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MCI-HCJO COMPOSER SPOTLIGHT: CHRIS EVAN HASS

10/13/2019

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One of the new works that will be premiered on our October 20th collaborative concert with the Holland Concert Jazz Orchestra features an eclectic balancing of various genres and styles. This is MCI composer Chris Evan Hass's "Scatterbrain."

Learn more about Hass's approach to his new composition below.

TICKETS: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/millennium-composers-initiative-concert-tickets-74454235623
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MCI-HCJO COMPOSER SPOTLIGHT: JOSH TRENTADUE

10/13/2019

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The next Composer Spotlight for our October 20th collaborative concert with the Holland Concert Jazz Orchestra features MCI composer Josh Trentadue and his new suite "Four Ethereal Planes." This piece will feature fellow MCI composer Kevin Day joining HCJO as guest artist on piano, keyboard synthesizer, and Hammond Organ.

Learn more about Trentadue's new work in the video below. A full transcript for this Spotlight (and MCI composer Janay Maisano's Spotlight) will be published in the coming weeks.

TICKETS: ​https://www.eventbrite.com/e/millennium-composers-initiative-concert-tickets-74454235623
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MCI-HCJO COMPOSER SPOTLIGHT: JANAY MAISANO

10/13/2019

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---UPDATED DECEMBER 28, 2020 W/ VIDEO TRANSCRIPT---

We are excited to share with you the first Composer Spotlight for our October 20th collaborative concert with the Holland Concert Jazz Orchestra! Learn more about MCI composer Janay Maisano's work for this group entitled "Birdy Banter" in the video below. A full transcript for this Spotlight (and for MCI composer Josh Trentadue's Spotlight) will be published in the coming weeks.

TICKETS: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/millennium-composers-initiative-concert-tickets-74454235623

VIDEO TRANSCRIPT

​Hi! My name is Janay Maisano and I am the composer for the piece Birdy Banter, and I'll be answering a few questions about the piece!

I'm a composer who prefers to go more based off motives in my writing, and so the very first melody you hear in the piece (in the trumpets) - [sings the melody] - that's actually the fingering for it (at least, on the piano) is based off a nervous tick I have with my hands that goes "1, 4, 2, 5, 3," and it's something I do for fun, in a way, but also just to help relax myself, because if I do it well, I feel somewhat pleased. So, that's where the first initial melody came from, and the other major melody in the piece, which shows up about halfway through [sings the melody] - that's somewhat inspired by one of my favorite soundtracks, which is composed by a man named Grant Kirkhope. And it's for a video game series, actually, titled Banjo & Kazooie. And then, based off of those two simple ideas, the piece just grew and flourished and became something that I'm able to enjoy, and my mentality is that if I'm able to enjoy it, then everyone can find something to enjoy!

For me, my compositions tend to be a bit more abstract - at least, when they're in the making - but the title, Birdy Banter, was actually inspired by my three beloved birds who - when I was listening back to the piece - it sounded a lot like their varied squawking! It's kind of sometimes very pleasant and playful and interesting. Sometimes, it's a bit louder and a bit more obnoxious, and it's just inevitable. And, the conception for the piece - no matter how you think of it - it's just meant to be something enjoyable and fun and maybe make you just swing or sway a little.

As [an] undergrad composer who has been composing for just a little over four years now - I started back when I was 16, and I am now 20, so it's been a few years, but - this is the first time I've actually composed for such a large ensemble! So, that was already a bit daunting at first. And, I've never written a piece more than about 6 minutes, so the timeframe was also a bit terrifying and overwhelming. That already, in itself, was a huge challenge - just wrapping my mind around the whole concept of... it's just a lot. But, it was also just a challenge to make sure that I had enough, but it was still interesting and good and, ideally, fun to play. That's something I prioritize as a composer - that, if the performers don't enjoy themselves, then what's the point? So, I would say that was the biggest challenge.

I hope that [audiences] genuinely enjoy it! I hope they genuinely have fun, or feel some kind of pleasant emotion, and they finish listening to the piece and just smile and feel good, even if it's just for a brief moment, because we all need that sometimes in our life.

