From July 13 to 22, 2018 the Osage Arts Community will host the 4th annual Mid-Missouri Composers Symposium, an opportunity for established and emerging composers from across the U.S. and beyond to share their expertise, engage in discussions about new music, work on their projects, and much more. The symposium’s purpose is to gather a strong group of composers to learn from one another, to inspire, and to provide a place to compose, all within a relaxing and informal environment. Located on a farm along the Gasconade River in Central Missouri, OAC has been a place of inspiration for many composers, writers and visual artists. Symposium attendees are invited to explore the area, interact with the other artists, and work on new or existing compositions.
• Elainie Lillios (Professor, Bowling Green State University)
• Mike Murray (Professor, Missouri State University)
• Nolan Stolz (Assistant Professor, University of South Carolina Upstate)
The Mid-Missouri Composers Symposium will accept four to six more composers to take part, depending on available space. Past MMCS included composers Michelle McQuade Dewhirst, Jeff Herriott, Eric Honour, Kerrith Livengood, Ivonne Paredes, Joo Won Park, Matt Sargent, Aleks Sternfeld-Dunn, Ingrid Stolzel, and many more.
Description of the symposium:
Composers should arrive on July 12nd, and the symposium will run from July 13th to the morning of the 22nd, when there will be a farewell breakfast. Composers will present about their own works at the Art Center in Belle, MO during the first three days of the symposium (Friday to Sunday), open to the public. Over the course of the ten-day symposium, there will be a series of informal discussions on topics decided by the symposium attendees. There will be plenty of “down time” which you may use to compose, interact with the symposium attendees and current artists-in-residence, explore the residency grounds and nearby towns, etc. The residency grounds are located on a farm located along the Gasconade river, with additional buildings in the city of Belle nine miles south. There will be opportunities to take part in fun events. In past years, several of the participants drove to the University of Missouri to watch Alarm Will Sound, went wine tasting at a local winery, swam in the river, went to a demolition derby, sang karaoke, etc.
There is no charge for the symposium; it is funded by the Osage Arts Community, General Electric, and the John Hayden Fund. You will be provided with lodging, a place to work, and groceries (you prepare some meals, others provided by OAC). If accepted, you will be asked to send a $200 deposit to hold your place, which will be returned at the end of the symposium.
As this symposium is different from a residency, applicants are not required to go through the usual OAC artist-in-residence application process. To apply, send PDFs to [email protected] of the following:
1. A one-page cover letter describing your interest in the symposium (e.g., what topics you might be interested in discussing or presenting, what you hope to gain from the experience, etc.)
2. Two representative compositions
3. Links to recordings of those two compositions
4. A brief CV/resume: be sure to include education, important performances, discography, previous and current employment, etc.
5. Please put “Mid-Missouri Composers Symposium Applicant” for the subject line
Review of applications will begin February 10th and will be accepted up until April 10th, 2018.
For additional information, visit www.facebook.com/MidMissouriCS/ and www.osageac.org/
or contact Nolan at [email protected]
