DIGITAL PRESS KIT

The low-voice ensemble will perform four new programs in addition to its popular annual Christmas with Cantus series throughout the Twin Cities.
 
Cantus will present performances and masterclasses on tour in twenty-five U.S. cities.
 
On July 25, 2025, Signum Classics will release Fields of Wonder with works by Margaret Bonds, Gavin Bryars, Jean Cras, Melissa Dunphy and Griffin Candey, including premiere recordings of works written for the ensemble.
 
This Thanksgiving, Cantus will collaborate with American Public Media to create its second annual nationally syndicated radio special Songs of Thanks to be distributed to more than 230 public radio stations nationwide.

Minneapolis, MN – May 30, 2025 – Today, Cantus announces its 2025-26 season activities, including performances at home in the Twin Cities of Minneapolis and St. Paul and on tour throughout the country, along with a new recording release and collaboration with Minnesota Public Radio.

The eight low voices of Cantus will bring their trademark warmth and blend, innovative programming and riveting performances to nineteen venues throughout Minnesota, and to stages across the country. This fall, Cantus will also collaborate with American Public Media to create a nationally syndicated radio special entitled Songs of Thanks, featuring stories and songs of gratitude that include a new commission written for Cantus by composer Damien Sneed, intended to be sung with friends and family. In its 2024 inaugural year, Songs of Thanks was distributed to more than 230 stations around the country. APM and Cantus have made this an annual commitment to investing in new music as this program continues to develop.

“The artists of Cantus have crafted a very special season, and we are thrilled to share it,” says Cantus Executive Director Shelley Quiala. “From celebrating a rich tapestry of heritages in Land That I Love to honoring Dolly Parton’s musical legacy in Dolly & Friends, each performance is a chance to connect, reflect, and experience something powerful.”

Cantus opens their 2025-26 home concert season with Land That I Love (October 18-26), a program commemorating the United States’ 250th anniversary that honors America’s diverse heritage with music by composers carrying their own migration stories. The ensemble performs their beloved holiday Christmas with Cantus series: Three Tales of Christmas (December 12-22) at nine venues throughout Minnesota, including at two new venues: Bloomington Center for the Arts, presented in partnership with Artistry MN, and Christ United Church in Rochester. Cantus also performs an hour-long version of Three Tales of Christmas adapted for children and families at Westminster Hall on Saturday, December 20 at 3:30 & 7 pm.

Cantus will perform two new programs in spring 2026, including Deep River (March 15-22), a concert celebrating the power of community with cherished works from the choral canon, and Genius Child (July 14-17), honoring the legacy of the poets, musicians, and artists of the Harlem Renaissance who created beauty in the face of injustice.
Cantus’ popular COVERS series: Dolly & Friends, running May 30 – June 7 at the Luminary Arts Center in Minneapolis, celebrates Dolly Parton and her profound influence on generations of artists.

Continuing their proud tradition of collaborative concerts, Cantus will welcome the acclaimed British men’s vocal ensemble The King’s Singers for a one-night-only performance on Thursday, February 12, 2026 at Orchestra Hall in Minneapolis.

Cantus will continue to make performances available online to audiences worldwide to complement their live concerts, with digital subscription packages available that allow access to all livestreamed and on-demand performances throughout the season. Cantus will also continue their pay-what-you-can program, offering single tickets to online offerings and single tickets to select subscription concerts in a pay-what-you-can format, starting at $5.

“One of the key parts of our mission at Cantus is to give voice to shared human experiences and to spark new depths of understanding and empathy – each of these programs really serves that mission,” says Cantus tenor Paul Scholtz. “I’m especially excited to highlight the incredible diversity of composers in our touring program, Land That I Love, as well as the exploration of identity and personal storytelling in the spring with Deep River. Each program this season embraces the Cantus ethos—we can’t wait to share these in-person and online with audiences everywhere!”

Cantus on Tour
Cantus will present programs Land That I Love and Wanting Memories – a program dedicated to the power of memory – on tour throughout the season in their home state of Minnesota and in venues in Connecticut, Florida, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Massachusetts, Michigan, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Washington, and Wisconsin. Additionally, Cantus performs Wanting Memories with the Austin Chamber Music Festival in Texas on June 29, 2025. Complete tour dates can be found at www.cantussings.org.

