The American Prize is honored to announce the winners, runners-up, citation recipients and honorable mentions of
The American Prize in Composition, 2016, Chamber Music, in all divisions. Congratulations!
Complete listings of finalists and semi-finalists in The American Prize competitions may be found elsewhere on this blog
. Please use the chronological tool in the right-hand column to find specific results.
QUICKNOTES: Although The American Prize does not usually provide written
evaluations to
semi-finalists, some semi-finalist composers will
receive in their certificate packets short comments, suggestions or
overall impressions made during the judging. We hope they will prove
valuable. All
finalists
receive written evaluations from a member of The American Prize judging
panel.
Please make us aware of any misprints: theamericanprize@gmail.com
The American Prize in Composition—Chamber (professional division)
The American Prize winner:
Justin N. Dello Joio New York NY
Due Per Due—for violoncello and piano
The March of Folly—music for piano trio
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| Justin N. Dello Joio |
New York born composer, Justin Dello Joio, is the seventh generation
of composer in the Dello Joio family. Currently the Faculty Composer in
Residence for New York University, he has been described by
distinguished composer John Corigliano "Justin Dello Joio is a born
composer. A real musician with a sparkling craft who has something
urgent to say in his works, and the ability to say it. In an age when so
much contemporary composition seems dictated by its technologically
sophisticated means, it is wonderful to hear music that is composed
completely by ear, mind and heart. His knowledge and mastery give his
work a distinction that many other writers lack…he is a wonderful
composer whose music has lasting power - A real creative artist!”
Composer Witold Lutoslawski described Dello Joio as“ an extremely
talented and gifted composer”. Ned Rorem wore of his work, “ Of the
hundreds of composers I know he is perhaps the most natural. He writes
what he wants, not what the current market presumably demands… His music
speaks.”
Dello Joio was honored with the American
Academy of Arts and Letters highest award, The Award in Music, after
previously receivingThe Lakond Award, and The Charles Ives Scholarship
from the Academy. Dello Joio has received the John Guggenheim Fellowship
and was honored as Composer of the Year by the Classical Recording
Foundation in 2007. He has received awards and grants from The New York
Foundation for the Arts, The National Endowment for the Arts, CAPS
Grant, The New York State Council on the Arts, 3 Meet the Composer
Grants, The Presser Foundation, The Lado Award, The Alexander
Gretchaninoff Award (String Quartet #1), The Marion Freschl Award.
JustinDelloJoio.com
2nd Place:
Andrew List Boston MA
String Quarter No.5 "Time Cycles"
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| Andrew List |
Andrew List (Professor of Composition at Berklee College of Music, Boston, MA) composes music in many different genres, including orchestral works, string quartet, vocal, choral music, opera, music for children, solo works, and a variety of chamber ensembles. He is a graduate of New England Conservatory of Music, with B.A. and M.A. degrees in music composition. He received his doctorate in music composition from Boston University, where he studied with Bernard Rands, Samuel Headrick, and Nicholas Maw. Mr. List has also studied privately with Richard Danielpour.
Recent performances include a collaboration with Mass Audubon on world premiere of “On The Wing, A Celebration of Birds in Music and Spoken Word and Journey Through the Eternal Forest for Flute, Oboe and String Orchestra commissioned by the Boston Classical Orchestra in celebration of their 35th season with BSO principals Elizabeth Rowe, flute and John Ferrillo, oboe. Other recent commissions include String Quartet No 5: "Time Cycles" a composition inspired by poet T.S. Eliot's monumental work Four Quartets was commissioned by the Arneis Quartet, and “Journey Toward the Eternal Flame” commissioned by The Boston Woodwind Society was premiered by Boston Symphony principal wind players John Ferrillo, oboe, and Richard Svoboda, bassoon with pianist Damien Francoeur-Krzyzek.
www.andrewlist.com
3rd Place:
Lansing D. McLoskey Miami FL
Rite—for 2 pianos, 2 percussion
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| Lansing D. McLoskey |
Lansing McLoskey has been described as "a major
talent and a deep thinker with a great ear" by the American Composers
Orchestra, "an engaging, gifted composer writing smart, compelling and
fascinating music" by Gramophone Magazine, and "a distinctive voice in
American music.” His music has been performed in sixteen countries on
six continents, and has won more than two-dozen national and
international awards, including two from the American Academy of Arts
and Letters. Among his many commissions are those from the Fromm
Foundation, N.E.A., Meet The Composer, Pew Charitable Trusts, and the
International Joint Wind Quintet Project. Recent commissions include a
Barlow Commission for a 60-minute oratorio for The Crossing;
ensemberlino vocale (Berlin); the New Spectrum Foundation for violinist
Miranda Cuckson; Ensemble Berlin PianoPercussion; TAWA Sax(Peru); Axiom
Brass; the SilverDuo; and oboist ToniMarie Marchioni. McLoskey’s music
is released on Albany Records, WergoSchallplatten, Capstone, Tantara,
BeauportClassics,and published by Theodore Presser, ACA, Subito, Mostly
Marimba,and Odhecaton-Z Music.
