Sinquefield Commissions and Grants

Sinquefield Student Commissions

Each year, Music Composition students of the University of Missouri have the opportunity to apply for a $500 Sinquefield Commission. Four Sinquefield Commissions are available each academic year. To be eligible, the student should plan to write a new work for a university ensemble that is coached or directed by a Mizzou faculty and should schedule the premiere of the work during the year of funding. 

Current MU Composition students can apply for a student commission through this link. 

Harry González's Medellin 1988 for clarinet, violin, and piano. Premiered by Mizzou faculty Julie Rosenfeld, Peter Miyamoto, and Wesley Warnhoff. 

Atticus Schlegel's in my quiet room, i see my world asunder for Wind Ensemble. Premiered by the MU Wind Ensemble, conducted by Dr. Amy Knopps.

Giovanni Porfirio's Forms in Waves for Piano Trio. Premiered by the Kaizen Piano Trio.

Morima's Sunflower Radio (chamber opera), Premiered at School of Music's 2022 Opera Scenes. 

Jack Snelling's sail waves of crop for Jazz Quartet and Wind Ensemble.

JT Wolfe's Canyons for Brass Quintet. 

Santiago Beis's Piano Solo, premiered by Peter Miyamoto.

Maria Laura Disandro's Trekking (percussion quartet), premiered by the University Percussion Ensemble.

Robyne Sieh's Percussion Quartet, premiered by the University Percussion Ensemble.

Jack Snelling's Sail waves of crop (on asphalt wind), premiered by the MU's Wind Ensemble.

Isabelle Borchardt's Violin Trio, recorded by Eva Szekely's Violin Studio. 

Oswald Huynh's Returning Waves, premiered by the University Percussion Ensemble.

Morima's grinding teeth : lock the door, recorded by Mizzou's Cello Choir. 

Niko Schroeder's Construction, performed by the Mizzou New Music Ensemble.

Ben Rouder's Fanfare for a New Age, for Brass Quintet. Premiered by the Brass Chamber Music Ensemble.

Sam Whitty's Isolation, recorded by Mizzou's Cello Choir. 

Dustin Dunn's Flute Quartet.

Ethan Forte's Hidden Path, performed by Mizzou's Cello Choir. 

Hans Heruth's A Certain Madness. Premiered by the University of Missouri Show-Me Opera.

Ben Colagiovanni's Three Meditations, recorded by Leigh Muñoz and Lia Uribe.

Aaron Mencher's Checkerboard. Performed on 2018 MICF.

Faculty Grants

As a result of the Sinquefields' expanded support of the Mizzou New Music Initiative (MNMI), and in an effort to keep promoting the performance and exposure of new music in our campus, MU School of Music faculty may apply to fund commissions, residencies, and recordings of works by living composers. The funds available vary depending on the size and scope of each project, examples of previously funded applications are listed below. 

Current MU School of Music Faculty can apply for Faculty Grants through this link. 

Grantee: Eli Lara
Description of Project: Guest Ensemble Residency with Khemia Ensemble: readings for student composers, seminar presentation, applied masterclasses involving 7 studios, coaching New Music Ensemble rehearsals, and coaching chamber ensembles.

  • Areas Involved/benefited
    • Composition Studio, Cello Studio, New Music Ensemble, and other studios relevant to Khemia's instrumentation. 
  • Performance date/place: October 2025, Sinquefield Music Center. 

Grantee: Megan Arns 
Description of Project: Commission of pieces from five composers of the Kinds of Kings Composer Collective. Several composers will do in person residencies to coach the ensemble, offer masterclasses for percussion students and a performance during Composition Seminar. 

  • Areas Involved/benefited
    • Composition Studio and Percussion Studio
  • Performance date/place
    • Feb 1, 2025

Grantee: Curtis Pavey 
Description of Project: Commission of two solo piano pieces by Grace Choi and Nicholas Ho, inspired by Ravel's music.

  • Areas Involved/benefited
    • Piano Studio
  • Performance date/place: 2025-2026

Grantee: Stefan Freund 
Description of Project: Production and recording of "The Rabbit hOle", intallation of the "The Three Robbers". Commissioned by American Wild Ensemble. 6-9 minute work, performed in an immersive museum exhibit in Kansas City.

  • Areas Involved/benefited
    • Composition Studio
  • Performance date/place

Grantee: Brandon Boyd 
Description of Project: Commission of two new choral works by South African composers Sabelo Mthembu and Mbuso Ldlovu. Includes Choreagraphy and coaching videos.

  • Areas Involved/benefited
    • Choral Studies
  • Performance date/place
    • Fall 2024

Grantees: Brian Silvey and Megan Arns  
Description of Project: Composer residency with Viet Cuong. Coaching the three Mizzou concert bands and the New Music Ensemble, attend performance of his work with Wind Ensemble, present during Composition Seminar, and percussion masterclasses. 

  • Areas Involved/benefited
    • Marching Band, New Music Ensemble, Wind Ensemble, Percussion Studio, and Composition Studio. 
  • Performance date/place
    • April 1, 2025

Grantee: Sam Griffith 
Description of Project: Recording of Dr. Sam Griffith's Jazz Suite. Project in collaboration with the Columbia Jazz Orchestra.

  • Areas Involved/benefited
    • Jazz Studio

Grantee: Utku Asuroglu  
Description of Project: Travel funds to continue research project in the SWR Experimental Studio in Freiburg, Germany and to continue collaborating in his opera Zeki. 

Grantee: Amanda Collins 
Description of Project: Guest Ensemble Residency with Luminoso Quartet.

  • Areas Involved/benefited
    • Horn, Composition Studio, and School of Music at large through Convocation.

  • Performance date/place

    •  Fall 2024

     

Grantee: Alice Dade
Description of Project: Residencies with flutist Wendy Hymes and composer Fred Onovwerosuoke. 

  • Areas Involved/benefited
    •  Flute and Composition Studio
  • Performance date/place
    •  Spring 2024

Grantee: Amanda Collins 
Description of Project: Commissioning project with composer Shanyse Strickland in collaboration with the Mizzou New Music Ensemble.

  • Areas Involved/benefited
    • New Music Ensemble, Horn Studio, Composition Studio.
  • Performance date/place

Grantee: Brian Silvey
Description of Project: Commissioning project with composer Katajh Copley to write a work for University of Missouri Bands.

  • Areas Involved/benefited
    • Mizzou's three Concert Bands, New Music Ensemble, and Composition Studio.
  • Performance date/place
    •  April 28, 2024 Missouri Theatre
  • Performance Links:

Grantee: Sam Griffith 
Description of Project: Investment on equipament for jazz department, purchase of camera equipment for livestreams.

  • Areas Involved/benefited
    • Jazz Studio and community music programs. 

Grantee: Paul Crabb  

Description of Project: Commissioning project with MU alum, composer Hans Bridger Heruth premiered by University Singers during his retirement concert. 

  • Areas Involved/benefited
    • Choral Studies
  • Performance date/place
    • April 8, 2023 First Presbyterian Church

Grantee: Wesley Warnhoff
Description of Project: Commissioning project with MU alum, composer Aaron Mencher for a work for Solo Clarinet and Electronics and video recording of the work.