Fields of Wonder out on Signum July 2025
This summer, Cantus will release its fifth album on Signum Records, Fields of Wonder. The album is anchored by the premiere recording of a newly rediscovered song cycle set to the poetry of Langston Hughes and tailored for low voices by Margaret Bonds. Together with contrasting song cycles by 20th century French composer Jean Cras, and three world premieres written specifically for Cantus by contemporary composers Gavin Bryars, Melissa Dunphy, and Griffin Candey, Fields of Wonder explores themes of change, growth, acceptance and renewal.

Educational Programs
Cantus will offer its High School Mentorship Program to the students at Johnson High School in St. Paul. Inaugurated in the 2023-24 season, the program offers sustained, in-depth, and highly tailored support throughout the season to students. Cantus will also hold its third annual Tenor Bass Festival, bringing together low voiced high school choral singers from across the state of Minnesota.

Cantus 2025-26 Season Ticket information
Three-, four-, and five-concert subscription packages go on sale to the public on Saturday, May 31 at cantussings.org. Single tickets go on sale on Tuesday, September 2. Tickets may also be purchased at www.cantussings.org or by calling the Cantus box office at 612-435-0055.

• Five-concert package: $170 each
• Four-concert package: $145 each
• Three-concert package: $120 each

Online and In-person Single Tickets on sale September 2, 2025

• Single tickets $47 – $52 inclusive of fees
• Single student ticket – $5
• Pay-What-You-Can starting at $5

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Contact:
Rebecca Davis
Rebecca Davis Public Relations
Rebecca@rebeccadavispr.com
347-432-8832

May 31 – June 8 at the Luminary Arts Center in Minneapolis

The 18th edition of Cantus’ annual “Covers” series reimagines popular hits to suit the ensemble’s eight voices.

Covers: Pure Funk will be available online, on-demand from June 13-22.

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Minneapolis, MN – April 22, 2025  –  From May 31-June 8, Cantus will present its eighteenth annual “Covers” series concert at the Luminary Arts Center in Minneapolis. Covers: Pure Funk is a testament to the timeless power of groove, putting a soulful, harmonic spin on classics from Stevie Wonder, Earth, Wind & Fire, Parliament, James Brown, Sly and the Family Stone, and Prince.

Funk music emerged in the United States during the mid-1960s as a powerful and distinctive evolution of soul, rhythm and blues, gospel, and jazz. Built on deep grooves, syncopated rhythms, and driving basslines, funk brought a new kind of energy to American music—raw, rhythmic, and irresistibly danceable.

Often credited as a founding father of funk, James Brown stripped down the traditional song structure to highlight rhythm and percussion, emphasizing the downbeat and creating space for instrumental interplay. His music laid the groundwork for the genre and inspired a wave of innovation. Following in his footsteps, artists like Sly and the Family Stone, George Clinton and Parliament-Funkadelic, and Earth, Wind & Fire pushed funk into new artistic territory, incorporating psychedelic elements, social commentary, and theatrical performance.

“By the 1970s, funk had become a cultural force,” say Cantus baritone Rod Kelly Hines. “Its sound was bold and unapologetic—celebrating Black identity, freedom, and joy in the post–civil rights era. With vibrant horn sections, infectious grooves, and dynamic stage presence, funk artists captivated audiences and brought communities together through movement and music.”

“Funk’s popularity grew because it was more than just a genre,” adds Cantus tenor Paul Scholtz. “It was a celebration. It invited people to move, to feel, and to connect. It broke musical rules, inspired fashion and dance trends, and reshaped pop culture. The influence of funk can still be heard today in hip-hop, R&B, electronic music, and pop.”

Cantus’ Covers: Pure Funk program honors that enduring legacy. From “Lady Marmalade” to “Uptown Funk,” Cantus explores the full spectrum of funk’s vibrant history—reimagining these iconic songs with the ensemble’s signature vocal precision and joy.