www.lansingmcloskey.com
JUDGE'S CITATION: "Unique Nexus of Acoustics, Electronics and Audience Interaction"
Matthew Burtner Charlottesville VA
The Ceiling Floats Away—for ensemble, poetry and audience interaction software
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| Matthew Burtner |
Matthew Burtner is an Alaskan-born composer and sound artist specializing in concert music, environmental sound art and interactive media. First Prize Winner of the Musica Nova International Electroacoustic Music Competition, an NEA Art Works Grant Winner, an IDEA Award Winner, and a recipient of the Howard Brown Foundation Fellowship, Burtner has also received honors and awards from Bourges (France), Gaudeamus (Netherlands), Darmstadt (Germany) and The Russolo (Italy) international competitions. His music has been performed in major festivals and venues throughout the world, and commissioned by ensembles such as Integrales (Germany), NOISE (USA), Trio Ascolto (Germany), Peak FreQuency (USA), MiN (Norway), Musikene (Spain), Spiza (Greece), CrossSound (Alaska), and others. He is a Professor in the Department of Music at the University of Virginia and Founder of the environmental arts non-profit organization, EcoSono (
http://www.ecosono.org,
http://www.matthewburtner.com)
JUDGE'S CITATION: "Creating a Unique, Sustained Sound World"
Daniel M. Cavanagh Arlington TX
Waves—for trumpet ensemble and drumset
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| Daniel M. Cavanagh |
Pianist and Composer Dan Cavanagh is an Associate Professor of Music and the Director of Music Industry Studies at the University of Texas at Arlington. As a pianist, he has performed throughout the Americas and Europe, and his compositions can be heard on a wide variety of recordings, including one by his trio, The Heart of the Geyser. He is the recipient of several composition awards in both the jazz and classical genres, and has been commissioned by a wide variety of groups throughout North America and Europe. More at
www.dancavanagh.com.
JUDGE'S CITATION: "Sonata of the Year"
Kenneth Froelich Fresno CA
Sonata for Clarinet & Piano
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| Kenneth Froelich |
Described as "energetic, exciting, and rhythmically dynamic," composer KENNETH D. FROELICH’s (b. 1977) music has been performed internationally in Europe, Asia, and North and South America. He has been honored with awards from ASCAP, NACUSA, Meet the Composer, the Percussive Arts Society, and the American Composers Forum, and his music has been presented by Pacific Serenades, CMASH, the American Composers Orchestra, Duo46, Earplay, the Empyrean Ensemble, the California E.A.R Unit, the Jolles Duo, and the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra, among others. Kenneth received his DM and MM degrees from Indiana University, and received his BM degree summa cum laude from USC in 1999. Kenneth is currently an Associate Professor of Music Composition at California State University, Fresno.
JUDGE'S CITATION: "Creating a Unique, Sustained Sound World"
Kotoka Suzuki Chicago IL
In Praise of Shadows—Three Paper Players and Electronics
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| Kotoka Suzuki |
Kotoka Suzuki is a composer focusing on both multimedia and instrumental practices. She has produced several large-scale multimedia, often in collaboration with artists and scholars from other disciplines. Her work conceives of sounds as physical form to be manipulated through the sculptural practice of composition. Her work has been featured internationally by performers such as Arditti Quartet, Pacifica Quartet, Nouvel Ensemble Moderne, Continuum, and Mendelssohn Chamber Orchestra (Leipzig), at numerous venues and festivals such as Ultraschall, World Music Days, The Stone, ZKM Media Museum, and MATA. Among the awards she has received include DAAD Artist in Resident-Berlin, Bourges Multimedia Prize, Norton Stevens and North Shore fellowship from the MacDowell Colony, Robert Fleming Prize from Canada Council for the Arts, Howard Foundation Fellowship, and Musica Nova Honor Prize. Suzuki is an associate composer at the Canadian Music Centre since 2001 and currently an Assistant Professor of Music at Arizona State University.
http://www.kotokasuzuki.com
JUDGE'S CITATION: "Exceptional Theatrical Sense in a Unique Monodrama"
William Vollinger Woodcliff Lake NJ
Stalin and the Little Girl (an icon)—for unaccompanied voice
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| William Vollinger |
William Vollinger’s music is described as “3D: different, direct and deep”, performed by the Gregg Smith Singers and NY Vocal Arts Ensemble, whose performance of “Three Songs About the Resurrection” won first prize at the Geneva International Competition. He’s published by Abingdon, API, Heritage, Kjos, Lawson-Gould, and Laurendale. Five works were editor's choices in the Pepper Catalogue. Recent premieres included Jackson State Symphony, San Francisco Choral Artists, Ridgewood Concert Band, Palisades Virtuosi, and Hamilton-Fairfield Symphony. “An Empty Swing” was nominated for the Orchestral American Prize and “Raspberry Man” for Chamber in 2015. Hartshorn Recordings is releasing an album of his works in 2016.
