Outstanding classical student composers from across the United States will gather at West Virginia University Nov. 11-12 for a weekend of concerts, lectures and workshops as the College of Creative Arts plays host to the National Student Composers Conference.
The annual conference of the Society of Composers Inc. will include a series of concerts featuring the latest works by student composers Friday and Saturday at the Creative Arts Center. There will also be two presentations by nationally recognized speakers in the music community.
The conference is also sponsored by the WVU student chapter of SCI , called Student Composers Organized for Realizing Excellence, or S.C.O.R.E.
Free concerts will be presented in the CAC s Bloch Learning and Performance Hall at 3 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 11, and 10:30 a.m. and 3 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 12.
The WVU Symphony Orchestra, featuring a special appearance by the WVU Wind Symphony, will present a concert at 7:30 p.m. Friday in the Lyell B. Clay Concert Theatre. Tickets for this concert are $7 general admission, $6 for WVU faculty/staff and senior citizens, and $5 for WVU students with a valid ID. Tickets are available at the Mountainlair or CAC box offices or by calling 304-293-SHOW.
The Society of Composers Inc. is a professional society dedicated to the composition, performance, understanding and dissemination of new and contemporary music. Members include composers and performers both in and outside of academia.
The concerts will feature new compositions for orchestra, band, solo musicians and chamber music. WVU musicians will both perform and direct the original works, although the student composers will be on hand to coach the musicians.
WVU music students studying composition with composer-in-residence John Beall selected 22 original compositions for the concerts from works submitted by 65 student composers from around the country.
Of these student composers, one will look on as his piece receives its world premiere performance at the conference. Brian Vlasak, currently working on his doctorate in music composition at the University of Iowa, will debutDisintegrated Amalgamation,written for a percussion ensemble. Vlasaks premiere will open the conference Friday afternoon at the first concert.
Along with the composition performances, two guest speakers are scheduled.
Thomas Wells, president of the Society of Composers Inc., will speak Saturday morning. Wells is a professor at the School of Music at Ohio State University. His areas of expertise include multimedia communications, digital archiving, computer music and Internet streaming audio.
Cia Toscanini, assistant vice president of concert music for the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers, is also scheduled to speak about licensing issues for composers and the music community.
The registration fee for those who would like to attend the full schedule of conference events is $25. In addition there is buffet dinner Friday evening at the CAC for $15.
Registration begins at noon Friday, Nov. 11, in the Douglas O. Blaney Lobby of the CAC . Scattered throughout the two-day conference will be free listening times in rooms with stereo playback equipment, where conference attendees may listen to new recordings and scores that are not scheduled for live performance at the conference.
For more information about the National Student Composers Conference, contact the WVU Division of Music at 304-293-4841 ext. 3196.
SCHEDULE OF EVENTS
FRIDAY , NOVEMBER 11
- Concert I: 3 p.m., Bloch Learning and Performance Hall (200A)
- Brian VlasakDisintegrated Amalgamation(percussion ensemble)
- Alexander Sternfeld-DunnTableaus(percussion ensemble)
- John AylwardFiguratively Speaking(flute, clarinet, violin, violoncello, piano and vibraphone)
- Grace ChoiDust Crystals(flute, clari net, piano, percussion, violin and violoncello)
- Lee HartmannOscuro-Scintilla(violin, violoncello, piano&percussion)
- Mark BergerSleep Dance and Toga Party(flute, oboe, clarinet, bassoon, horn, percussion, piano, violin, viola, violoncello, concert band)
- Christopher BrakelMeta-Tango
- Concert II: 7:30 p.m., Lyell B. Clay Concert Theatre
- WVU Symphony Orchestra
- Joseph PatrickSarshaothar
- Carl SchimmelThe Blatherskites Comeuppance(WVU Wind Symphony)
- Christopher DietzCaldera
- Also featuring:
- Samuel BarberFirst Essay for Orchestra
- Johannes BrahmsTragic Overture for Orchestra in D minor, Op. 81
SATURDAY , NOVEMBER 12
- Concert III : 10:30 a.m., Bloch Learning and Performance Hall (200A)
- Daniel PerttuTriptych(English horn and piano)
- John BrabantEldridge(clarinet and piano)
- Suk-Jun KimWhat the Bird Saw(electronic piece)
- Sarah E. GibsonQuote(clarinet and piano)
- Albert OppenheimerMaiden of the Wood(flute, oboe, clarinet and bassoon)
- Concert IV: 3 p.m., Bloch Learning and Performance Hall (200A)
- Jay BatznerQuartet 10(String Quartet)
- Hee Yun KimMemoir of Dong-Hak(flute, clarinet, piano, violin and violoncello)
- Dominick MaicanReflections on James Joyce(soprano, clarinet and piano)
- Nicholas OmiccioliNatures Secrets(soprano and piano)
- Chan KimEcho(flute, clarinet and piano)
- Theresa MartinSolar Flair(two clarinets)
- Robert DenhamThe Lament of Aeneas(alto flute and piano)