LOUISVILLE, Ky. – The academic side of music composition is getting its time in the spotlight at an upcoming conference held at the University of Louisville School of Music.
“Fostering New Music and Its Audiences: The Grawemeyer Award for Music Composition 30th Anniversary Conference” is March 5-7 at the School of Music.
The conference will feature performances by the Talea Ensemble and the Louisville Orchestra, a session with Louisville Orchestra Music Director Teddy Abrams and scholarly presentations.
“The Grawemeyer Award for Music Composition and the Grawemeyer Collection of new music has really been attracting composers, but it hasn’t attracted the attention of scholars,” said Rebecca Jemian, assistant professor of music theory and a conference organizer. “We’re looking to reach out to the scholarly side of new music and connect that with performances for the public.”
The Talea Ensemble will open the conference with a free performance at 8 p.m., Thursday, March 5 at Comstock Hall. The New York-based group is a leader in contemporary music and innovative programming.
Scholarly presentations will be held on March 6 and 7 before special performances by the Louisville Orchestra. On Friday, March 6, and Saturday, March 7, the Louisville Orchestra will perform “On the Guarding of the Heart,” a piece by 2014 Grawemeyer Award-winning composer Djuro Zivkovic, as part of their regularly scheduled concerts. Tickets for the Louisville Orchestra performances must be purchased through Louisville Orchestra at www.louisvilleorchestra.org.
Additionally, Louisville Orchestra Director Teddy Abrams will present a talk on contemporary music’s place in today’s culture on Saturday, March 7, at Bird Hall. The talk is free and open to the public.
For more information and a full schedule of events, visit the conference website at www.louisville.edu/music/GNMCON. Registration fees for the weekend are $50 for the general public, $25 for students.