Erich Gebers
Antelope Staff

The Chamber Cartel will be the highlighted performers of the 16th annual UNK New Music Festival. The Atlanta-based ensemble has been described by the Goat Farm Arts Center as “the darlings of Atlanta’s [New Music] scene” and “contemporary classical heavyweights”.  During the entire festival, music will be featured from 25 different composers performed by UNK music students and faculty, as well as other guest artists.

First organized in 2001 by former composition professor Dr. Darleen Mitchell, the festival has grown from local and student composers to composers traveling from all portions of the United States and other countries. Since 2015, composition professor Dr. Anthony Donofrio has organized the annual event. New Music concerts will take place on March 10 and 11 with concerts at 7:30 p.m. on March 10 and 1 p.m., 4 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. on March 11 in the FAB Recital Hall.  All concerts are free to attend.  

March 10, clarinetist and music education professor Dr. Jan Harriott and pianist Peilin Quan will perform a composition by Nathan Mays titled “Will There Really Be a Morning?”  The music of Matthew Kennedy will follow with “Five Bagatelles” performed by violin professor Dr. Ting-Lan Chen and piano professor Dr. Nathan Buckner.  UNK piano student Thomas Prentice will perform “Piano Piece” written by UNK composition student Connor Merchant-Smith.  Zachary Banzhaf’s “Sleep Snippets for Alto Saxophone and Piano” follow “Piano Piece”.

For the second portion of the Friday concert, UNK director of bands and percussion professor Dr. Duane Bierman will perform “Bleak Friday” by Dan Lis on the marimba with some electronics.  Thomas Dempster’s “The Bunyip for Saxophone and Electronics” will follow.  The Friday concert will conclude with dance professor Noelle Bohaty, Dr. Jan Harriott playing clarinet, percussionists Dr. Duane Bierman and Samuel Rosenau performing “Polairis” by Amber Gudiatis.

The first concert on March 11 at 1 p.m. will feature “My Father Knew Roger Waters” by Clay Allen, followed by UNK student clarinetist Cayla Cuba performing “Toro” by Ivonne Paredes with electronics.  UNK oboe professor Heidi Farrell will perform Kevin McCarter’s “Sketches from Nature” followed by a duo for Marimba and Bass Clarinet titled “Ripples” by Adam Scott Neal.  UNK Assistant Director of Bands and clarinetist Dr. Brian Alber and Anthony Donofrio on Marimba will be the performers.

The second portion of the 1 p.m. performance will start with UNK flautist Erin van Hal performing “A Piece for the Solo Flute” by Ruth Alon.  UNK trombonist Calvert Switzer will follow with William Heinze’s “Ekphonesis”.  Next, Bracha Bdil’s “UrbaNature” will be performed and percussionist Isaac Pyatt performing his own piece, titled “Breaking the News”.

At 4 p.m. on March 11, the second concert of the day will start with the UNK New Music Ensemble performing “For 5+ Performers” by Christine Burke, followed by UNK voice professor Dr. Sharon Campbell and UNK piano professor Dr. Valerie Cisler’s performance of “Three Songs of the Librarian” by Robert Strobel.  Next, Dr. Anthony Donofrio will perform Joseph Bohigan’s “A Nut for a Jar of Tuna” on Marimba.  Thomas Prentice’s piece “ #4” will end the concert, featuring him on the piano and Alyssa Olsen on Alto Saxophone.

The second half of the 4 p.m. performance will start with cellist Nicholas Politi performing his own composition “Skyscrapers”.  Stephen Mitton’s “Zapateado” will succeed with UNK Music Department Chair and trumpet professor Dr. Tim Farrell and Thomas Prentice on the piano.  To end the 4 p.m. performance, the Noise to Signal Ensemble will perform Adam D. O’Dell’s “Along the Cold Earth” and Ashlin Hunter’s “And If Ever”.

At 7:30 p.m. on March 11 will be the final concert of the festival.  The entire concert will feature the Atlanta-based Chamber Cartel performing Morton Feldman’s “Crippled Symmetry”.