[Collaborating with the Holland Concert Jazz Orchestra] has been very beneficial in allowing me to expand my skills as a composer. The fact [that] I've just written the longest piece and largest piece I've ever had to write, and to have the opportunity to have it played, is wonderful. And, the rewarding part comes from the fact that this is such a highly qualified group who stands for wonderful things. So, to have them play something [of mine] and to do it well - it just means the world to me as a composer!
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PRESS RELEASE: MCI COLLABORATIVE CONCERTS, 2019-2020 SEASON

9/30/2019

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We are excited to announce our collaborative concerts of the 2019-2020 season! This cycle, our composers will be collaborating with six different ensembles based across the United States:

HOLLAND CONCERT JAZZ ORCHESTRA  - Fall 2019
FRONT PORCH - Fall 2019
OASI TRIO - Spring 2020
SPUTTER BOX - Spring 2020
5KBRASS - Spring 2020
EMBER SEPTET - Spring 2020

In addition, our first concert of the season is fast approaching! On October 20th, 2019, the Holland Concert Jazz Orchestra (under the direction of MCI member Dr. Jordan VanHemert) will present the world premieres of new music written for this group by several of our composers, including Janay Maisano, Chris Evan Hass, Kevin Day, and Josh Trentadue. In addition, Day will be featured as a guest artist on Trentadue's suite "Four Ethereal Planes," a work which prominently features the piano, Hammond organ, and keyboard synthesizer.
Purchase your tickets here -
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/millennium-composers-initiative-concert-tickets-74454235623


Starting this week, we will begin to feature new Composer Spotlights for the pieces included on our collaborative concert with HCJO. ​Additional details for our further concerts will be announced later this season.

We look forward to our continued collaboration with each of these fantastic ensembles!
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COMPOSER SPOTLIGHT: JEFF HERWIG, "INTO THE CRYPT"

5/3/2019

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The Leechburg Area High School Concert Band will be performing two of MCI composer Jeff Herwig's works on Tuesday, May 7th - "Prelude and Fiesta" and "Into the Crypt." The latter is receiving its world premiere as part of this special event and is a spooky new addition to the band repertoire with a programmatic narrative. Read on to learn more about the inspirations behind the composer's new piece -
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COMPOSER SPOTLIGHT: STEPHEN RYAN JACKSON, "CEILING SONG"

4/29/2019

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This year, the Gruppetto Trio was selected as one of the winners of the annual New England Conservatory Honors Ensemble Competition. Their concert commemorating this will be taking place in Boston, Massachusetts on Monday, May 13th, featuring a program that includes musical selections by Haydn, Beethoven, Robert Schumann, and one world premiere - MCI composer Stephen Ryan Jackson's "Ceiling Song," written for this trio and for this event.

Read on to learn more about the inspirations that drove the composer to create his new piece for this special occassion:
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COMPOSER SPOTLIGHT: DUNCAN PETERSEN-JONES, "CONFLICTING EMOTIONS"

4/24/2019

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On Sunday, April 28th, the world premiere of MCI composer Duncan Petersen-Jones's new string quartet "Conflicting Emotions" will be given by the Converge String Quartet. The concert will be taking place at the University of Michigan.

Read on to learn more about the inspirations which drove the composer to create this new work:


­Describe your inspiration for composing the piece.
The inspiration for each of the three movements in this string quartet is of a different emotion.  The first movement is "Bewilderment", which is essentially about being overwhelmed, as if trying to take a breath of air and not being able to.  The second movement is "Isolating Loneliness", which is about being truly alone with the feeling the there is nobody you can rely on.  The third movement is "Rigid Egos", which is about egos that are so strong that they battle everything until it crashes at the end.

What are some of the challenges you faced in writing the work?
While there were several challenges I faced, I can't say any of them without spoiling the surprise of the piece.

Is there anything specific about your piece that you'd like your audience to look out for?
A music video is being made of this string quartet, so keep an eye out for it!

What do you hope your audience ultimately take away the most from hearing your work?
I hope people will get the feelings that this piece is trying to relay, and I hope that they not only enjoy the music, but also think more about the emotions that they feel from it.
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COMPOSER SPOTLIGHT: SALVADOR ALAN JACOBO, "COLORS EVER SO VIBRANT"

4/21/2019

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On Saturday, May 4th, the Mid-America Freedom Band will be giving the world premiere of MCI composer Salvador Alan Jacobo's "Colors Ever So Vibrant." This new piece for concert band receives its world premiere as part of the band's theme for their 16th concert season - "Colors," a theme which (according to the group) "stems from [the colors] of the LGBT rainbow flag to shimmering metallics of the holidays and stark black-and-white photography of World War I."

