SCI National Conference, 2005:
“A Most Successful Affair”

Society of Composers, Inc. National Conference. Presented by the School of Music, the University of North Carolina at Greensboro, October 12–15, 2005

by Greg A Steinke © 2005

The 2005 National Conference of Society of Composers, Inc. was hosted by UNCG faculty member Mark Engebretson. Fourteen concerts of SCI compositions were scheduled and performed by featured ensembles: Thelema Trio (from Belgium), Valdosta Faculty Chamber Ensemble, and UNCG’s own Chorale, Chamber Singers, Orchestra, Wind Ensemble, EastWind Ensemble, Red Clay Saxophone Quartet, Brass Ensemble, Faculty String Quartet, and Percussion Ensemble, as well as a number of individual UNCG and guest musicians. About 77 composers and seven composer-presenters attended the conference for performances and presentations. Libby Larsen was the keynote
speaker and guest composer. The conference brought an encouraging turnout of composers, as well as Greensboro community people.

The conference was preceded by an unusual and most interesting concert by the Thelema Trio of Belgium on Wednesday evening. The evening’s fare consisted of works written especially for the trio by one of its members or others. Each of the players, Ward De Vleeschhouwer (piano and electronic keyboard), Peter Verdonck (alto, tenor and baritone saxophone) and Marco Antonio Mazzini (clarinet, bass and contrabass clarinet), made each new mix of instruments work like a charm and seemingly switched effortlessly among their instruments without a glitch. All of the works presented on this concert were from Europe or South America and represented composers who had written works especially for the trio to play on this concert as part of a tour of the US and South America. The works presented offered a very wide range of styles, new performance techniques, and a chance for each performer to really shine and strut performance chops that seemed endless and yet continued to grow with each new piece we heard.

Next morning, the conference itself began with a concert of works for percussion and brass ensembles presented by ensembles from UNCG. This was immediately followed by a paper presentation by Edward Green, “Scelsi in the Mainstream; Or, Trio à Cordes,” that offered extensive commentary on the composer Giacinto Scelsi. This opus is not necessarily a household-known quantity, even around musically erudite folks. We were treated to a fascinating paper about a composer who is relatively new to us.

After lunch, there were more chamber concerts that included a work by Carl Schimmel, an SCI/ASCAP Student Competition winner. The day was capped off by an excellent evening concert presented by the UNCG Wind Ensemble. Represented were composers Jesse Ayers, Derek Healey (who inspired this listener with a stimulating approach to wind ensemble writing), Neil McKay, Arthur Gottschalk (who had an excellent piece that was unfortunately marred by overwriting in the wind accompaniment to the detriment of the soloist), and Paul Siskind (who offered a nice bit of whimsy).

Friday morning opened with a very early panel session on “Improvisation and Contemporary Music: Intersections and Cross Fertilizations,” with Geoffrey Kidde as moderator and Janice Misurell-Mitchell and Benjamin Boone as panelists. The discussion was a lively interchange on the subject, though to a rather sparse audience. The first concert of the day focused on UNCG faculty ensembles of wind and string instruments. There were two more paper presentations: “Frank Martin’s Oratorio In Terra Pax,” by Maria Niederberger, provided some excellent perspectives and insights into Martin’s compositional approaches and techniques; “Webern circa 2005,” by longtime Webern commentator Donivan Johnson, brought one up-to-date on the latest Webern scholarship and offered some quite enlightened approaches to both the study of and hearing of Webern’s music. A quite innovative presentation!

The afternoon brought a performance by a visiting ensemble, the Valdosta State University Faculty Ensemble performing a wide variety of pieces. Squeezed in before the next SCI session was a master class by well-known American composer Libby Larsen, who supplied comments and coaching on contemporary pieces, including several of her own being prepared by UNCG student musicians. This was a spirited session and an excellent contrast to other SCI activities. But the remaining paper sessions after this proved to be rather pedestrian. Another concert for small chamber ensembles followed before an evening concert featuring the UNCG University Choir and Chamber Singers. I was unable to attend this program, but it included composers Daniel Nass, Jonathan Santore, Eddie Bass, Libby Larsen, and, Judith Shatin. By comments made to me later, it appeared to conclude a day of fine performances with several compositional highlights.

Saturday again started very early with a concert featuring all works recently released on the new SCI Performers’ CD Series with Jeri-Mae G. Astolfi on piano. Another concert of small chamber ensembles immediately followed. A nice contrast came next with a paper session presenting “Voice-Leading and Harmonic Background in Toru Takemitsu’s A Bird Came Down the Walk,” by Bruce Reiprich, and “In the Hand of the Frau: Elizabeth Austin’s Frauenliebe und—leben in Comparison to Schumann’s Setting,” Michael Slayton, presenter, with Mei Zhong, Jerome Reed, performers and Elizabeth Austin, respondent. Both of these presentations were first rate. Other concerts of electronic, computer works and a return of the Thelema Trio with all SCI composers ensued in another truly enjoyable musical happening. Before the final evening’s event, there was a great banquet complete with an engaging and wonderfully presented keynote address by guest composer Libby Larsen, who commented on the current concert scene for composers, offering many insights for all of us to contemplate. The UNCG Symphony Orchestra then presented compositions by Libby Larsen, Dorothy Hindman, Ellsworth Milburn and this writer-reporter. The whole thing went very well, and I can offer nothing but praise for the care with which my piece was played.

One can conclude that SCI continues to flourish with a variety of styles, performance formats and compositional ideas that now reflect the truly great diversity in the nation and the world (SCI has international members). As the organization goes into its 40th year, it has moved ahead substantially since I joined it in 1973. Congratulations should be extended to the SCI membership, to the conference host, UNCG, and to the many people who labored to organize the conference. Overall, it was a most successful affair, and UNCG can certainly take pride in having contributed to a long list of successful SCI national conferences.