FINALIST—HONORABLE MENTION:
Sy Brandon Cottonwood AZ
Shenanigans—for SATB saxophone quartet
Badinerie—for clarinet and piano
Three Moods—for brass quintet
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| Sy Brandon |
Dr. Sy Brandon holds the rank of professor emeritus of music from Millersville University, Millersville, PA. First prize awards for his compositions include WITF-FM's 25th Anniversary Composition Contest, Franklin and Marshall College’s Wind Ensemble Composition Contest, the Quadre Composition Contest, and the New England String Ensemble Composition Competition. The Czech National Symphony Orchestra, the Philharmonia Bulgarica, and the Kiev Philharmonic have recorded his music. Featured performances of his music include the United States Army, Navy, and Air Force Bands, and NPR’s Performance Today. He was commissioned by the Arizona Commission on the Arts to compose a band composition celebrating Arizona’s statehood centennial and was recently selected as the recipient of the 2018 Thor Johnson Memorial Commission sponsored by the Delta Omicron Foundation. His website is
http://cooppress.net
FINALIST—HONORABLE MENTION:
Thomas Childs Traverse City MI
tritonicity
chachi ka—for four amplified voices and two percussion
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| Thomas Childs |
Thomas Childs is a composer interested in the collision of popular and classical music. In his music, he seeks to find a balance of accessibility and complexity to interest a broad spectrum of listeners. His diverse experiences range from studio and live work to solo compositions for hardanger fiddle to chamber and orchestral works. The inflections of world music, jazz and pop in his work create music that is hopefully as fun for you to listen to as it is for him to write. Dr. Childs’ works have been performed from Pittsburgh to Paris. He has had pieces played by the Grammy-winning group eighth blackbird, Alia Musica and read by the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra. Dr. Childs also enjoys multi-discipline collaboration. His works can be heard at
www.juxtacomposed.com.
FINALIST—HONORABLE MENTION:
Ethan Cypress Oneonta NY
Toy Suite—for saxophone quartet
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| Ethan Cypress |
Ethan Cypress grew up in Oneonta NY. He completed his undergraduate degree in Trombone Performance at the Crane School of Music at SUNY Potsdam in May of 2015. Now he is a freelance cruise musician. To learn more about his work, please visit
www.EthanCypress.com.
FINALIST—HONORABLE MENTION:
Dante De Silva Tarzana CA
A Year of Strife—for soprano, harp and electronics
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| Dante De Silva |
Dante De Silva (
www.dantedesilva.com) is a Los Angeles-based composer and musician. His music has been described as “haunting” (Classical Sonoma) and “beautiful” (Los Angeles Times) to “sparkling” (San Francisco Classical Voice) and “fun” (Sequenza21).
He has received commissions from Grammy-winning pianist Gloria Cheng, Opera Parallele, the Verdehr Trio, the B Band, and the Humboldt State University Percussion Ensemble, among others. In addition to his commissions, performers of his work include Talea Ensemble, Pacific Serenades, pianist Ryan MacEvoy McCullough, What’s Next, and Composers Inc..
Dante holds a Ph.D. in composition from UCLA, where his primary teachers were David Lefkowitz and Paul Reale, an M.A. in composition from UC Santa Cruz with David Cope and Paul Nauert, and a B.A. in music with an emphasis in piano performance, where he studied with Brian Post (composition), Eugene Novotney (percussion, composition), and Deborah Clasquin (piano).
FINALIST—HONORABLE MENTION:
Timothy Lee Miller Mahwah NJ
224 slices of pi—for flute, cello, piano & percussion
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| Timothy Lee Miller |
Timothy Lee Miller is an American composer, arranger and publisher writing contemporary concert music for chamber ensembles, orchestra, wind ensemble, and voice, as well as jazz music. He has earned degrees from the University of Tennessee, the University of Miami and Vermont College of Fine Arts. His principle composition teachers have been John Anthony Lennon, James Progris, Tamar Diesendruck, Jonathan Bailey Holland, Andy Jaffe, John Fitz Rogers and Roger Zahab. He has received numerous commissions and awards, including several ASCAP awards. His works have been performed throughout the US and in Europe. His music is recorded on ERMMedia, PARMA Records Navona and Ansonica labels, and Phoenix Classics. He lives in Mahwah, New Jersey with his wife and son, and his music is available through his website at
www.timothymillermusic.com.