Covers: Pure Funk Set List:
“Lady Marmalade” – Patti LaBelle (Bob Crewe, Kenny Nolan)
“Give Up the Funk” – Parliament
“I Got You (I Feel Good)” – James Brown
“Brick House” – The Commodores
“Work it out” – Beyoncé
“Upside down” – Diana Ross
“Tell Me Something Good” – Rufus & Chaka Kahn (Stevie Wonder)
“Rock Steady “– Aretha Franklin
Stevie Wonder Medley (“Superstition,” “Higher Ground,” “Maybe Your Baby,” “Living for the City”)
“Shining Star” – Earth Wind and Fire
“Rockit/ Chameleon/Birdland” – Herbie Hancock/Joe Zawinul
“Kiss” – Prince
“Dance to the Music” – Sly & the Family Stone
“Uptown Funk” – Bruno Mars

For Listings:
Cantus Presents:
Covers: Pure Funk | May 31 – June 8, 2025
All performances are at the Luminary Arts Center, 700 N 1st St, Minneapolis, MN 55401
 
Saturday, May 31, 7:30 pm
Sunday, June 1, 3:00 pm 
Friday, June 6, 7:30 pm**
Saturday, June 7, 7:30 pm
Sunday, June 8, 3:00 pm
Available for online on-demand streaming from June 13 through June 22
 
**Pay-what-you-can
 
For tickets and information visit cantussings.org or call 612-435-0055

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Contact:
Rebecca Davis
Rebecca Davis Public Relations
Rebecca@rebeccadavispr.com
347-432-8832

Low-voice ensemble Cantus present a collaborative concert with the five-time GRAMMY® award-winning, vocal ensemble The Swingles on Friday, March 7 at the Ordway Center for the Performing Arts
 
The performance will also be livestreamed and available on-demand to audiences worldwide through March 16

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Minneapolis, MN – January 28, 2025  –  Continuing their proud tradition of collaborative performances, Cantus will welcome the five-time GRAMMY® award-winning, UK-based vocal ensemble The Swingles for a concert of fifteen voices performing separately and as one on Friday, March 7, 2025 at 7:30 pm at the Ordway Concert Hall in St. Paul.

The concert will also be livestreamed and made available to audiences on demand through March 16 in a pay-what-you-can format, starting at $5.

Performing separately and together, Cantus and the Swingles will feature arrangements and original music built for their trademark sounds. The program will span nearly every genre and time period, from singer-songwriter classics like Joni Mitchell’s “Both Sides Now” and Elton John’s “Goodbye Yellow Brick Road” to modern musical classics from Grease, Hadestown, and Waitress, plus signature works including Ward Swingle’s arrangement of J.S. Bach’s “Little Organ Fugue” and the Wailin’ Jennys’ “One Voice.”

The Swingles are the latest in a long line of collaborators with Cantus, who have recently hosted concerts with The Canadian Brass, the award-winning Norwegian women’s choir Cantus, Chanticleer, Sweet Honey in the Rock, and Lorelei Ensemble.

“Cantus is over the moon to be collaborating with The Swingles, an ensemble renowned for being the crème de la crème of their own genre,” says Cantus tenor Paul John Rudoi. “We love the idea of combining our signature sound and expertise with theirs to create an aural tapestry unique and all its own.”

For Listings:
Cantus & The Swingles
Friday, March 7, 2025 at 7:30 pm
Ordway Concert Hall
345 Washington St
Saint Paul, MN 55102

Repertoire for Cantus x Swingles to include:
“Bučimiš” Bulgarian Trad. Folk Song, arr. Clare Wheeler/Edward Randell
“Leaving Again/In the Wee Small Hours” by Keith Jarrett, Kurt Elling, David Mann, and Bob Hilliard, arr. Edward Randell
“Lover’s Desire” Afghan Traditional Folk Song, arr. Edward Randell
“Canto a Eleggua” by Arlety Valdés and Yudelkis Lafuente
“Chôros: No. 3 (Pica-pau)” by Heitor Villa-Lobos
“Wedding Qawwali” by A.R. Rahman, arr. Ethan Sperry
From Grease: “Grease is the Word” by Barry Gibb, arr. Jon Smith
From Hadestown: “Wedding Song” by Anaïs Mitchell, arr. Rob Dietz
From Waitress: “A Soft Place to Land” by Sara Bareilles, arr. Jon Smith
“She’s Leaving Home” by John Lennon and Paul McCartney
“One Voice” by The Wailin’ Jenny’s
“Both Sides Now” by Joni Mitchell, arr. Chris Foss
“A Change is Gonna Come” by Sam Cooke
“Fiddle Tune” by Chris Foss
“Little Organ Fugue” by Johann Sebastian Bach, arr. Ward Swingle
“Hallelujah, I Love Him So” by Ray Charles, arr. Edward Randell
“Just My Imagination” by The Temptations, arr. Chris Foss
“New York State of Mind” by Billy Joel, arr. Edward Randell
“Weather to Fly” by Elbow, arr. Clare Wheeler
“Forgotten” by Oliver Griffiths, arr. Oliver Griffiths and Jo Goldsmith-Eteson
“Goodbye Yellow Brick Road” by Elton John. arr. Sara Bareilles, Jo Goldsmith-Eteson, and Jacob Christopher
From Dear Evan Hansen: “You Will Be Found” by Benj Pasek and Justin Paul, arr. Jacob Christopher

