Young Composer Competition Comes to Webster University

Chamber Project St. Louis is the Ensemble in Residence for the Community Music School's Young Composers Competition and will be presenting the winning compositions along with music by guest composer Angélica Negrón.

Since 2004, the Young Composers Competition has recognized and encouraged the efforts of those between the ages of 12 and 21 who are involved in the creative process of composing music. This program, unique to the St. Louis region, is an open competition which has received submissions from St. Louis and throughout the nation. Each year brings a new nationally known guest composer who is passionate about working with future generations of composers. Past guest composers have included Claude Baker, Zack Browning, John Cheetham, Dino Constantinides, Steven Dankner, Beth Denisch, Don Freund, Lansing McLoskey, James Mobberly, Shulamit Ran, Jared Spears, Chen Yi, Elizabeth Ogonek, Kyong Mee Choi and Niloufar Nourbakhsh.

Awardees will have their works performed by musicians from Chamber Project Saint Louis at a public concert that is professionally recorded. Each awardee receives a written critique of his/her work and a conference with the guest composer.

This national competition is sponsored by Arden and Harry Fisher and draws entries from the most talented and promising young composers. You will be impressed!

Diversity in CPSTL's 12th Season

• Each concert features music of locally connected composers
• Season includes three world premieres
• Diversity:
  • 5/6 of their programs include music by African American Composers
    • 6 pieces total
    • 3 composed by AA women - 1 of them is local and 1 is originally from KC
  • 1 Iranian-American
  • 1 Sri-Lankan who grew up in Dubai and now lives in Canada
  • 7 pieces by women, all but one are contemporary, still living
  • Each concert features at least one piece by a local/regional composer (some have 2 pieces)
  • 3 of the local composers are doing specially commissioned pieces specifically for CPSTL
• Chamber Project Saint Louis to be Resident Ensemble for the 2019-2020 CMS Young Composers Competition at the Community Music School of Webster University
• New partnership with the St. Louis County Library - Two free events for Season 12

CPSTL Season Statistics:

• 7/22 women = 31%
• 5/22 women of color = 23%
• 8/22 people of color = 36% (Underrepresented racial, ethnic & cultural heritage)
• 11/22 living composers = 50%
• --------
• 8/22 "dead white guys" = 36%
• 3/22 deceased POC - 2 men, 1 women

Industry Statistics:

• Women Composers: (8%)
• Deceased Women Composers: (1.5%)
• Composers from Underrepresented
• Racial, Ethnic, & Cultural
• Heritages: (6%)
• Underrepresented
• Composers: (11%)
• All Living Composers: (16%)

Upcoming Season Concerts:

• Very Open Rehearsal - March 25, 7pm at St. Louis County Library's Daniel Boone Branch
• Tree of Life Chapel Lenten Concert Series - March 27, Noon at Kirkwood Presbyterian Church
• "Confluence" - April 17, 7:30pm at The Missouri History Museum (features pieces by MO native Shelly Washington & pioneer William Grant Still
• "Choice" - May 19, 7:30pm at The Sheldon

St. Louis Awards - Live Stats

Best Musical - Top 3

1. THE SECOND HURRICANE (Stray Dog Theatre)

9.2% of votes

2. THE PROM (Gateway Center for Performing Arts)

7.6% of votes

3. 9 TO 5 THE MUSICAL (Alton Little Theater)

7.4% of votes

Vote Now!