The Barlow Endowment for Music Composition at Brigham Young University has announced the 2015 commission winners. After reviewing 317 submissions from 29 countries worldwide, Alberto Colla of Alessandria, Italy, was awarded the $20,000 Barlow Prize to compose a major new work for symphony orchestra. In 2017, an international consortium of orchestras, including the San Antonio Symphony, the Utah Symphony and an orchestra at the Beijing Modern Music Festival (BMMF), will perform the work.
Colla graduated in composition, piano, choral music and choir conducting at the Alessandria Conservatory. He studied with Azio Corghi at the Accademia Petrassi in Parma and at the Accademia Internazionale Santa Cecilia in Rome. A composer of several major works winning numerous prizes, his music has been performed by the Chicago Symphony, the Estonian National Symphony, the Albany Symphony and many others. He teaches composition at the Conservatorio L. Canepa in Sassari, Sardinia.
The panel also granted Jimmy Lopez of Lima, Peru, the distinction of Honorable Mention. Lopez graduated with a Ph.D. in composition from the University of California at Berkeley, where he studied with Edmund Campion. He previously studied at the Sibelius Academy in Helsinki and the National Conservatory of Music in Lima, Peru. Lopez?s music has won numerous prizes and has been performed by the symphonies of Atlanta, Boston, Baltimore, Chicago and Seattle, among many others. His new opera Bel Canto will premiere at the Lyric Opera of Chicago on December 7, 2015. An album of world premiere recordings of four of his orchestral works featuring conductor Miguel Harth-Bedoya and the Norwegian Radio Orchestra was released on Harmonia Mundi on August 14.
In consideration of nearly 130 applications in the General and LDS commissioning programs, the Endowment granted $65,000 to twelve composers who will write works for the following ensembles and musicians:
- Diana Soh (Amigo Saxophone Quartet)
- Amos Elkana (Meitar Ensemble)
- Ian Dicke (Pause)
- Eric Wubbels (Splinter Reeds)
- Dan VanHassel (UC-Santa Cruz Wind Ensemble)
- Sam Pluta (Anne La Berge)
- Benjamin Taylor (Calidore String Quartet and the Bellingham Symphony Orchestra)
- Neil Thornock (Merbecke Choir)
- Todd Coleman (Elon University Chorale, Elon University Camerata, Phoenix Winds)
- Lance Montgomery (Neil Thornock, Carillon)
- Lansing McLoskey (The Crossing)
- Keith Bradshaw (The Orchestra of Southern Utah)
The judging panel included the Endowment?s Board of Advisers Leilei Tian, Stacy Garrop, James Mobberly, Christian Asplund and Daniel Bradshaw. Carl Schimmel served as a guest judge during Barlow Prize deliberations, while Michael Hicks served as a guest judge during the General/LDS commission judging. David Gross and Vladimir Kulenovic represented the symphonies of San Antonio and Utah, respectively, in selecting the Barlow Prize. These ensembles, in addition to an orchestra from the Beijing Modern Music Festival, will premiere the new work in 2017.
The Endowment thanks all composers and ensembles who applied for commissions. Because of limited resources and keen competition among hundreds of applicants, the Endowment regrets they were unable to fund many deserving projects. Next year?s Barlow Prize will feature a new work for violin and piano. Details for this commission will be available soon.
About the Barlow Endownment
The Barlow Endowment for Music Composition at Brigham Young University? encourages and financially supports composers who demonstrate technical skills ?and natural gifts for the composition of great music. The Endowment achieves this through its Barlow Prize, commissioning programs, and support of student composers.
The Barlow Endowment for Music Composition was established in September 1983 under the auspices of Milton A. and Gloria Barlow, who presented a substantial gift to Brigham Young University to engender and support excellence in musical composition. The Board of Directors and Board of Advisors have subsequently been engaged in employing the proceeds of the Endowment to support four programs: The Barlow Prize, General Commissions, LDS Composer Commissions and Education Grants.
Writer:
