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Young Composer Project

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Each year since 2003, the ACA Summer Music Festival has presented works by young and emerging composers working in the United States. With funding from the Alice M. Ditson Fund, BMI, and the Argosy Contemporary Music Fund, among others, more than 30 new works by young composers have been performed by top soloists and ensembles. If you are 35 or younger and would like to submit a work to the young composers project for consideration, please contact us. Listening excerpts from past ACA concerts below.

Anthony Green "Chance" for String Quartet

Anthony Green (b. 1984) holds a Bachelors of Music in theory and composition from Boston University (summa cum laude), and a Masters of Music in composition from the New England Conservatory (magna cum laude). As a pianist, he has performed at Jordan Hall, Symphony Hall, and other places throughout New England and Long Island.

Chance, composed in 2004, was originally the last movement of a 4 movement string quartet. However this movement was composed first.

audio/mpeg iconGreene_CHANCEExcerpt.mp3

David Fulmer "String Quartet No. 3"

Violinist and composer David Fulmer was just named a winner of the 56th annual BMI Student Composer Awards, and was recently presented the prestigious Charles Ives Award from the American Academy of Arts and Letters for his original compositions.

audio/mpeg iconFulmer_String_Quartet_3Excerpt.mp3

Kirsten Volness "Hverfa" for Piano Quartet

Kirsten Volness (b. 1980) grew up in a small town in southern Minnesota, a place that fostered in her a keen interest in the outdoors and the wonders of nature. The magic to be found in the natural world informs and inspires her creative work as do earth-based spiritual traditions. She completed her DMA in Composition at the University of Michigan (from which she also holds an MM).

Hverfa, (2006) pronounced ker'fa, means to "disappear" or "vanish" in Icelandic. The word also has connotations of revolution, spiraling and change. I had this image of a long winter's

audio/mpeg iconVolness_HverfaEXCERPT.mp3

Nathan Bowen, Cassia

Nathan Bowen is currently pursuing a doctorate in music composition at the CUNY Graduate Center, studying primarily with Amnon Wolman and Tania León. Having composed for chamber ensembles, short films, orchestra, choir, theater, commercial projects, and computer music.

Cassia (2004) is an aromatic spice that, among other uses, is an ingredient for anointing oil. This piece is meant to be a celebration of things that are ennobling, constructive, and beneficial to growth and enrichment. I am increasingly drawn to durational issues and how rhythm can be used to create a sense of motion or stasis. In this piece I am conscientious of the interplay between sparse and rich textures, brittle and lush timbres, and abrupt dynamic and rhythmic contrasts.

audio/mpeg icon3BowenCassiaExcerpt.mp3

Steven Kemper, Run From Fear

Originally from Baltimore, Steven studied composition with Elliott Schwartz and Vin Shende during his time at Bowdoin. Upon graduation he moved to Chicago where he worked as a sound engineer for the Chicago Shakespeare Theater and the Apple Tree Theatre.

The title of this piece refers to a Bruce Nauman neon sculpture which contains the text “Run from Fear” above the text “Fun from Rear.” This piece is based on the minor third E-G which comes from the first song I learned to play on guitar: “About a Girl” from the Nirvana Unplugged album.

audio/mpeg iconKemperRunFromFearExcerpt.mp3