We had the opportunity to speak with the composer about the inspirations which drove him to create this lyrical work for band. Read on to learn more about "Colors Ever So Vibrant" -
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COMPOSER SPOTLIGHT: DANIEL DE TOGNI, "SING ME INTO SINGING" AND "ITERATIONS: 4 PIECES FOR NARRATOR, OBOE, AND PIANO"

4/21/2019

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This week will see the world premieres of two new compositions by MCI composer Daniel de Togni. "Sing Me Into Singing" will be premiered at the San Fransisco Conservatory of Music on Wednesday April 24th, while "Iterations: 4 Pieces for Narrator, Oboe, and Piano" will make its debut on Friday April 26th at the University of Central Arkansas. The latter piece, as well as another work by the composer titled "BEAT," will also be performed at Rad Sol 2019, a concert series founded by de Togni which aims to promote and perform concert music by composers in Arkansas.

We had the opportunity to speak with the composer about both of his new works. Read on to learn more about the inspirations that compelled him to create this new music:

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COMPOSER SPOTLIGHT: JANAY MAISANO,"MENAGE A TROIS" ORIGINAL SCORE

4/16/2019

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Next week, on April 23rd, sees the debut of MCI composer Janay Maisano's original score for the student short film "Menage a Trois" at the University of Redlands. The score features a trio of musicians whose instrumentation consists of ukulele, alto saxophone, and piano. Maisano also served as conductor for the recording sessions of her music.

Read on to learn more about her process for creating this score:

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COMPOSER SPOTLIGHT: DYLAN TRAN, "STRING QUARTET NO. 1 ON VIETNAMESE THEMES"

4/16/2019

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Two performances of this brand-new work written by MCI composer Dylan Tran comprises the world premiere of his first string quartet, inspired by and exploring Vietnamese and Viet-American culture through music. The Musaica Chamber Ensemble will bring Tran's piece to life on Monday April 22nd and Thursday April 25th in New Orleans as part of two different concerts they will be hosting in the area.

We had the opportunity to speak with the composer about his new piece. Read on to learn more about the inspirations compelling him to create this music:
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COMPOSER SPOTLIGHT: JOSH TRENTADUE AND "THE GREAT RIVER RAPID CHASE"

4/15/2019

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This year, MCI composer Josh Trentadue's newest work for concert band The Great River Rapid Chase has received consortium premieres across the Midwest regions of the United States. On Wednesday, May 8th, this piece will make its debut in familiar territory for the composer - his alma mater Grand Ledge High School, as part of the Wind Symphony's final Spring Concert of the year.

For this special event, we've had the opportunity to discuss with the composer his thoughts on this upcoming consortium premiere. Read on to learn more about the piece and the inspirations behind it:
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COMPOSER SPOTLIGHT: REBECCA NISCO, COMPOSITION RECITAL

4/15/2019

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On Saturday, April 27th, MCI composer Rebecca Nisco will be hosting her Senior Composition Recital in Washington, D.C. This special event will feature performances of past works along with several world premieres composed for the occasion. Read on to learn more about the inspirations behind the composer's program:
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COMPOSER SPOTLIGHT: NICHOLAS E. M. OSBORN, "TWO SNAKES"

4/4/2019

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Sometimes, video games can become a source of inspiration for new musical works. The original Snake game became the spark that drove MCI composer Nicholas E. M. Osborn to create one of his latest works for flute and clarinet, Two Snakes. This piece receives its world premiere tonight at 8pm EST at Bowling Green State University by performers Taylor Francis and Kendra Sachs.

Read on to learn more about Nicholas's new piece and what drove him to create this new duet:
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COMPOSER SPOTLIGHT: NICHOLAS E. M. OSBORN, "GROOVY GRENADILLA"

4/4/2019

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Bluesy, improvisational-like material with rhythmic drive characterizes the clarinet and piano duet in MCI composer Nicholas E.M. Osborn's piece Groovy Grenadilla. The work was first premiered in 2017; since then, Osborn has created a newly revised version that will be making its debut this Saturday at Bowling Green State University, to be performed by Gretchen Hill and Steven Naylor as part of Gretchen's Junior Recital.

