The leading patrons of new music in Missouri have furthered their commitment to seeing the state and the University of Missouri become „a mecca for musical composition.“
Jeanne and Rex Sinquefield and their charitable foundation gave $4.6 million to MU and the Mizzou New Music Initiative, the school announced this week. The donation is another step to fulfilling Jeanne Sinquefield’s own words about Missouri’s promise as a creative destination.
Mizzou New Music Initiative is a dynamic program, encompassing the Mizzou New Music Ensemble, a yearly composition prize named for the Sinquefields, the Mizzou International Composers Festival, Creating Original Music Project for students kindergarten through 12th grade, and much more.
This gift will bolster those efforts through scholarships and awards and will also support key personnel and infrastructure, such as „the addition of a production coordinator who will help with the logistics of producing concerts and events, as well as an audio engineer to expand the initiative’s ability to create and share professional-grade recordings,“ according to a news release.
Additionally, „a new mixed media studio — welcoming not just composers but also filmmakers and digital artists — will open collaborative possibilities across disciplines,“ the release noted.
„These programs empower composers to express themselves not only through melody and harmony but also through imagination and innovation,“ MU professor and the initiative’s artistic director Stefan Freund said in the release.
The Sinquefields have supported the school for two decades, the release noted, and the School of Music’s Sinquefield Music Center bears their names.
„Our compositions, performances and ideas will continue to change the way we listen to and think about music,“ Freund said. „And we’re able to do that because of Jeanne Sinquefield’s unwavering support of the arts and her belief in the power of new music to inspire, challenge and connect us all.“
Learn more about the Mizzou New Music Initiative at https://newmusic.missouri.edu/.
Aarik Danielsen is the features and culture editor for the Tribune. Contact him at adanielsen@columbiatribune.com. He’s on Twitter/X @aarikdanielsen.
Mizzou New Music Initiative receives $4.6 million. Here's how the donation will be used – Columbia Daily Tribune
