Composer Timothy Kramer

Timothy Kramer is a composer you need to know! And fortunately, you can get to know his music at this year's Dallas Festival of Modern Music. Kramer is one of the featured winning composers from this year's Call for Scores, and his "Three Pairs Suite" is the perfect musical response to Elliot Carter's "Triple Duo." Kramer is currently the Chair of the Music Department at Illinois College, and his music has been performed by noted ensembles including the San Antonio, Detroit, and Indianapolis Symphonies, as well as as the SOLI and ONIX ensembles. Hear his music this November 5 and 6, and learn more at www.dallasmodernmusic.org

Introducing Composer Jeremy Beck

The Dallas Festival of Modern Music is pleased to introduce you to composer Jeremy Beck, one of our featured composers from this year's Call for Scores. Ars Nova Dallas will be performing his exhilarating "In Flight Until Mysterious Night," scored for the set of instruments famously known as the "Pierrot Ensemble," the versatile instrumentation first used by Arnold Schoenberg in his "Pierrot Lunaire." A widely recorded and performed composer, Beck's music perfectly walks the line of being both extremely accessible, but also firmly rooted in high art. Learn more about Jeremy Beck at http://bit.ly/oH8dbO.

2011 Call For Scores Results Announced

The Dallas Festival of Modern Music is pleased to announce the results from our 2011 Call For Scores. The quality of the field was especially high this year, but 80 applicants and 3 days of judging later, we have named our award winners!

The following winners have been selected to have a work of theirs performed by Ars Nova Dallas at the festival this November.

WINNERS

Timothy Kramer of Jacksonville, Illinois
Nicole Murphy of Queensland, Australia
Paul Thomas of Denton, Texas
Monica Lynn of Santa Cruz, California
Jeremy Beck of Louisville, Kentucky


The finalists listed below were not selected, but their contributions are deserving of particular note.

FINALISTS

Stephen Cohn of Los Angeles, California
Gregg Wramage of Atlantic Highlands, New Jersey
Greg Dixon of Denton, Texas
Charles Halka of Houston, Texas
Alex Silva of New York, New York


One award was also granted to a young composer with significant potential, and an already well developed artistic voice and craft.

EMERGING ARTIST AWARD

Miles Friday of Bellingham, Washington

Thank you to all 80 applicants for your interest in our project! Check back next spring for information regarding our 2012 Call for Scores!

Kickstarter Donor

Find out why Kenneth Pyron is a great guy! http://ow.ly/5QLoZ

Kickstarter Initiative Launched!

We've officially kicked off our Kickstarter campaign and donations have begun to come in! This initiative will provide the bulk of our funding for the 2011 Dallas Festival of Modern Music, so we encourage everyone who supports our vision to donate what you can and spread the word!

Remember:

• Our concerts are always free
• Educational initiatives are a big part of the festival
  
• We are a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, so donations are tax-deductible
  

We also invite you to explore our new website, which includes audio and video from last year's festival. Thanks for your support as we work to plan the best-yet Dallas Festival of Modern Music!

Huge thanks to Neena Weng, our first Kickstarter funder! Thanks Neena! Everyone else check out http://ow.ly/5QLoZ and do your part!

Hello from Dr. Rachel!

I'm happy to announce that I have joined the Dallas Festival of Modern Music team as Executive Director! I've been a fan of this project since the beginning, and last year became more involved both as a clarinetist and volunteer. Now, I'm excited to take on a larger role and help make the Festival the best it can be!

A bit about me and my background... I currently make my living as Adjunct Professor of Clarinet at Southeastern Oklahoma State University, and private teacher and freelance musician in the DFW area. I recently completed my D.M.A. in Clarinet Performance at the University of North Texas where I studied clarinet with James Gillespie and contemporary music with Elizabeth McNutt. At UNT, I also had the privilege of being a Priddy Fellow in Arts Leadership for the 2007-2008 school year. This gave me a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to immerse myself in the world of arts administration and advocacy, and led to my internship with Dallas new music ensemble Voices of Change.

My interest in new music dates back to my undergraduate years at Ball State University, where I first began collaborating with composers to perform new works for clarinet. I was hooked, and since then new music has always been a big part of my identity as a performer. Since coming to Denton, Texas in 2006, I have had the chance to work with student and faculty composers at UNT's Center for Experimental Music and Intermedia on pieces for clarinet and electronics. Chamber music is another passion of mine (I currently perform with the Madera Wind Quintet and the Chameleon Chamber Group), so working with the Dallas Festival of Modern Music is right up my alley!

I am now hard at work with Jordan, Ryan, and the rest of the team on planning this year's festival. In the coming days and weeks, look for a new website, announcements about programming and guest artists, and the launch of a fundraising initiative (not to give anything away, but it starts with "K" and ends with "ickstarter"). We'll keep you posted!

To learn more about me and what I do, please visit my website.