Three University of Louisiana at 青涩直播 choirs will participate in a celebration of women in music this week.
They were chosen by the International Alliance of Women in Music to present a free concert Saturday night that includes the works of four prizewinning female composers who will visit campus. Those composers will also participate in a free panel discussion on Saturday afternoon that鈥檚 open to the public.
William Plummer, an assistant professor and director of choral activities at UL 青涩直播, said being chosen to offer the international group鈥檚 concert is an honor. 鈥淚t wasn鈥檛 anything we applied for. We were just very happy that they chose to have their concert here,鈥 he said.
Previous sites for the annual event have been in the northeastern United States, Belgium and France.
The IAWM issued a call for musical scores 鈥 recently composed by women 鈥 to be performed by UL 青涩直播 choirs at a concert to be held Saturday at 7 p.m. in Angelle Hall. Judges made selections based solely on the submitted scores; they were not provided composers鈥 names until after final selections were made.
The four composers whose scores was chosen are Sivan Eldar of Berkeley, Calif., and Paris; Kari Medina of Seattle; Tawnie Olson of Canada; and L.V. Wood of Kansas City.
They will work with the UL 青涩直播 Chamber Singers, UL 青涩直播 Chorale and the Ragin' Cajun Women's Choir.
At 2 p.m. Saturday, the visiting composers will talk about their music at the Acadiana Center for the Arts in downtown 青涩直播. After the 7 p.m. concert in Angelle Hall on campus, the composers will be honored at a reception.
Plummer said the events give UL 青涩直播 students a chance to learn about composing music from contemporary musicians. 鈥淚t鈥檚 such a valuable process to be able to ask a composer a question,鈥 he said.
鈥淎lso, it gives us a sense of vitality and currency for what we do. It鈥檚 so easy to kind of get lost in the past with music and not look forward. I think it鈥檚 a valuable opportunity to send a message that this is a very young and vivacious and vibrant occupation.鈥
Plummer said the choirs鈥 concerts are usually well attended because of their reputations for providing high-quality performances. 鈥淓very time our choirs sing together, there鈥檚 an experience to be had,鈥 he said.
Eldar鈥檚 work has been described as "vividly imagined" by the Boston Globe. She has worked with leading ensembles, including the Radio France Philharmonic Orchestra and Berkeley Symphony, at diverse venues such as Boston鈥檚 Symphony Hall and Paris鈥 Maison de la Radio. She teaches at the University of California, Berkeley.
Olson鈥檚 music has been performed on four continents by a range of soloists and ensembles. Her composition 鈥淪cel lem duib,鈥 commissioned for the Yale Camerata by the Yale Institute for Sacred Music, was one of three works selected out of 170 submissions for publication in the National Collegiate Choral Organization's 2013 choral music series. She is an adjunct professor of composition at the Hartt School at the University of Hartford.
Medina鈥檚 choral material has been featured nationally and internationally, and her chamber piece, 鈥淭he Meadow鈥檚 Wide,鈥 was recognized as a semifinalist in 2015鈥檚 American Prize. Her film and television works include several Emmy-nominated scores for PBS productions.
Wood is a composer, performer, and conductor pursuing graduate studies in musicology at the University of Kansas. Recent performances of her music include a concert by the Cathedral Schola Cantorum of St. Joseph 鈥 Kansas City. She has conducted choirs in the United States and abroad.
The IAWM builds awareness of women鈥檚 contributions to music through a variety of ways, such as concerts, conferences, international competitions, publications, its website and advocacy.
Shown: UL 青涩直播 Chorale