We had the opportunity to speak with the composer regarding the details behind Groovy Grenadilla. Read on to learn more about the piece:
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COMPOSER SPOTLIGHT: JEFF HERWIG, "HOPE FOR TOMORROW"

3/28/2019

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On Thursday April 11th, MCI composer Jeff Herwig's Hope for Tomorrow will be premiered by the Beaver County Honors Band at New Brighton Area High School in Pennsylvania. Read on to learn more about the inspirations that drove Jeff to create this new work for concert band:
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COMPOSER SPOTLIGHT: JEFF HERWIG, "THE BRIDGE"

3/28/2019

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On Thursday, April 4th, MCI composer Jeff Herwig's new concert band work The Bridge will be recognized during the 2019 PMEA/NAfME Eastern Division Conference. This piece was written for the conference's Composition Contest and subsequently selected as the winning work. Read on to learn more about the inspirations which drove Jeff to create this new piece:
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COMPOSER SPOTLIGHT: JANAY MAISANO, "BAD SHOW, BAD SHOW INDEED"

3/26/2019

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On Sunday, April 7th, the world premiere of MCI composer Janay Maisano's new work "Bad Show, Bad Show Indeed" will take place at the University of Redlands. This new jazz piece features a unique quartet of instruments and demonstrates various extended techniques for each of the players in the group.

Read on to learn more about Janay's compositional process for this brand-new work: 
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COMPOSER SPOTLIGHT: BRITTANY J. GREEN, "PORTRAITS"

3/26/2019

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This weekend will see two performances of MCI composer Brittany J. Green's "Portraits," a five-movement piano suite composed and premiered in 2017. Green's piece is based on several works by poet Bessie Irene, each of which explores multiple aspects of the human condition in various shapes and forms. The first performance of "Portraits" will take place this Thursday, March 28th at the University of New Mexico, while the second will happen on Sunday March 31st in Chicago, Illinois [check out our Events page for more details on each of these performances!]
We had the opportunity to interview Green this week on this piece! Read on to learn more about her composition:
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RESULTS: MCI 2019 CALL FOR COMPOSERS

3/24/2019

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MCI began as a group of five composers before quickly expanding to 13. As of today, we have grown to an initiative of 37 members, representing more composers from various backgrounds of all kinds of music.
​
We are excited to announce the results of our Call for Composers!! Please join us in welcoming the newest members of MCI:
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[from left to right, top to bottom]
Chelsea Williamson - Oklahoma
Dominic Matthews - United Kingdom
Jeff Herwig - Pennsylvania




Nicky Sohn - Seoul, Korea
Ben Lunn - Scotland


​
Thomas Erik Nielsen - New York City
Salvador Alan Jacobo - New Mexico
Sarah Keirle - United Kingdom
​Janay Maisano - California
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Ching-Shan Chang - New York City
Adam Zolty - British Columbia
Stephen Ryan Jackson - Massachusetts



Piotr Bednarczyk - Poland
Tianyi Wang - Massachusetts




Brittany J. Green - North Carolina
Eddie Jonathan Garcia Borbón - Colombia
Conner Shaw - Colorado
Daniel de Togni - California
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​Jessie Rivést - British Columbia
Nicholas Osborn - Michigan




Rebecca Nisco - Connecticut
Dánae Atacho - Venezuela




JaRod Hall - Texas
​Dylan Tran - Louisiana
MCI is also excited to announce that our board has expanded to the following roles:

Josh Trentadue [President]
Duncan Petersen-Jones [Vice President, Treasurer]
Kevin Day [Marketing Specialist]
Helen Hé [Music Technology Specialist]

​
Congratulations to all, and thank you to everyone who submitted an application to us this year! Starting this week, we will be introducing our new members through featured posts.
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COMPOSER SPOTLIGHT: DUNCAN PETERSEN-JONES, "AN DEIREADH"

2/18/2019

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This week sees the world premiere of a new and unique orchestral work composed by MCI member Duncan Petersen-Jones. It features the Highland Bagpipes in a soloistic setting that stretches the limits and capabilities of what the instrument is able to accomplish. The world premiere for "An Deireadh" will take place on Wednesday, February 20th as part of the University of Michigan Philharmonia Orchestra's annual Concert of New Works, featuring premieres of new music written by students of U of M's composition studio.
Read on to learn more about Petersen-Jones's brand-new composition:
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A BRIEF INTRODUCTION ON "O ROSE OF MAY" (COLLINS)

12/18/2018

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---UPDATED DECEMBER 28, 2020 W/ VIDEO TRANSCRIPT---

​
It's Midwest Clinic week!! We're so excited to meet all of you who will be attending this year's conference.

