The Emerging Composer Fellowship, formerly known as the Composer+Intern program, identifies promising artistic talent and provides mentoring from acclaimed Houston area composers, and professional opportunities in an innovative contemporary music chamber ensemble. The Musiqa Artistic Board has chosen Theo Chandler, a first-year DMA candidate at Rice University Shepherd School of Music as 2017-18 Emerging Composer Fellow.
“We’re very happy that Theo Chandler will be Musiqa’s fourth Emerging Composer Fellow,” Anthony Brandt said. “Theo’s music is filled with vitality and inventiveness, and he has many notable recent accomplishments, including an upcoming commission from the Tanglewood Festival. We look forward to presenting a new work by Theo later this season!”
A student of Musiqa Artistic Director Anthony Brandt, Chandler received his previous degrees from The Juilliard School and Oberlin Conservatory, studying Composition with Melinda Wagner, Samuel Adler, Steven Stucky, and Lewis Nielson.
While at Juilliard, Chandler was selected as a winner of the Orchestra Competition, Gena Raps Chamber Music Competition, and New Juilliard Ensemble Competition. Chandler has been a fellow at the Tanglewood Music Center and Aspen Music Festival and School. For the 2014-15 season, he was the Young Composer in Residence for the Detroit Chamber Winds and Strings.
Join us in welcoming Theo Chandler to the Musiqa family!
Past Emerging Composer Fellows
Timothy Roy (2016-17)
Timothy Roy composes music is steeped in imagery and allusionwhich often seeks to conjure a sense of time, place, and feeling. Musiqa commissioned Roy to write a new work for our March 2018 concert “The Moving Image”.
Joel Love (2015-16)
Hailed as “extremely moving” by New Music Box and “lovely and communal” by the Austin American Statesman, the music of Joel Love explores an eclectic mix of genres, from short video pieces to works for chamber and large ensembles. Musiqa commissioned “Mark Flood Miniatures” for saxophone quartet and premiered it at the CAMH in May 2016.
Charles Halka (2014-15)
Charles Halka writes acoustic and electronic music for concert, dance, and opera, and his works are often inspired by language, visual imagery, movement, and human experience.
The Emerging Composer Fellowship is supported by members of the Composer Circle.