FINALIST—HONORABLE MENTION:
Ian Ng New York NY
Think Twice—Three Little Musical Games—for violin and viola
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| Ian Ng |
Ian Ng is a New York City - based composer. He graduated from New York University with a Master Degree in Music Composition. His music has been described by The New York Times as "invigorating" with "intricate rhythms".
He won the American Prize, ASCAP Morton Gould Young Composer Award, and Robert Avalon International Music Composition Competition for his Grand Jeté on a Violin, which had its premiere as a ballet choreographed by Marcelo Gomes, principal dancer of the American Ballet Theatre, in 2012 at Lincoln Center. Sponsored by the Rockefeller Brothers Fund, his ballet Igual debuted at the Fire Island Dance Festival in 2014, featuring dancers from Complexions Contemporary Ballet. As a NYU resident composer, his orchestral composition, Cité en l’air, premiered in 2012 at Symphony Space. With the support of NYC Department of Cultural Affairs and New York State Council on the Arts, he will be presenting his first chamber opera in the Spring of 2017. website:
ianthecomposer.com
FINALIST—HONORABLE MENTION:
Mark Petering Kenosha WI
Concerto for Clarinet and String Orchestra (string quartet)
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| Mark Petering |
Mark Petering has received numerous awards from organizations such as ASCAP, SCI, and the National Guild of Community Schools of the Arts. He is the winner of the Swan Composer Prize for wind ensemble and winner of the Music Festival of the Hamptons Composition Competition for orchestra. The premiere of his Hamptons’ work Train & Tower after Sibelius made music history as Lukas Foss, the composer, and the Atlantic Chamber Orchestra coordinated the performance with a moving Long Island Rail Road locomotive controlled by the composer. The event was covered by the BBC, NPR, and The New York Times. He is also the recipient of numerous commissions as well as being honored as a participant in the 2005 Aspen Music Festival, studying with George Tsontakis.
Currently, Petering is Associate Professor of Music at Carthage College, one hour north of Chicago. He received his Ph.D. in composition at the University of Minnesota where he studied with Judith Lang Zaimont. Please visit
markpetering.com for scores and audio - also available at
imslp.org.
FINALIST—HONORABLE MENTION:
Greg A. Steinke Depoe Bay OR
Expressions—on the paintings of Edvard Munch—for string quartet
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| Greg A. Steinke |
Dr. Greg A Steinke, former Joseph Naumes Endowed Chair of Music/Art and Associate Dean of Undergraduate Studies, Marylhurst University; Associate Director, Ernest Bloch Music Festival (‘93–97) and Director, Composers Symposium (‘90–97) (Newport, OR); National Chairman of the Society of Composers, Inc. (1988–97); President of NACUSA (2012–). Composer of chamber and symphonic music and author with published/recorded works and performances across the U. S. and internationally and oboist specializing in contemporary music. Recent honors: 2009 Oregon Individual Artist Fellowship. Co-winner – ’10 of 5th NACUSA Texas Composition Competition for From ARMGART for Soprano and Piano. Finalist – RAM 2010 call for scores (saxophone quartet) IN MEMORIAM: SACAGAWEA. Winner of Delta Omicron International Music Fraternity Composition Competition, ‘12. Second Place winner of Robert Avalon International Competition for Composers – ’12. Finalist (Orchestra - Professional Division) in the America Prize in Composition Competition for 2012 for All in a Moment's Time for Viola and Orchestra, a 27' work. OMTA Composer of the year 2012–13. A winner 2012 Bassoon Chamber Music Composition Competition winner (SUSPENDED for Bassoon & Strings); Winner of Con Vivo’s Composers Competition ( NATIVE AMERICAN NOTES (Image Music VI) for String Quartet) Finalist (Chamber Music - Professional Division) in the America Prize in Composition Competition for 2013 for Expressions II for 2 Saxophones, 2 Percussion and Piano, a 25' work. Was a finalist (Chamber Music - Professional Division) in the America Prize in Composition Competition for 2014 for Suspended for Bassoon and String Quartet, a 19’ work. Was finalist (Chamber Music - Professional Division) in the America Prize in Composition Competition for 2015 for Random Blackouts I for Baritone and Piano 4 Hands, a 15’ work. Was a semi-finalist (Orchestra Music - Professional Division) in the America Prize in Composition Competition for 2015 for All in a Moment’s Time for Viola and Orchestra, a 28’ work. Web site:
http://www.gregasteinke.com
FINALIST—HONORABLE MENTION:
Judith Lang Zaimont Maricopa AZ
ZONES—Trio for Violin, 'Cello and Piano
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| Judith Lang Zaimont |
Judith Lang Zaimont’s music: performed world-wide and acclaimed for immediacy, dynamism and emotion. Her style features the spirit of rhapsody, sudden shifts in texture, high emotion and nuanced coloring. 100+ works include many prize-winners including: 4 symphonies, chamber opera, music for wind ensemble, chorus and solo voice, works for individual instruments plus a wide variety of chamber music. / Performed by: Philadelphia Orchestra, Baltimore and Mississippi Symphonies, Camerata Bern, Berlin and Czech Radio Symphonies, Kremlin Chamber Orchestra, etc). 24 current CDs (Naxos, MSR, Harmonia Mundi, Navona, Albany) - includes 2010 Orchestra music (Kirk Trevor: Slovak Philharmonic), 2011 Chamber music (Eternal Evolution: Fanfare 2011 Want List, Navona); 2; 2012 Piano solo(Naxos, MSR: Fanfare 2012 Want List). / Recent works include CONCERTO for Piano and Wind Orchestra (awarded a 2012 American 3rd Prize in Orchestral Composition), JoyDance in Spring 2012 commission by Camerata Bern, and PURE, COOL (Water) - Symphony no. 4 (2014 Sorel Commissioned Composer - Niels Muus, Janacek Philharmonic). / Works on repertoire lists for major international performance contests in voice, conducting, piano (Cliburn ’01, San Antonio, ’03, Kapell ’12, APA, 2017); two of her pieces are on Century Lists./ Guggenheim Fellowship, awards from both National Endowments (NEA: composition /NEH: scholarship), / 2015 First Prize for chamber music (The American Prize), 2014 Sorel Commissioned Composer (PURE, COOL (Water) - Symphony no. 4 ), 2012The American Prize in Orchestral Composition (one of 3), two 2012 First Prizes for chamber music, 2005 Bush Foundation Fellowship, and 2003 Aaron Copland Award. / Significant orch. prizes: First Prize- Gold Medal Gottschalk Centenary International; First Prize Statue of Liberty Centennial; and First Prize- International McCollin Competition (Symphony No. 1)./Also Co-Director of Maricopa ARTS Council, and Co-Founder, Maricopa Music Circle chamber orchestra, a distinguished educator - professor appointments for 3 decades at US universities, and a skilled writer.
www.jzaimont.com
HONORABLE MENTION:
Aaron Alter Carlsbad CA
Homage to Josquin
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| Aaron Alter |
A native of Chicago, Aaron Alter received his Bachelor of Music degree from Northwestern University. He received his Master of Fine Arts Degree from Princeton University, where he studied with Milton Babbitt and James K. Randall. He has written works for solo instruments, chamber ensembles, orchestra as well as electronic works. Aaron’s recent works display influences that span the range of Medieval European music all the way to Jazz and Rock. Aaron refers to these recent works as his “New Beginning”, as it is an exploration of a new style and energy that defies categorization. Aaron resides in Carlsbad, California and also serves the City of Carlsbad as the Chair of the Carlsbad Arts Commission. Website:
www.aaronalter.com
HONORABLE MENTION:
Samuel Beebe Philadelphia PA
Rocking Chair Child
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| Samuel Beebe |
The dramatic possibilities of music and a desire to collaborate have led Samuel Beebe (b. 1986) to pursue opportunities in film, theatre, and opera. Rocking Chair Child, a song cycle for soprano, tenor, string quartet, and piano on poetry of Sonia Sanchez, was commissioned and premiered by Castle of our Skins. Riding on a Train at Rush Hour, his choral opera commissioned by Boston Choral Ensemble, was a semi-finalist for a 2015 American Prize. Bully Dance, for soprano and electric chamber ensemble, won a 2015 ArtsImpluse award. He holds a MM in Composition from Boston University and a BS in Music Technology from Northeastern University. Notable instructors include Ketty Nez, Dennis H. Miller, Rodney Lister, Ronald Bruce Smith, Howard Frazin, Joshua Fineberg, and Peggy Seeger.