For tickets and information visit cantussings.org or call 612-435-0055

Cantus & The Swingles is made possible in part thanks to the generous support of Sandra Davis and by the City of Saint Paul Cultural Sales Tax Revitalization Program through the Saint Paul Cultural Star Grant.

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Contact:
Rebecca Davis
Rebecca Davis Public Relations
Rebecca@rebeccadavispr.com
347-432-8832

Minneapolis, MN – November 20, 2024  –  On January 17, Signum Classics will release Alone Together from low-voice ensemble Cantus, the group’s fourth release on the label. The program reflects upon isolation and connectedness in contemporary society, with music spanning Beethoven to Arcade Fire, and includes premiere recordings of works by Libby Larsen, Gabriel Kahane, and Rosephanye Powell.

Cantus first conceived of Alone Together in 2016, intending to reflect the tension in our modern society between technological connectedness and human longing for genuine in-person interaction. “The age of ever-increasing connectedness carries with it a troubling dichotomy: the easier it becomes to communicate with everyone on earth, the increasingly isolated we feel,” says bass Chris Foss of Cantus.

The ensemble cites the documentary “Social Dilemma” as an impetus to create the program. “When Facebook and Twitter became available on mobile phones, pre-teen self-harm rates tripled. Clearly, this digital revolution has come with unforeseen consequences.”

But when the world came to a halt in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Cantus reinterpreted the Alone Together program. “The pandemic – in some ways – turned the concept on its head. Instead of a deterrent to connectedness, technology was sometimes the only tool to help us maintain community and relationships.”

Woven throughout the Alone Together program is a multi-movement work by Libby Larsen entitled “YOU” – commissioned by Music Accord for Cantus – written specifically around themes of technology and connection. Set to the poetry of Emily Dickinson and Edna St. Vincent Millay, the work reaffirms our humanity through communication and a recognition of our universal need for understanding and acceptance.

The pairing of Laura Mvula’s “She” and McCartney and Lennon’s “She’s Leaving Home” offer an examination of the self and the journey of self-actualization, while Beethoven’s “Gesang der Mönche” illustrates a consideration of the legacies we leave behind. The album closes with the world premiere recording of Rosephanye Powell’s “When We Sing,” sharing a message of connection, harmony, and hope.

TRACKLIST

1. When the Earth Stands Still – Don Macdonald
2. You (I) – Libby Larsen *
3. Deep Blue – Arcade Fire
4. You (II) – Libby Larsen *
5. Gesang der Mönche – Ludwing van Beethoven
6. A Most Peculiar Man – Simon and Garfunkel
7. You (III) – Libby Larsen *
8. You Will Be Found – Pasek and Paul
9. Camina Siempre Adelante – Alberto Cortez
10. She’s Leaving Home – McCartney & Lennon, arr. Samuel Bohlander-Green
11. You (IV) – Libby Larsen
12. She – Laura Mvula, arr. Paul John Rudoi and Chris Foss
13. Coffee with Borges – Gabriel Kahane *
14. Calme des Nuits – Camille Saint-Saëns, arr. Chris Foss
15. Beneath Thin Blanket – Jeff Beal *
16. You (V) – Libby Larsen *
17. The Green And Salty Days – Kathleen Allan
18. Chinese Proverb – Sharon Durant
19. When We Sing – Rosephanye Powell *

* World Premiere recording

Coffee with Borges was commissioned with assistance from Chorus America’s Dale Warland Singers Commission Award.

