New Works Slated for 2015-16 Concert Season

Highsmith Award Winner Michael Kropf '16 to Receive
Conservatory Orchestra Premiere

Jeffrey Parola '05 Wins $15,000 Hoefer Prize Commission Including
Concert Premiere, Recording and Week-long Teaching Residency

Eric Choate '14 Named Highsmith Award Runner-up

Ilya Demutsky '09 Named Hoefer Prize Winner for 2016-17

The San Francisco Conservatory of Music has announced the winners of its two major composition prizes scheduled for world premieres during the 2015-16 season. First-year graduate student Michael Kropf '16 won the Highsmith Award, SFCM's top composition prize for a current student or recent graduate, for his orchestral piece High Spirits. Eric Choate '14 was named the competition's first-ever runner-up for his work Sonora. Conductor. Scott Sandmeier leads a reading of both works on May 6 and the Conservatory Orchestra will premiere High Spirits next season. Alumnus Jeffrey Parola '05, recipient of the Conservatory's prestigious Hoefer Prize, receives a $15,000 commission and holds a week-long teaching residency next season, culminating in a premiere performance and recording of his work. SFCM also announced alumnus Ilya Demutsky '09 as the Hoefer Prize winner for 2016-17.

With these prizes, the Conservatory offers outstanding student and alumni composers the rare opportunity to collaborate with an orchestra, chamber ensemble and conductor during the development of a piece, and the all-important benefit of a live performance. The prizes have been an important landmark in the artistic and professional development of Conservatory-trained composers including Manly Romero '91, whose music has been performed by the San Francisco Symphony and New York City Opera, Aleksandra Vrebalov '96, composer of numerous works for Kronos Quartet, and Ryan Brown '05, co-founder of the Switchboard Music Festival and composer of works for Kronos Quartet, Roomful of Teeth and the New York Philharmonic CONTACT! series.

Click here to read the full press release.