Missouri Student Composers Win Prizes In Statewide Music Competition

COLUMBIA, MO—The University of Missouri School of Music today announced that 28 elementary, middle school and high school students from across Missouri have been awarded prizes in the sixth annual Creating Original Music Project (C.O.M.P.) competition.

C.O.M.P. is a joint venture of the University of Missouri School of Music and the Sinquefield Charitable Foundation, which provides an annual gift of $50,000 to sponsor the competition. The program was created to encourage K-12 students in Missouri to write original musical works and to encourage performances of those works. The 2011 competition had the most submissions in the event's six-year history, with more than 100 entrants in eight different categories.

This year's winning compositions will be performed at the Creating Original Music Project Festival from 9:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., Saturday, April 23 in the Fine Arts Building on the University of Missouri campus. Both the composers and their music programs will receive cash prizes, and high school winners will receive a scholarship to attend Mizzou's high school summer music composition camp.

“I am pleased that the number of student composers applying for this competition is increasing every year," said Jeanne Sinquefield of the Sinquefield Charitable Foundation. “This year's winners came from18 cities across Missouri, covering public, private and home-schooled students. It is hard to describe the joy in hearing original music performed live, and watching the response of the young composers not only to their own music, but the other composers' music."

The 2011 Creating Original Music Project (C.O.M.P.) competition categories and winners include:

Elementary—Song with words

1) Menea Vladi Kefalov & Ande Celeste Siegel of Reed Elementary School, St. Louis, for “A Spoonful of Heart"

2) Jack Stebbins of Reeds Spring Elementary, Branson West, for “The Popcorn Pop." Music teacher: Sue Gillen.

Elementary—Instrumental

1) Esther Whang of Mary Paxton Keeley Elementary, Columbia, for “Letter from the Wolves." Music teachers: Mabel Kinder and Beth Luetjen.

2) Hyun Jun (John) Yoo of Fairview Elementary, Columbia, for “Song of D Minor" Music teachers: Judy Shaw and Sara Dexheimer.

3) Grace Filer of Harrisonville Christian School, Harrisonville, for “It's My Time to Shine." Music teacher: Kay Schrock.

Middle School—Popular

1. Megan L. Villanueva of St. Peter's School, Jefferson City, for “Insanity." Music teacher: Donna Stuckenschneider.
2. Lexie Althaus of Oak Grove Middle School, Oak Grove, for “Summer Love." Music teacher: Julie Ammons.
3. Lileana Ibur of Wydown Middle School, St. Louis, for “Spinning." Music teachers: Aaron Doerr and Jerry Estes.

Middle School—Fine Art

1. Savannah Kitchen of Lange Middle School, Columbia, for “Central Park Stroll." Music teachers: Suzanne Kitchen and Nellie Schrantz
2. Michael Buckner, a home-schooled student from St. Louis, for “A Summer Night."
3. Lillian Wayne of St. Paul's Episcopal Day School, Kansas City, for “Over the water." Music teacher: Richard Held.

High School—Fine Art

1. Shaun Gladney of Rock Bridge High School, Columbia, for “Red Soul." Music Teacher: Steve Mathews
2. Cullam Olsen of Central High School,Springfield, for “A Journey Through the Woods." Music Teacher: Alberta Smith.
3. Dustin Dunn of South Iron R-I High School, Ironton, for “American Rhapsody."

Music teacher: Amber Cuneio.

High School—Jazz

1. Benedetto Colagiovanni of Clayton High School, Clayton, for “And the Prince Can Swing." Music Teacher: Alice Fasman.
2. Josh Blythe of Hickman High School, Columbia, for “Trial by Fire." Music teacher: Loyd Warden.
3. Joseph Misterovich of The Summit Preparatory School, Springfield, for “Day Old Swing." Music teacher: Shawn Keech.

High School —Sacred

1. Taylor Qualls, a home-schooled student from Lee's Summit, for “The Real Things."
2. Desiree G. Donaldson of Niangua R-V High School, Strafford, for “Lead Me to the Cross (Why Do I Question?)." Music Teacher: Kelly Donaldson.
3. Ethan Edwards of Providence Fine Arts Center, Florissant, for “He Turns My Weeping into Dancing." Music teacher: Theresa Blackwell.

High School—Popular

1. Tanner Qualls, a home-schooled student from Lee's Summit, for “Drown."
2. Jaron Christopher Geil, a home-schooled student from Grandview, for “Stick People."
3. Bella Kalei Ibur of Webster Groves High School, Webster Groves, for “By My Side." Music teachers: Nate Carpenter & Dane Williams.

High School—Folk

1) Kori Caswell of Hannibal High School, Hannibal, for “Let It Fall." Music teacher: Megan Pieper.

2) Daphne Yu of Rock Bridge High School, Columbia, for “Legende d'Amour: A Tragedy in Medieval France." Music Teacher: Briana Belding-Peck.

High School—Other

1. Kyle Dunn of Lebanon High School, Lebanon, for “Freaky-Lick." Music teacher: Lori Scott.
2. Nick Simon of Providence Fine Arts Center, O'Fallon, for “Serene." Music teacher: Theresa Blackwell
3. Alexandra Young of Lebanon High School, Lebanon, for “The Lightning Strike."

Music teacher: Lori Scott

Each student who enters the competition must have the signature and sponsorship of his or her school's music teacher. Community agencies, churches, after-school programs, private teachers and other musical mentors also may sponsor their young musicians in partnership with the student's school music teacher.

The Creating Original Music Program (C.O.M.P) is one part of the Mizzou New Music Initiative, which is the direct result of the generous financial support of Dr. Jeanne and Mr. Rex Sinquefield, and the Sinquefield Charitable Foundation. The Sinquefields' vision is to create an incubator for the composition and performance of new music, and to position Missouri as a major center for the music of tomorrow.