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2024 Israel/Pellman Prizewinners Announced
The Society for New Music is pleased to announce the winners of this year's Israel/Pellman prizes. Composers Sami Seif and Maxim Dybal-Denysenko take home this year's coveted Brian Israel/Sam Pellman Prize and NYS Federation of Music Clubs/Brian Israel Prize, respectively, while Yuxuan Lin and Rolando J. Goméz are recognized with honorable mentions. The annual competition is open to composers aged 30 and under living or studying in New York State, and has taken place since the mid 1980s. Brian Israel/Sam Pellman Prize Sami Seif (b. 1998), CUNY Graduate Center: Orientalism (string quartet) NYS Federation of Music Clubs/Brian Israel Prize Maxim Dybal-Denysenko (b. 2001), New York University (graduated May 2024): Bodensee (string quartet) Honorable Mention Yuxuan Lin (b. 2003), The Juilliard School: Can't let go, when it returns (solo cello) Rolando J. Goméz (b. 2001), Syracuse University: Sit and Play (woodwind quintet) Judges: Heather Buchman, conductor and professor, Hamilton College Sar-Shalom Strong, lecturer in piano, Hamilton College Daniel Thomas Davis, associate professor of music, Binghamton University; composer and sound artist
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Young Composers Corner 2024
Society for New Music is excited to present the Young Composers Corner, an annual one-week program which is part of Cazenovia Counterpoint, where high school students ages 13-18 work with a professional composer to create a piece of music. Students will spend July 15–19, from 1:00–4:00 pm, writing a new piece under the supervision of composer Chris Cresswell. These pieces will be performed by professional Society for New Music musicians on July 21 at 2:00 pm. In addition to playing the pieces, performers will provide feedback and help students better understand how to write for their instruments. All events will take place at the First Presbyterian Church in Cazenovia. Participation form
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Composer's Sandbox Summer Intensive with the Society for New Music, June 2–15, 2024
The Hobart and William Smith Colleges Composer's Sandbox Summer Intensive is an opportunity for composers in the early stages of their career to study with a renowned faculty of composers. Students selected for the acclaimed Society for New Music. The two-week-long Intensive will culminate in a performance and recording of their work by the Society for New Music All Stars. Program - Daily meetings with composition faculty to discuss works in progress
- Faculty-led composition seminars that provide evaluative and formative feedback on student work
- Improvisation workshops
- 48-hour composition challenge
- Composition/orchestration seminars
- A seminar on entrepreneurship: building marketing skills as a composer
Faculty - Mark Olivieri
Composer/Director Composer's Sandbox Hobart and William Smith Colleges - Jennifer Bellor
Assistant Professor of Composition and Theory University of Nevada, Las Vegas - Marc Mellits
Associate Professor University of Illinois School of Theater and Music - Douwe Eisenga
Freelance Composer Netherlands
Lodging and Meals - Breakfast, lunch, and dinner included
- Bed linens included; towels on request
- Early check-in or late check-out can be accommodated upon request
Tuition: $2,200 Room and Board (optional): $750 DEADLINE EXTENDED: April 20, 2024 (midnight EST) Applications reviewed on a rolling basis. All submissions will be contacted with a decision and information for further steps.For more information or to apply, visit composerssandbox.org
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Neva Pilgrim: In Memoriam
In Tribute – Neva Pilgrim (1938-2024) For over six decades Neva Pilgrim served as a guiding light in the music community, her influence extending far beyond Central New York. A highly respected singer specializing in new music, she worked with many of the foremost composers of the late 20th century and had a national profile with many recording credits. She advocated tirelessly for new music, composers, and musicians throughout her life, founding the Society for New Music in 1971 with the mission of presenting and promoting new music and the vitality of the broader music community. For over 52 years Neva ran SNM from her home, growing the Society and its programs to include a year-round season of over 30 concerts, including the month-long summer arts festival Cazenovia Counterpoint. Under her guidance SNM has commissioned new works every year by Central New York-based composers; staged several chamber operas, including several celebrating the history and cultural figures of New York State; and produced the annual Vision of Sound programs. SNM has released recordings of works from over 36 composers commissioned by the ensemble. A recently released recording won a SAMMY and was nominated for a Grammy. SNM is the oldest year-round new music ensemble in the state outside of New York City. Under Neva’s leadership SNM has received awards and recognitions from ASCAP, Chamber Music America, the American Music Center, and the American Composers Alliance, and has received numerous grants from NYSCA, the National Endowment for the Arts, and other foundations and funds supporting the arts. For 27 years Neva produced the weekly new music radio show Fresh Ink on WCNY Classic FM, which she also hosted for the last 20 years. The show reached audiences nationally and even internationally. Her knowledge of new music and composers was encyclopedic, and her programming prowess and radio presence made new music accessible across the radio station’s local and streaming audiences, reaching around the globe. Neva was also a sought-after and greatly respected teacher, known for her deep technical understanding of the voice; she served on the voice faculty at both Syracuse University and Colgate University, as well as teaching in her own studio. She personally coached and rehearsed the singers in the many vocal works and chamber operas that SNM produced. Another cause especially important to her was supporting young and emerging musicians and composers; her initiatives in this area included the Rising Stars program and Young Composers Corner (both part of Cazenovia Counterpoint), and Composers in Schools. Finally, Neva was regarded as one of the true pillars of the music and artistic community in Upstate New York. Her work brought together multiple generations of musicians from around the region, gave them encouragement and artistic opportunities, forged collaborations with artists across disciplines, and helped demystify new music and bring it to new audiences. She was one of those individuals who continually elevated and transformed her community and the countless individuals whose lives she touched. The composer Robert Morris aptly described Neva as a “bodhisattva of new music” – a being who works tirelessly for the benefit of others. As we work to carry on her vision, we are inspired daily by her boundless energy, by her selflessness in service to new music, musicians, and the arts, and by the grace and beauty she brought into the world. To make a donation in memory of Neva, click below or send a check to: Society for New Music Treasurer 109 Military Dr. Manlius, NY 13104
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