By Madison Thompson–
The New Music Festival is an annual week-long event hosted by the School of Music designed to spread awareness of living composers.
Each year, the faculty come together and discuss who should be the featured composer. This process can be lengthy, but many factors are considered when selecting a featured composer.
“We try and strike a balance between all of the different disciplines,” Ritz said. This process can be taxing for both the faculty and whoever is selected to be the guest composer. The guest composer is responsible for teaching master classes and seminars as well as answering in depth questions about his or her work.
This year’s featured composer is Carlos Sanchez-Gutierrez. Sanchez-Gutierrez studied at the Peabody Conservatory as well as Princeton, Yale and Tanglewood. He currently is a composition professor at the Eastman School of Music in New York.
This year, the Wind Ensemble and the New Music Ensemble performed the world premiere of Sanchez-Gutierrez’s piece, “Ariles.” The weekend also included the Faculty Chamber Music Concert, the Eastman Borad Band Ensemble, the University Symphony Orchestra performing “Girando” and “Danzando” and Collegiate Chorale and the Cardinal Singers.
