Composition

We are pleased to announce the winners of the University of Illinois School of Music 2026 Salvatore Martirano Memorial Composition Award. The awarded composers and their works are as follows: 1st Prize: Andrew Davis, “Deep Summer Folklore” for string quartet 2nd Prize: Yike Zhang, “Three Flows in Quartet” for flute, violin, cello, and piano 3rd Prize: Nathaniel Haering, “untitled” for amplified septet and live electronics (bass clarinet, contrabassoon, horn in F, trumpet in C, trombone, soprano voice, double bass) Honorable Mention: Geli Li, “Breath II” for string trio The three prizewinning compositions are scheduled to be performed on the campus of the University of Illinois by the Illinois Modern Ensemble at the annual Martirano Award Concert on Wednesday, October 7, 2026, at the Foellinger Great Hall at the Krannert Center for the Performing Arts. The composers will be invited to speak about their music at the UI Composers’ Forum and to attend a reception in their honor that will follow the award concert. Read more about the 2026 winners About Salvatore Martirano About the 31st Annual Salvatore Martirano Memorial Composition Award - Applications open October 1, 2026. Deadline April, 15, 2027 11:59PM Central Time

Conversations with Paul Novak, Jonah Nuoja Luo Haven, and Ess Whiteley.

University alum and professor of music at Princeton, Donnacha Dennehy (MM '94, DMA '14) won his first Grammy in “Best Chamber Music/Small Ensemble Performance” for his composition “Land Of Winter.” The piece was also nominated for Best Contemporary Classical Composition.

On Sunday February 22, Colin Hochstetler, an Illinois School of Music graduate student in musicology, and Hayden Mesnick, graduate student at the University of Guelph, premiered Hayden Mesnick's piece, The Book of Fixed Stars. The evening began with a lecture by Colin and Hayden, offering insight into the composition and its cosmic inspiration. The score was recreated and projected onto the dome so the audience could see exactly how the musicians were "reading" and presenting the night sky. The evening featured four performances: The Book of Fixed Stars; an improvisation as a quartet featuring Colin, Hayden, Maxwell Miller on electronics, and Improvisers Exchange ensemble director Jason Finkelman on jawharps; a collective improvisation by the Improvisers Exchange ensemble; and a reading of Drone Piece, composed by Hayden and performed by a combined ensemble of Improvisers Exchange and accordion musicians.

The Krannert Center's 2026 Hip Hop Convene was featured in three different articles in The Daily Illini.

Sangwon Lee's electroacoustic work, "Torturing Piano," was recently awarded the First Prize at the 2025 Música Viva International Electroacoustic Composition Competition in Portugal.

The Krannert Center for the Performing Arts will host the 2026 Hip Hop Convene beginning Wednesday, Feb. 25, bringing four days of performances, workshops, guest lectures and panel discussions to Champaign-Urbana.