This Thursday at 1pm, the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School Wind Symphony will be giving the world premiere of MCI composer Harrison J. Collins's "O rose of May," a brand-new work for concert band that was commissioned as part of a joint consortium with fellow MCI composers Caleb Hammer and Josh Trentadue. Watch below to learn more about Harrison's new piece, and be sure to check out the concert later this week!

VIDEO TRANSCRIPT

​Hi! My name is Harrison J. Collins; I am the composer of O rose of May, a new work for wind ensemble that will be performed in just a few days at The Midwest Clinic by the Marjory Stoneman Douglas Wind Symphony, conducted by the one and only Alex Kaminsky. I’m very excited for the performance!

I’m very proud of the work - it’s inspired by “Hamlet,” the Shakespearean play, and the music is kind of a meditation on Ophelia and how she could be a very happy character removed from the sad stuff of this play, but, through no action of her own, is dragged through the conflict and unfortunately meets a very dark fate because of it… it’s fun stuff!

So, I really wanted to capture the thrill and emotion of that journey, and write a work that was worthy of representing Shakespeare’s art. I hope that my listeners will pick up on it and really get the thrill of the work and feel how gripping it is, and perhaps (if they have not already) be curious to go read “Hamlet” for themselves.

I want to give a quick shout-out to everybody that has supported this piece - I’m very grateful for them. [To] everyone who’s joined in the consortium, I can’t thank them enough. I also have to thank Caleb Hammer and Josh Trentadue for being a part of this consortium with me; I think it was a very fun thing to do and I’m grateful for the opportunity. And, of course, my thanks goes out to every single member of the Marjory Stoneman Douglas Wind Symphony for bringing this piece to life, and to Alex Kaminsky for conducting it.

​I’m very excited for the concert! I hope you’ll be there, and if you are, I hope that you enjoy the work!
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MUST GO FASTER: AN INTERVIEW WITH QUINN MASON ON HIS WORK "FASTER"

12/12/2018

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Energy. Rhythm. Unity. These are some of the traits which inspired MCI composer Quinn Mason to create "Faster", a new work for wind ensemble that will be featured at the Midwest Clinic's New Music Concert Band Reading Session next week. Read on to learn more about Mason's experiences with creating this new composition:
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PRESS RELEASE: MCI @ Midwest Clinic 2018

11/30/2018

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The Millennium Composers Initiative will be exhibiting the music of seven of its composers at The Midwest Clinic International Band and Orchestra Conference this year in Chicago, Illinois. In addition, MCI composers Chris Evan Hass and Quinn Mason will have their music featured in the conference's New Music Concert Band (and Orchestra) Reading Sessions, while Harrison J. Collins's piece "O rose of May" will receive its world premiere during a concert given by the Stoneman Douglas High School Wind Symphony.

MCI will be exhibiting at Booth #1927 for the duration of this year's Midwest Clinic. The composers represented will include Josh Trentadue, Duncan Petersen-Jones, Harrison J. Collins, Quinn Mason, Chris Evan Hass, Kevin Day, and Casey Thomas. Be on the lookout for more information within the coming weeks!!
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COMPOSER SPOTLIGHT: DUNCAN PETERSEN-JONES, "BAC'D"

10/7/2018

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Our final Composer Spotlight features MCI composer Duncan Petersen-Jones's Bac'd​, a new work for saxophone quartet exploring the intricacies of an inherently musical idea. The composer writes:

"Bac'd started off as an experiment, to see what I could do with only 4 notes. After starting with this, I continued to write it out until I felt the piece was fully written. With having only a limited number of pitches, I had to rely on rhythm, motives, and the interactions between the pitches to add variety. It was definitely a challenge to keep the piece interesting with these limitations, but I felt that I overcame this through having different implied pitch centers and through the interactions between the quartet. Throughout composing this piece, I was very tempted to include additional pitches, but ultimately forced myself to only use these four, which is something that I'm glad I did in the end."

Bac'd received its world premiere this year at the University of Michigan. It will be performed at our collaborative concert with the Zenith Saxophone Quartet this Sunday, October 14th at Central Michigan University, which will also include several world premieres composed by MCI members.
RSVP today to this special event!
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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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