once again has drawn inspiration from the poetry of Langston Hughes. Scheduled for a world premiere on Saturday, March 18 at First Baptist Church in Columbia, “Black Pierrot” was commissioned by Mizzou’s director of choral studies Paul Crabb for the University Singers and the Mizzou New Music Ensemble, directed by Stefan Freund, with funding from the Sinquefield Charitable Foundation. Averitt, who’s now professor emeritus of…
Oct. 26, 2016
Creating Original Music Project (COMP) offers awards, cash prizes for original music from Missouri student composers
From school bands to adjudicated contests, young musicians today have many outlets to demonstrate their instrumental prowess. For young composers, the opportunities to show their talents can be much harder to find, which is why the Mizzou New Music Initiative began the Creating Original Music Project (COMP). Now in its twelfth year, COMP is an annual statewide competition that showcases new, original music from Missouri student composers and songwriters in grades K-12, offering positive recognition and prizes, performance and educational opportunities, and more. Sponsored by the University of Missouri School of Music and the Sinquefield Charitable…