HONORABLE MENTION:
William P. Gorton Decatur IL
Epiphany, Light My Light
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| William P. Gorton |
William Gorton is Assistant Professor of Voice and Opera at Millikin University in Decatur, IL, where he teaches studio voice, and serves as coach and conductor for the opera program. Dr. Gorton has had a diverse career as singer, voice teacher, composer, and conductor. The Founding Artistic Director of the Central Virginia Masterworks Chorale, he has also served as Assistant Chorus Master for the Phoenix Symphony Chorus. Dr. Gorton acquired his DMA in Choral Conducting at Arizona State University, where he directed the Early Music Chamber Choir, Women’s Chorus, and served as Assistant Conductor of the Symphonic Chorale, Choral Union, and Concert Choir. His hymn, “O God in Whom We Live,” can be found in Worship and Song, a United Methodist hymnal, and his anthem, “The Lord is My Shepherd,” can be found at World Library Publications. William also serves as Director of Music Ministries at FCC in Bloomington, IL.
The American Prize in Composition—Chamber (student division)
"Taken
as a whole, these are hardly 'students'—except in the sense that we
all always are—these are exceptional composers, regardless of their
age or degree status, deserving of praise for the
variety and excellence of their achievements."—DK
The American Prize winner:
Lara Poe Chestnut Hill MA
Divergence—for string quartet
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| Lara Poe |
Finnish-American composer Lara Poe, currently based
in London, has had performances in the US and Europe, with performers
such as the JACK quartet, Aija Reke, the Liminka Music Weeks string
orchestra, the Tampere Filharmonia and the New England Conservatory
Preparatory School Piano Seminar students. She is currently studying
with Kenneth Hesketh at the Royal College of Music, London, as an RCM
Award Holder supported by the Doctor Knobel Fund in the MMus degree
program.
Poe received a Bachelor of Music degree from
Boston University in 2016 where she studied composition with Alex
Mincek, Joshua Fineberg, Martin Amlin, Ketty Nez, Richard Cornell, and
with Kenneth Hesketh, while studying abroad at the Royal College of
Music. Before Boston University, she studied at New England Conservatory
Preparatory School with Rodney Lister as well. While pursuing
composition, Lara has also studied piano, with Nigel Clayton (RCM),
Linda Jiorle-Nagy, Edna Stern, Sergey Schepkin, Bertica Shulman-Cramer,
Melanie Almiron and Vanessa Morris.
At Boston
University, Poe received the Wainwright and Department of Theory and
Composition awards, and was also nominated for Pi Kappa Lambda. She has
been a finalist for the BMI student composition competition, and has
been a finalist for the Morton Gould Young Composer Awards twice. She
was also a co-winner of the UMass Lowell Chapter, National Music
Conference, and has received an Honorable Mention in the Ithaca Women’s
Works composition competition as well. Poe’s current projects include a
violin concerto for Aija Reke and the Hancock Cantata orchestra, which
will be premiered in Lexington, near Boston, MA. She is also working on a
variety of smaller chamber music projects and a couple of solo pieces
for colleagues at the RCM.
2nd Place (there was a tie):
Yihan Chen Planifield IN
spirits-river: a piano sonata
 |
| Yihan Chen |
Chen Yihan was born in Changzhou, China. He is a
recipient of the ASCAP Foundation Morton Gould Young Composer Award as
well as the IU Jacobs School of Music Dean’s Prize. His “Solemn Rites -
Daqu for Orchestra No. 1” was performed by the Symphony Orchestra of the
National Opera House in Beijing, China in October, 2015. His work for
SATB choir “Shui Guang Lian Yan” (Ripples Glisten Away...) was included
in “Half Moon Rising”, an anthology of Chinese choral music published by
Edition Peters, and was premiered by Cantoría Hong Kong in the Hong
Kong City Hall in 2015.
Chen Yihan is currently
pursuing bachelor’s degrees in music composition and piano performance
at Jacobs School of Music, studying composition with Claude Baker and
piano with Arnaldo Cohen. His principle composition teachers also
include Sven-David Sandström, Don Freund, P.Q. Phan, and Aaron Travers.
2nd Place (there was a tie):
Ian Evans Guthrie Fort Worth TX
Journey Through Cascadia—for mezzo-soprano and piano
 |
| Ian Evans Guthrie |
Ian Guthrie blends Western concert music with various
world musics. He recently received 3rd prize in the National MTNA
Composers Competition and has received other prizes and recognition from
the Society of Composers, ASCAP, the Webster Young Composers
Competition, and the WSMTA Young Composers competition. In addition,
many of his works have been performed publicly around the nation from
groups such as fEARnoMUSIC, Portland’s Metropolitan Youth Symphony, the
Northwest Symphony Orchestra, the Moore Philharmonic Orchestra, March
Music Moderne, the Atlantic Music Festival, the Charlotte New Music
Festival, the Clear Creek Music Festival, the Oregon Bach Festival, and
the 2014 Pierrot Lunaire Project. His latest commissioned works include
Farallonier for alto saxophone and The Conqueror Worm for mixed chorus.
He has served on various committees, including the Society of Composers,
Inc., where he is the 2015-16 Region VI Student Representative.