You was commissioned by Music Accord for Cantus.

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EPK with downloadable music and booklet HERE
Promo streaming link HERE

Contact:
Rebecca Davis
Rebecca Davis Public Relations
Rebecca@rebeccadavispr.com
347-432-8832

Minneapolis, MN – October 18, 2023 – Cantus is pleased to announce the appointment of Shelley Quiala as the organization’s Executive Director. Quiala joins the staff of the Twin Cities-based low voice ensemble after serving for the past four years as Executive Director of the award-winning International Festival of Arts & Ideas in New Haven, Connecticut. Prior to that, she was Vice President of Programming, Education, and Community Engagement at the Ordway Center for the Performing Arts in St. Paul.  
 
Quiala grew up in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and graduated from the University of Minnesota with a double major in Spanish and Performance as a Medium for Social Change.  “I’m truly honored to return to the vibrant Twin Cities, where my roots in arts and culture run deep, and to lead Cantus – an ensemble celebrated for its groundbreaking artistry and innovation,” says Quiala. “I look forward to collaborating with this exceptional group as we continue shaping the future of Cantus, making an impact here in Minnesota, across the nation, and around the world.”
 
Quiala has been a lifelong advocate for arts and culture access and equity, for which she will be recognized with a spotlight award from the Connecticut Women’s Hall of Fame at the Bushnell Center for the Performing Arts in Hartford, Connecticut later this month. She serves on boards of the Association of Performing Arts Presenters (APAP) and Theater for Young Audiences (TYA USA). In 2021 and 2022, she led humanitarian and cultural delegations from Connecticut to Havana, Cuba for the Havana Jazz Festival.  Quiala is proud to have lobbied before the Connecticut state legislature on the importance of arts and culture investments in a strong and healthy economy.  
 
Shelley Quiala’s selection was the culmination of a competitive nationwide search for an Executive Director led by Arts Consulting Group (ACG), hired by the Cantus Board to recruit a new Executive Director.
 
“Our yearlong search for Cantus’s Executive Director attracted dozens of highly qualified candidates from across the US,” says board chair Brian Newhouse. “The field was diverse and passionate about the impact Cantus makes and seeks to expand. Shelley stood out immediately: her years of highly successful executive leadership in nonprofit arts management, her vision to serve an ever-wider audience locally, nationally and internationally, and her success at broadening a network of enthusiastic supporters – all these made her the perfect fit for Cantus.”
 
About Shelley Quiala
 
Shelley Quiala is an executive in the performing arts and humanities and a lifelong advocate for arts and culture access and equity is excited to join the Cantus organization as the new Executive Director.  She is currently a senior strategist in programming and development for the International Festival of Arts & Ideas in New Haven, Connecticut, where she served as Executive Director from August 2020 to October 2024.  Arts & Ideas presents hundreds of artists and speakers annually in venues in and around downtown New Haven. Since 2020, these have included Wynton Marsalis, Baratunde Thurston, Angelique Kidjo, Brooklyn Rider, Toshi Reagan, Amy Tan, Jon Secada, and Dolores Huerta. During Shelley’s tenure, Arts & Ideas began offering programming in Spanish, built a full-time staff and board to more closely align with the racial diversity of New Haven, and increased contributed revenue by 50 percent.   The work been recognized and awarded by the Greater New Haven Chapter of the NAACP, the Gateway Community College Foundation New Haven’s Freddy Fixer Parade Committee, and the Jamaican American Connection.  In October 2024, Quiala will accept a spotlight award from the Connecticut Women’s Hall of Fame at the Bushnell Center for the Performing Arts in Hartford, Connecticut. 
 
Shelley previously served as Vice President of Programming, Education, and Community Engagement at the Ordway Center for the Performing Arts in Saint Paul, Minnesota. Under her leadership, concerts, comedy, dance, and educational programming reached more than 150,000 people annually.   
 
