ISAAC MAYHEW is a composer and trumpet player based in Saint Paul, Minnesota. A recipient of the Pi Kappa Lambda Composition Award and a winner of the 23rd Annual Eric Stokes Song Contest, his piece Ataraxis 2.3 for bassoon and electronics was featured at the 2017 International Double Reeds Society conference. His pieces have been performed at venues ranging from the Lawrence Memorial Chapel and the Draw Art Gallery in Appleton to Studio Z in Saint Paul. Isaac's music has been programmed by a variety of performers including soloists Nikki Melville, Jacob Fernandez, Derrick Hahn, Alek Wasserman, and Evie Werger as well as ensembles such as the Lawrence University Symphonic Band, the Liquid Jungle Quintet, the Zenith Saxophone Quartet, and Front Porch. Isaac strives to create music that has the capability to engage a wide range of audiences while maintaining a high level of artistic integrity. He draws influence and inspiration from the works of a great many composers such as Aaron Copland, Igor Stravinsky, Alan Hovhaness, and David Maslanka.

​Isaac also works to promote new music as a performer. He is also a founding member of the Liquid Jungle Quintet, an ensemble dedicated to the advancement of new music for brass quintet. The group has worked with members of Mnozil Brass, the Atlantic Brass Quintet, Lakeshore Rush, and members of the chamber collective Decoda. They have performed at venues around Appleton, in Blaine, Minnesota, and at the Atlantic Brass Quintet Summer Institute in Boston, Massachusetts. Their album of the same name was released in 2017 and is featured on MnSpin, hosted by the Hennepin County Public Libraries.
Isaac is a co-host of the Young Musician's Podcast, releasing weekly episodes about the experience of being a young person trying to navigate the music world. He holds a Bachelor's Degree in Music Composition from Lawrence University, where he studied primarily from Asha Srinivasan, Joanne Metcalf, and Benjamin Klein. He also received instruction from Andrew Seager Cole, Marcos Balter, Sam Pluta, Jeff Kurtenacker, and Joel Puckett.

Isaac is a member of the American Composer's Forum and ASCAP.

CURRENT AND UPCOMING PROJECTS

Orange Blaze Through the Window - brass quintet
Untitled Hymn Setting - brass quintet
Hazy Blue Morning Music - chamber orchestra
Life Accelerated - soprano saxophone and piano (for Dr. Jordan VanHemert)
VIA POETICA - STTTBarB, clarinet, bassoon, trumpet, violin, cello, and bass (in collaboration with Darcy Blahut)

SELECTED MEDIA

Examination on the Basis of a Thought​ (starts at 7:10)

MISSION STATEMENT

The Millennium Composers Initiative represents composers from all around the world at the beginning of their professional careers, regardless of their aesthetic, style, or background. Creating fresh and engaging new music for all types of ensembles and mediums, we strive to push the limits of what defines music and art through experimental, conventional, and interdisciplinary means, providing new experiences for audiences and artists everywhere.

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