3rd Place:
Daniel Despins Wilmington DE
Medusa—for wind quintet
 |
| Daniel Despins |
Daniel Despins (b. 1994) is a composer of
contemporary classical music flavored with many different styles,
including jazz, rock, folk, and traditional music, with strong
influences from neo-Romantic music of the 20th and 21st centuries. He
has written for choral, instrumental, and chamber ensembles, as well as
duets and smaller works for solo voices and instruments. He currently
resides in Newark, Delaware, where he studies music composition at the
University of Delaware under the guidance of Dr. Jennifer Barker. His
works have been performed both throughout the university’s campus and in
communities throughout New Castle County. His music can be found online
at
http://soundcloud.com/daniel-despins.
JUDGE'S CITATION: "Creating a Unique, Sustained Sound World"
Joshua Hey Philadelphia PA
fissu/|rupT/t|eaR—for electric guitar
 |
| Joshua Hey |
Joshua Hey is a Philadelphia-based composer pursuing a
Ph.D. as an Andrew W. Mellon fellow at the University of Pennsylvania.
He has worked with the PRISM Quartet, Omaha Symphony, Daedalus Quartet,
Uusinta Ensemble (FIN), Eastman Sinfonietta, LAPS (BEL), Icon Arts
ensemble (ROU), University of Missouri-Kansas City (UMKC) Orchestra,
UMKC Chorale and Nicholas Isherwood, among others. Additional studies
include workshops and festivals such as June in Buffalo (USA), Etchings
(FRA), Ars Musica (BEL), American Conservatory in Fontainebleau (FRA),
Composit (ITA) and the “New Music New Media” Britten-Pears Young Artist
Programme (GBR). For the 2014-15 academic year, he was a visiting
scholar at the Sibelius Academy and University of Helsinki with a Jane
and Aatos Erkko fellowship from the the American-Scandinavian
Foundation.
FINALIST—HONORABLE MENTION:
Dana Kaufman Miami FL
Halcyon Disquiet—for flute, bass clarinet, alto saxophone, electric guitar and violin
 |
| Dana Kaufman |
The works of Dana Kaufman (b. 1989) have been heard
throughout North America, and in Estonia, the Czech Republic and Italy.
The recipient of numerous awards, Ms. Kaufman’s music has been featured
at Estonian Music Days, Centro Musica Contemporanea di Milano, Charlotte
New Music Festival, Ravinia Festival, Music Institute of Chicago,
Peoria Civic Center, Jordan Hall, North American Jewish Choral Festival
and 2015 Women Composers Festival of Hartford; it has been
performed/recorded by groups including Great Noise Ensemble, Atlantic
Music Festival Contemporary Ensemble, a very small consortium, Firebird
Ensemble, Wet Ink Ensemble and Sō Percussion. After returning from
Estonia as an ethnomusicology/composition Fulbright Fellow, Ms. Kaufman
completed her MM in Composition at New England Conservatory (Academic
Honors; Pi Kappa Lambda nominee). She is currently pursuing her DMA at
University of Miami Frost School of Music, where she is the first Frost
School of Music student to be a Dean’s Fellow.
danakaufmanmusic.com
FINALIST—HONORABLE MENTION:
Joungmin Lee Columbus OH
Vexatious—for string quartet
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| Joungmin Lee |
Joungmin Lee’s music has been performed in the US,
Europe, Canada, and Asia. He is a Gold & Silver Medal Winner of
Global Music Awards for his string quartet ‘Vexatious’ and
electro-acoustic piece ‘Heterogeneous’. They have been published by
ABLAZE Records on Hong Kong New Music Ensemble Live from Prague Vol. 1
and Electronic Masters Vol. 5 disc which includes his award-winning
work. Moreover, the ‘Vexatious’ will be also published by Editro
Sconfinarte and 31st volume of the SCI CD Series as a winner. Also, he
is a special invited guest to present a lecture presentation at the 2017
SCI Region IV Student Conference at the University of North Carolina at
Greensboro School of Music. Lee's work has been recognized by numerous
competitions and “Call for Scores”, including Salvatore Martirano
Memorial Composition Award in US, Florence String Quartet Competition in
Italy, Valencia International Performance Academy & Festival in
Spain, IV Rieti Elettroacustica Festival in France, the Soundstreams
Emerging Composer Workshop in Canada, Hong Kong New Music Ensemble in
Prague & Macau, Chang-Ak Contemporary Music Society Composition
Competition in Korea, SIME International Electroacoustic Music
Competition in France, SEAMUS in US, Musinfo Opus-centrum in France,
Bozzini_Lab Montreal Workshop in Canada, Cicada Consort in US, National
Student Electronic Music Event('16, '17) in US, Radio Transmission Art
Pieces (New York 90.7-FM) in US, Busan International Modern Dance
Festival in Korea, and SCI Region Conferences, among many others.