Among her community service efforts are serving on national boards such as the Association of Performing Arts Presenters (APAP) and Theater for Young Audiences (TYA USA), and as a mentor with Dance USA in the Dance Institute for Leadership.  In Connecticut, she has served on the boards of the Greater New Haven Chamber of Commerce and the Connecticut Tourism Coalition and has lobbied before the state legislature on the importance of arts and culture investments in a strong and healthy economy.  In 2021 and 2022 Shelley led humanitarian and cultural delegations from Connecticut to Havana, Cuba for the Havana Jazz Festival.  Shelley graduated summa cum laude from the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities, with a double major in Spanish and Performance as a Medium for Social Change.   
 
She and her husband Tony, reside in Edina, Minnesota along with their children. 
 
About Cantus
 
Now in its 30^th anniversary season, the “engaging” (New Yorker) low-voice ensemble Cantus is widely known for its trademark warmth and blend, innovative programming and riveting performances of music ranging from the Renaissance to the 21st century. The Washington Post has hailed the Cantus sound as having both “exalting finesse” and “expressive power” and refers to the “spontaneous grace” of its music making. The Philadelphia Inquirer called the group nothing short of “exquisite.”
 
As one of the nation’s few full-time vocal ensembles, Cantus has come to prominence with its distinctive approach to creating music. Working without a conductor, the members of Cantus rehearse and perform as chamber musicians, each contributing to the entirety of the artistic process, creating programs that give voice to shared human experiences. As the Star Tribune has written, “The main hallmark of the Cantus sound has always been sheer quality and an unbroken belief in the special way that vocal music has of warming and invigorating the human spirit.”
 
Cantus enjoys a vigorous schedule of national and international touring, in addition to home concerts in Minneapolis-St. Paul, Minnesota. Cantus has performed at Lincoln Center, Kennedy Center, UCLA, San Francisco Performances, Tanglewood and Bravo! Vail Valley Music Festival. Cantus also makes all of its home concerts available online. This pandemic-prompted innovation has brought the ensemble’s programs to audiences spanning 50 states and sixteen countries.
 
Cantus records for the UK-based Signum Classics label which has released the popular COVID-19 Sessions, Manifesto, and holiday album Into the Light.  Cantus also has a deep catalog of recordings released on the group’s eponymous label.
 
Committed to the expansion of the vocal music repertoire, Cantus actively commissions new music and seeks to unearth rarely performed repertoire for low voices. Cantus has received commissioning grants from New Music USA, the National Endowment for the Arts, Chorus America, American Composers Forum and Chamber Music America. In 2023, Cantus was honored with the Alice Parker Fund Award from Chorus America that recognizes the exemplary work of an ensemble that respectfully and authentically presents works incorporating Black and Latinx traditions and experiences. In line with Cantus’ ongoing commitment to fostering new works for tenors, baritones, and basses, the ensemble has partnered with composer and former Cantus bass Timothy C. Takach and Graphite Publishing on the Cantus Choral Series, distributing Cantus’ signature arrangements and compositions for ensembles everywhere to perform and enjoy.
 
Cantus has a rich history of collaborations with other performing arts organizations, including the Minnesota Orchestra, Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra, the Boston Pops, Chanticleer, the Canadian Brass, Sweet Honey in the Rock, Lorelei Ensemble, Theater Latté Da and the James Sewell Ballet. The ensemble is heard frequently on both classical public radio nationwide and on SiriusXM Satellite Radio.
 
Integral to the Cantus mission is its commitment to preserve and strengthen music education in schools. Cantus works with more than 5,000 students each year in masterclass and workshop settings across the country and has been in-residence in 31 Minnesota high schools throughout their award-winning program’s 15-year history. In the 2023-24 season, Cantus deepened its commitment to students by creating the High School Mentorship program, which offers Cantus artists in-residence at one Twin Cities-based high school for the entirety of the school year. Cantus has also broadened its work by launching a yearly, statewide festival in partnership with American Choral Directors Association Minnesota catered to high school tenor and bass singers. Additionally, the ensemble hosts an annual Young and Emerging Composers Competition to encourage the creation of new repertoire through cash prizes, a performance, recording, and potential publication of winning composers.

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Contact:
Rebecca Davis
Rebecca Davis Public Relations
Rebecca@rebeccadavispr.com
347-432-8832