Composer and pianist Austin Simonds (b. 1996) has been praised for his use of thought-provoking themes connected to literature, philosophy, the macabre, and the human psyche. Much of his work deals with lyricism, texture manipulation, and often contains a narrative or programmatic element. Award-winning composer Claudia Howard Queen  described his work as "passionate, beautiful, and memorable." 

He has worked with choreographers, filmmakers, and music theater directors in collaborations and other projects, though most of his efforts focus toward concert music. His work has been performed across the U.S. , Hong Kong,  as well as in Fontainebleau, France. Performances from ensembles include University of North Texas Symphony, Roomful of Teeth, ~Nois Saxophone Quartet, Ensemble Dal Niente, and the Donald Sinta Quartet. More recently, his new work for solo piano, "Aurora Winter" was selected for the Keyboard in the 21st Century International Conference for Composers. In addition, his piece, “Luxuria” for piano quintet, was notably selected as the 1st prizewinner of the Prix de Composition Maurice Ravel.

As a pianist, Simonds has collaborated with other composers and premiered new work, performed alongside other pianists in Dallas, as well as having hosted several solo recitals. His passion for the piano is evident throughout his compositions.

He is also a founding member, and active board member of the new art collective Eclective, a group of artists dedicated to the curation, promotion, and performance of new art. Through Eclective, Simonds has been active in many projects, some of which include a cross-collaboration art film, theater commission, and a string quartet project.  

His composition studies have included lessons under Ermir Bejo, Kirsten Broberg, Andrew May, as well as Sungji Hong. He holds a Bachelor of Music degree in Composition and Music Theory from the University of North Texas as well as a master of Arts in Composition from the University of Chicago where he studied under Augusta Read Thomas.

I'm a composer, mastering engineer, mixer and record producer based in Manhattan.

This is where I share my compositions and sonic ideas.

All inquiries: 
muratcolakmusic@gmail.com

ensemble Suono Giallo:
Andrea Biagini, flute
Michele Bianchini, saxophone
Laura Mancini, percussion
Simone Nocchi, piano

The ensemble came to being in Città di Castello in 2015 at the 100th anniversary of the birth of the painter Alberto Burri. The group promotes contemporary music through new commissions, concerts, and insightful initiatives.

Since 2016, ensemble Suono Giallo is being featured as the ensemble-in-residence at the International ilSUONO Contemporary Music Week, a summer forum which takes place annually in Città di Castello, Italy.

ensemblesuonogiallo@gmail.com

Douglas McCausland is a composer / performer, sound designer, and digital artist whose visceral and often chaotic works explore the extremes of sound, technology, and the digital medium.

As an artist, he researches and leverages the intersections of numerous technologies and creative practices, such as real-time electronic music performance with purpose-built interfaces, spatial audio, interactive systems, intermedia art, musical applications of machine-learning, experimental sound design, and hardware-hacking.

Described as “Tremendously powerful, dark, and sometimes terrifying…” (SEAMUS) and “Ruthlessly visceral…” (The Wire), his works have been performed internationally, including features at Sonorities, SEAMUS, the San Francisco Tape Music Festival, MISE-EN Music Festival, Klingt Gut!, Sounds Like THIS!, NYCEMF, Sonicscape, and Ars Electronica.  Recent collaborations include artists such as bassist Aleksander Gabryś, cellist Seth Parker Woods, the Quasar Saxophone Quartet, the TAK Ensemble, and vocal ensemble Variant 6.  His work is available through various online platforms, and on SEAMUS, Plyta Z Audiomatu, and Jikken Records.

Recent honors include an award of distinction in the 2021 Prix Ars Electronica for his piece “Convergence”, winning 1st-Prize in the 2021 ASCAP/SEAMUS commission competition, the gold-prize award for “contemporary computer music” in the Verband Deutscher Tonmeister Student 3D Audio Production Competition, and being awarded the runner-up nomination for the International Confederation of Electroacoustic Music's 2019 CIME Prix. 

Douglas is currently the Technology and Applied Composition (TAC) Studio Manager at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music.  He holds a DMA in music composition from Stanford University, where he studied with Chris Chafe, Patricia Alessandrini, Jaroslaw Kapuscinski, Fernando Lopez-Lezcano, and Mark Applebaum.  He additionally holds a MSc in Digital Composition and Performance from the University of Edinburgh, a MM in Music Composition from Michigan State University, and a BM in Music Composition, Saxophone Performance, and Music Education from Southern Illinois University Edwardsville.

Ermir Bejo is a contemporary classical and electronic music composer.

Brazilian composer, Rodrigo Lima is one of the most active composers of his generation, his music has been performed at festivals and concert halls in Latin America, Europe and the USA. His production includes orchestral music, chamber music, solo instruments, vocal music and works for choir.

In 2008, he was resident composer of the 5th International Forum of Young Composers in Paris with Ensemble Aleph. In 2015, his work Antiphonas for saxophone and ensemble premiered at the 17th World Saxophone Congress & Festival  in Strasbourg (France). In 2016, he received the order from the Festival International des Arts de Bordeaux (France) to compose the work Txury-ò: ‘caminho por onde vai o sol’ inspired by the cosmology of the Karajá Indians and dedicated to the french ensemble Proxima Centauri.

He has obtained some prizes in National and International Competitions:

·   Prize International Iberoamericano Rodolfo Halffter of Composition 2008 in Mexico.

·   Prize ‘Francisco Guerreiro Martín’ at the ‘XVII Premio Jóvenes Compositores 2006 Fundación Autor-CDMC’ in Madrid, Spain.

·   Prize for Classical Composition of the National Arts Foundation (FUNARTE) 2010 in Brazil.

·   1ºst Prize of the National Competition Camargo Guarnieri of Composition 2005 in Brazil.

·   1ºst Prize Camargo Guarnieri of Composition, Campos do Jordão International Winter Music Festival 2009 in Brazil, and others.

Lima’s Music has been performed by the Ensemble Aleph (France), Ensemble Linea (France), Proxima Centauri (France), Abstrai Ensemble (Brazil), Camerata de las Amércicas (Mexico), Sonor Ensemble (Spain), Orchestutropica (Lisboa-Portugal), Abstrai Ensemble (Brazil), Camerata Aberta (Brazil), University of São Paulo Symphony (Brazil), Claudio Santoro National Theater Symphony Orchestra (Brazil) and conductors Claudio Cruz (Brazil), Guillaume Bourgogne (France), Luis Aguirre (Spain), Cesário Costa (Portugal), Kirk Trevor (England) and Claudia Feres (Brazil). 

His main composition teachers were Estércio Marquez Cunha, Sergio Nogueira, Conrado Silva and Silvio Ferraz. Bachelor in Musical Composition Degree at the Department of Music University of Brasília and Masters in "Creative Processes" at the University of Campinas State in São Paulo. He also took courses with composers Stefano Gervasoni (Italy), Claude Ledoux (Belgium) and Emmanuel Nunes (Portugal). 

             Rodrigo Lima is teacher of composition at the 'EMESP’- School of Music of São Paulo State. Lima is a member of the General Society of Authors and Editors ‘Sociedade General de Autores y Editores (SGAE)’ in Spain.

Ermir Bejo is following