Additionally, Joungmin's music has been featured by the JACK Quartet,
PARMA Recordings LLC, Ascanio Quartet, Transient Canvas, the Midwest
Composers Symposium, UI Dance and International Writing Program
Collaboration, University of Iowa Center for New Music, Louisiana State
University SoM Recital Hall, St. Cloud State University Listening Room -
PAC 158, University of Kansas Murphy Hall, The University of Oklahoma
Catlett Music Center, University of Alabama Moody Concert Hall and
Recital Hall, Otterbein University Snapshot Conference, University of
Texas at Arlington Irons Recital Hall, and Seoul Arts Center. Currently
he is pursuing the DMA composition at The Ohio State University with Dr.
Thomas Wells. He holds degrees from New York University (M.Mus in music
technology). Joungmin has studied with David Gompper, Josh Levine,
Bryan Haaheim, Hyunsook Choi, and Dafna Naphtali, in addition to private
studies Elainie Lillios.
FINALIST—HONORABLE MENTION:
Sangwon Lee Champaign IL
String Quartet No. 1
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| Sangwon Lee |
Sangwon
Lee, born in Korea, holds a Bachelor of Music degree from Keimyung
University in Korea and received his Master of Music degree from New
England Conservatory in Boston. Sangwon is currently pursuing his
Doctorate Music Arts at the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign
where he took classes in advanced studio techniques with Professor Scott
A. Wyatt. Lee has won numerous international awards and honors for his
compositions including EACA International Composition Competition
(Japan), JURGENSON International Composition Competition (Russia),
Frederic Mompou International Award (Spain), “2 Agosto” International
Composition Competition (Italy), Destellos International Electroacoustic
Music Composition Competition 2016 (Argentina), etc. His works have
been performed and broadcasted in Canada, France, Italy, Spain, Japan,
Belgium, Brazil, U.S. and South Korea. He has been invited as one of the
presenting composers from 2016 Contemporanea Nuova Musica in Udine
(Italy), the Matera Intermedia Festival 2016 – digital art festival
(Italy), MUSLAB 2016 International Festival of Electroacoustic Music
(Brazil), NSEME 2017 (the National Student Electronic Music Event), and
the SEAMUS (the Society of Electro-Acoustic Music in the United States)
2017 National Conference.
FINALIST—HONORABLE MENTION:
Christopher Lowry Antioch TN
Romanza—for four violas
Livewire!—for flute, clarinet, and horn
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| Christopher Lowry |
Nashville native Christopher Lowry is emerging as one
of the leading violists and most performed composers of his generation.
His music has been performed by the Nashville Symphony, Nashville
Philharmonic, Imperial Symphony, Austin Peay State University Symphony,
Middle TN State University Symphony, Vanderbilt Wind Symphony, Blair
Chamber Choir, “The President’s Own” US Marine Band, members of the
Taipei Symphony and Seoul Philharmonic, New York All-State String
Orchestra, Plainview Old-Bethpage JFK High School String Orchestra, and
many youth orchestras from around the country. Lowry has won awards in
the Alabama Symphony Call for Scores, BandWidth Music Festival Call for
Scores, Missouri Composers Orchestra Project Competition, World Projects
Composition Competition, NAfME Composition Competition, Frank Van Der
Stucken Award, Nashville Philharmonic Composition Competition, Anton
Stadler International Basset Clarinet Composition Competition, among
others. Lowry holds a BM degree from Vanderbilt University’s Blair
School of Music and a MM degree from LSU, where he is currently working
towards his DMA.
FINALIST—HONORABLE MENTION:
Aaron Mencher Johns Creek GA
Fast-Forward—for the Deviant Septet
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| Aaron Mencher |
Aaron Mencher is a composer that has done a variety
of work ranging from contemporary classical music to film scores to
incidental music. In February, the Deviant Septet recorded his piece
Fast-Forward. Also, he recently finished scoring the film Maggephah
directed by Brad McGaughey.
Aaron’s New for Wind
Ensemble won the 2015 NAfME Student Composers Competition. This piece
was premiered by the All-National Concert Band. It is now distributed
through Murphy Music Press. In The Forest won the 2014 Third Millennium
Ensemble Prize Pre-College Division. Until 2015, he was the composer for
The Dancing Goat Theater for many shows including A Midsummer Night’s
Dream and Twelfth Night. He is currently attending University of
Missouri on a full tuition music composition scholarship where he is
studying under Stephen Freund and William Lackey. More information about
Aaron and his music can be found at
menchermusic.com.
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Congratulations!
