Composers Colloquium

The Composers Colloquium is a weekly meeting for all composition students. The sessions include many world renowned guest artists and composers, lectures, and regular forums for students to present their recent works and works in progress.

A live performance of a piece for piano, percussion, and electronics.
A live performance of a piece for piano, percussion, and electronics.

Recent guest composers include: Daniel Asia, Eve Beglarian, Oscar Bettison, Ryan Brown, Aaron Cassidy, concert/film composer Andrea Centazzo, Donald Crockett, Brian Current, Michael Daugherty, film/band composer Justin Freer, Michael Gordon, Don Grantham, Stephen Hartke, Sean Heim, film composer Corey Jackson, Polish composer Zygmunt Krauze, Sri Lankan composer Gayathri Khemedasa, Polish composer Hanna Kulenty, Libby Larsen, band composer John Mackey, Grammy award-winning composer/electric guitarist Steven Mackey, film composer Ted Masur, Czech composer Ivo Medek, Shaun Naidoo, film composer David Newman, laptop performer/sound sculptor Marc Nimoy, singer/composer Amy X Neuberg, Pablo Ortiz, Latvian composer Peteris Plakidis, Czech composer/conductor Miroslav Pudlak, violinist/composer Todd Reynolds, concert/film composer Joseph Rivers, theater composer Michael Roth, producer/concert and game music composer Chris Schlarb, German composer Tom Schneller, Pulitzer Prize winning composer Lewis Spratlan, conductor/composer David Stanhope, electronic music composer Carl Stone, Frank Ticheli, Joan Tower, extended vocal technique singer/composer Ken Ueno, Cambodian composer Chinary Ung, Douglas C. Wadle, Dan Welcher, Christian Wolff, Chen Yi, and composer/clarinetist Evan Ziporyn.

Harpist Jillian López demonstrating the harp at the Composers Colloquium
Harpist Jillian López demonstrating the harp at the Composers Colloquium.

Recent guest new music performers include: avant-pop duo Archy & Mehitabel, Jacqueline Bobak, the California E.A.R. Unit, circuit bender Jeff Boynton, pianist Sarah Cahill, pianist Gloria Cheng, percussionist Scott Deal, flutist Robert Dick, percussionist/composer/jazz musician Brad Dutz, the Eclipse String Quartet, percussionist Dave Gerhart, famed improviser/multi-instrumentalist Vinny Golia, pianist/percussionist Danny Holt, Gaylord Mowrey, pianist Vicki Ray, pianist Andrew Russo, percussionist Aaron Smith, singer/composer/performance artist Pamela Z, and Latvian pianist Yuris Zvikovs.

Upcoming guests include: composer Glenn Bach, composer/bass clarinetist Michael Lowenstern, French composer/flutist Ivan Bellocq, violist Alma Fernandez, accordionist Merima Kljuco, and Trio Terroir. We also have had sessions on such topics as writing program notes, performance rights organizations, publishing, starting your own ensemble or your own concert series, avenues for promoting your music, and score proofreading and polishing, and we have currently scheduled a workshop on writing for cello ensemble, a meet-and-greet with campus dancer-choreographers about musical collaboration opportunities with dance, and forums on applying to master's/Ph.D. programs in composition, music and meditation, and "writing for the opportunity."

In addition to all of the events scheduled for the colloquium, the conservatory with the assistance of a student-run organization called the Composers Guild, has been able to bring in several professional ensembles to workshop and give public performances of new works by student composers. Each spring for the last several years, the guild has sponsored a "One Minute Wonders" concert of student composer works, which has brought such stellar new music groups as the Mojave Trio, the Robin Cox Ensemble (twice!), the Definiens Project, and the Eclipse String Quartet. The guild has also brought in the Ohio based ensemble Conundrum, and this fall will bring in a duo from the California E.A.R. Unit to workshop and premiere longer works by student composers.

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