Senior's composition wins award
Published Dec. 8, 2006
The MU School of Music's Creating Original Music Project announced the winner of the 2007 Sinquefield Composition Prize. Senior Katie Andres, majoring in horn performance, received the award for her composition "Moodswings for Woodwind Quintet."
Andres is a member of several university musical ensembles, including the University Philharmonic and the Symphonic Wind Ensemble, for which she wrote her composition.
Her experience in the wind ensemble led to a proficiency in ability to write music for wind instruments, one that impressed COMP Director Stefan Freund.
"I've always been impressed by Katie's superior musicianship and her seemingly limitless creativity," Freund said. "Both of these qualities were displayed in her winning score, which demonstrated a complete understanding of writing for a woodwind quintet."
Andres will receive a scholarship and cash prize from the Sinquefield Foundation, but another reward will be the musical exposure she will receive. Winners of the competition are commissioned to compose a piece that will be performed at the Chancellor's Concert on March 14.
COMP also funds a recording session of the winning work to further promote the composer. Andres and finalists Alex Blanton, Ryan Hampton, Mark Woodward and Robert Trussell will have opportunities to further present their compositions to a new audience at the COMP New Music Festival in April.
Freund said the ability to make connections and gain a new audience were the greatest assets of participating in the competition.
"Students have their works performed, meet with MU faculty and meet fellow young composers," Freund said. "In addition, they gain recognition and respect for what they do at their own school."
Jeanne Sinquefield and her husband, Rex, are the founders of the Sinquefield Foundation, which provides the $50,000 annual funding for COMP. The couple left the recipient of the funding to the discretion of Chancellor Brady Deaton, who encouraged pursuit the project.
"He encouraged her to do something in the area of the arts," Freund said. "Her idea was to sponsor a competition for young people who create music in order to encourage and recognize their work."
COMP also sponsors a competition for K-12 students, who can enter recordings or compositions in a variety of styles. Winners have the opportunity to perform at the COMP New Music Festival and at their respective schools.