Missouri Western State University is the site of Electronic Music Midwest’s annual MiniFest Friday and Saturday, Feb. 26 and 27. Concerts will be held at 7:30 p.m. Friday and at 10:30 a.m., 2:30 p.m. and 7 p.m. in Kemper Recital Hall, inside Spratt Hall. The concerts are free and open to the public.
MiniFest is hosted at a different institution each year. The four concerts showcase new and recent works for electronic media by ten invited regional composers. The pieces include live performers and video.
Dr. David McIntire, director of music technology studies at Missouri Western, curates the festival. The work will include music from professional composer/teachers from the University of Kansas, University of Central Missouri, University of Missouri-Kansas City, Kansas City Kansas Community College, Lewis University and Missouri Western. Also featured will be three works by students in Missouri Western’s music technology program.
Missouri Western student composers are Aaron Crawford, senior from Kansas City, Missouri; William Doyle, sophomore from St. Joseph; and Nick Reder, senior from Platte City, Missouri.
Other composers include Ian Corbett (KCKCC), Travis Garrison (UCM), Mara Gibson (UMKC), Kip Haheim (KU), Eric Honour (UCM), Eli Houghland (UMKC), Mike McFerron (LU), James Mobberley (UMKC), Joe Roberts (MWSU adjunct faculty) and Paul Rudy (UMKC).
Electronic Music Midwest is dedicated to programming a wide variety of electroacoustic music and providing the highest quality performance of electronic media. In addition to the MiniFest, they produce a nine-concert festival each fall. The goal is to bring together vibrant and interesting artists of all forms, give them a vehicle for their expressions and a place to share ideas with others. Since its beginning, EMM has programmed more than 500 new electroacoustic compositions.
Missouri Western State University is a comprehensive regional university providing a blend of traditional liberal arts and professional degree programs. The university offers student-centered, high quality instruction that focuses on experience-based learning, community service, and state-of-the-art technology. Missouri Western is located in St. Joseph, Mo., and is committed to the educational, economic, cultural and social development of the region it serves. Visit www.missouriwestern.edu.