Professional Development: Conferences and Seminars

New Frontiers in Music 3: Composer Symposium
Featuring Jeffrey Mumford, Charles Wuorinen, and Steven Mackey. Moderated by Frank J. Oteri, composer and Editor, NewMusicBox

Thursday, April 27, 2006, 1:45-5:00pm
Settlement Music School
Presser Auditorium
416 Queen Street, South Philadelphia

PMP convened a panel of three of America ’s most distinctive and prominent composers whose work spans a remarkable spectrum of musical styles. Steven Mackey is noted for his highly individual idiom, a multi-layered play of rhythm and sonority that incorporates and transforms references to classical and popular music in a way that is “lithe, subtle, and more than a little playful” (Tim Page, Newsday). Charles Wuorinen has been described as a “maximalist,” writing music luxuriant with events, lyrical and expressive, and strikingly dramatic. His works are characterized by powerful harmonies and elegant craftsmanship. Jeffrey Mumford’s compositions, though thoroughly modern, are evocative and impressionistic, exploring the sensuous and tactile nature of sound in subtle and sophisticated ways, often involving a high degree of rhythmic complexity.

The panel shared audio and video recordings of their work, and discussed their influences and philosophical and theoretical approaches to composition, within both traditional settings and interdisciplinary contexts. They also explored practical aspects of composition with topics including: commissioning development, traditional versus self-publishing, composer friendly recording labels, and more.