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New Works Slated for 2015-16 Concert Season

Highsmith Award Winner Michael Kropf '16 to Receive
Conservatory Orchestra Premiere

Jeffrey Parola '05 Wins $15,000 Hoefer Prize Commission Including
Concert Premiere, Recording and Week-long Teaching Residency

Eric Choate '14 Named Highsmith Award Runner-up

Ilya Demutsky '09 Named Hoefer Prize Winner for 2016-17

The º¬Ð߲ݴ«Ã½ Francisco Conservatory of Music has announced the winners of its two major composition prizes scheduled for world premieres during the 2015-16 season. First-year graduate student Michael Kropf '16 won the Highsmith Award, SFCM's top composition prize for a current student or recent graduate, for his orchestral piece High Spirits. Eric Choate '14 was named the competition's first-ever runner-up for his work Sonora. Conductor. Scott º¬Ð߲ݴ«Ã½dmeier leads a reading of both works on May 6 and the Conservatory Orchestra will premiere High Spirits next season. Alumnus Jeffrey Parola '05, recipient of the Conservatory's prestigious Hoefer Prize, receives a $15,000 commission and holds a week-long teaching residency next season, culminating in a premiere performance and recording of his work. SFCM also announced alumnus Ilya Demutsky '09 as the Hoefer Prize winner for 2016-17.

With these prizes, the Conservatory offers outstanding student and alumni composers the rare opportunity to collaborate with an orchestra, chamber ensemble and conductor during the development of a piece, and the all-important benefit of a live performance. The prizes have been an important landmark in the artistic and professional development of Conservatory-trained composers including Manly Romero '91, whose music has been performed by the º¬Ð߲ݴ«Ã½ Francisco Symphony and New York City Opera, Aleksandra Vrebalov '96, composer of numerous works for Kronos Quartet, and Ryan Brown '05, co-founder of the Switchboard Music Festival and composer of works for Kronos Quartet, Roomful of Teeth and the New York Philharmonic CONTACT! series.

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