I’m thrilled to receive a Charles Ives Scholarship from the American Academy of Arts and Letters. The press release may be viewed here: 2017 Music Awards.

The 2017 SCI Region IV Student Conference at University of North Carolina, Greensboro, has been a great experience so far. Looking forward to a performance of my wind quintet BEACON tonight by the Spice Quintet.

Last night the Durham Medical Orchestra, led by Verena Mösenbichler-Bryant, gave the premiere of my arrangement of J.S. Bach’s Double Concerto in D Minor BWV 1043, adapted for two soprano saxophones and orchestra, in Baldwin Auditorium at Duke University. The soloists were North Carolina’s own virtuosi Susan Fancher and Branford Marsalis. It was an incredible performance! Many thanks to maestro Mösenbichler-Bryant, Ms. Fancher, Mr. Marsalis, and all of the orchestral players, it was a wonderful experience. Read a review by Bill Robinson here: CVNC.

I’m excited to be in residence at the beautiful Virginia Center for the Creative Arts in Amherst, VA for two weeks. While here I will be working on my forthcoming dissertation piece that sets the poetry of Nathaniel Mackey to music for soprano, narrator, bass clarinet, trumpet, trombone, percussion, and bass. View the press release at the Duke Music Department’s website.

Heading to Chicago for the annual Electronic Music Midwest festival October 13-15 at Lewis University. Grateful to Sarah Plum for learning my piece “LUNE” for violin and playback, which will be performed on the 15th at 10am.

Today I have the good fortune of interviewing the outstanding French composer Pascal Dusapin about his music. This marks the culmination of a year of research, including the past week spent abroad in France, which has been graciously funded by a grant from the Duke University Graduate School.

My work LUNE for violin and electronics was chosen for performance at this year’s Electronic Music Midwest Festival to be held October 13-15 at Lewis University. Violinist Sarah Plum will perform the piece, more info on her exciting recent activities and the festival at http://www.emmfestival.org/

Excited to have been awarded a Dissertation Travel Award: International from the Duke University Graduate School to fund my research trip to Paris this summer. My dissertation article is on the music of Pascal Dusapin, whom I will be researching and meeting with on my voyage.

I had a fabulous recording session today with Conrad Tao who gave a sympathetic and colorful reading of my piano piece there is no sleep so deep. His artistry was truly wonderful to behold and to hear.

My duties as artistic director of the Duke New Music Ensemble and as an organizer of the Experimental Music Study Group intersected today at the Ackland Art Gallery at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill. [dnme] performed works by Feldman, Brown, and our own Ken Stewart, and we were joined by members of EMSG Meg Orita (pictured below) and Joanna Helms, as well as by Valerie Kuehne and the Wasps Nests. The real highlight though was playing in the midst of painter Hans Hofmann’s colorful mural studies.