My thanks to The Pioneer and to [first-year] Jacqueline Rees-Mikula, who wrote the article about the Whitman Student Composers Concert in Chism Recital Hall on Friday, Feb. 22, 2013, featuring new musical works by five talented young composers.
Ms. Rees-Mikula’s coverage provided an excellent view of the background and purpose of the concert, produced twice yearly, once in each semester.
In addition, she afforded your readers a fine musical portrait of [first-year] Aaron Stern, one of the composers whose work was premiered at the concert.
In the interest of fairness and balance, I would like to augment Ms. Rees-Mikula’s article by including the names of the other composers programmed on the concert, and a brief remark about each of them.
Will Ekstrom, now in his third year as a music composition major, is also a tenor and percussionist; his concert premiere was “Phantom Variations” for string quartet.
Erik Feldman, a third-year music composition major, is also a cellist, trombonist and bass/baritone; his concert premiere was a choral work, “Moonrise,” for the Whitman Chamber Singers.
[Senior] Ethan Maier, a jazz-piano performance major, will complete his music degree this year; his concert premiere was “Pieces of Washington” for bassoon and bass.
[Sophomore] Aleksander Maricq, a math major, whose concert premiere was “The Lost Cities” for alto flute, clarinet and piano, is also a clarinetist.
All five composers were assisted by the excellent performances of their fellow music students.
John David Earnest
Adjunct Assistant Professor of Music
