This summer as in the past several summers, a festival comes to Mid-Missouri that brings contemporary classical composers, performers and fans together from around the world.
While here in Mid-Missouri this summer, the players and composers will offer up a series of performances July 21-26. This year's festival will feature regular Columbia visitors Alarm Will Sound, the Mizzou New Music Ensemble and a set of world premieres of contemporary classical compositions.
To kick-off the 2014 Mizzou International Composers Festival, the MU School of Music will host a launch party next Tuesday, April 22 at Ragtag Cinema in Columbia. The event begins at 5:45p.m. with a short set from the Mizzou' New Music Ensemble. The ensemble will perform I know where everything is (2007) for flute, clarinet, violin, and cello, a work commissioned by the Seattle Chamber Players. Following the set, new music fans can stay for a screening of the film Choking Man. The 2006 film features a score by prolific American composer Nico Muhly. Muhly will join the audience for a Skype Q&A session after the film.
Mizzou's New Music Ensemble performs under the leadership of MU School of Music faculty member and Alarm Will Sound cellist Stefan Freund. Expect the current crop of Mizzou New Music Ensemble members to mix it up in various configurations for flute, oboe, clarinet, violin, cello, piano and percussion. The ensemble's members are all MU School of Music graduate students with a shared goal: present live, new works by contemporary composers, such as Muhly.
Tickets to next Tuesday's kickoff to the 2014 Mizzou International Composers Festival kick-off are complimentary. Tickets available starting after 10:15 a.m. next Tuesday April 22 at the Ragtag Cinema.
