Composition
The department emphasizes thorough training in composition and theory within the context of a liberal arts university. Students meet with members of the department’s composition faculty on a weekly basis and in seminars with a special focus on contemporary music studies. Recent seminar topics have included Computer Music, The Art of Counterpoint in Recent Music, and Blue Prints: Post 19th-Century Scoring of Black Music Style. Composition students have extensive opportunities to present their works in concert. Past graduate composers have enjoyed fruitful collaboration with the resident Ciompi Quartet and have had their works performed in a variety of settings from chamber orchestra to music theater. Very often graduate students are asked to compose pieces for visiting ensembles who read and record their works. Recently such ensembles have included eighth blackbird, Bang On A Can All Stars, So Percussion, Alarm Will Sound and the Red Clay Saxophone Quartet.
The department sponsors two concerts series: Graduate Composer concerts, and Encounters: with the Music of Our Time, as well as seminars with visits to the campus by some of the most important figures in contemporary music from the U.S. and abroad. Recent visitors have included Louis Andreissen, Nicholas Maw, John Harbison, the late George Rochberg, Mario Davidovsky, T.J. Anderson, Ben Johnston, Augusta Read Thomas, Jennifer Higdon, Paul Lansky, Olly Wilson and Martin Bresnick. Visiting composers working with improvised music and traditions have included Herbie Hancock, Pamela Z, Branford Marsalis, Donal Fox, and Terry Riley. Click here for more information about recent visiting composers.
Beginning in 2002, Encounters inaugurated the Milestones Festival of Contemporary Music in collaboration with the Music Department of the University of North Carolina. The 2002 festival included works by Pierre Boulez, Shulamit Ran, John Adams, John Harbison, Alfred Schnittke and many others; in 2004 Thomas Adès, David Lang, C. Bryan Rulon, Christopher Rouse, and the improvising string quartet Ethel were among many composers and ensembles featured. For a description of the 2007 festival, see Milestones 2007.
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Graduate Composer Concerts, 2009-10
Friday, November 13, 8:00 pm
Saturday, April 10, 8:00 pm
New works by Duke graduate composers! Free admission. Both concerts are in the Nelson Music Room, in the East Duke Building. Click here for directions.