The late Salvatore Martirano, a longtime UI faculty member and internationally acclaimed composer, will be honored Oct. 16 as the UI School of Music hosts the first-ever Salvatore Martirano Composition Award Concert at 8 p.m. in the Foellinger Great Hall, Krannert Center for the Performing Arts.
The award-winning composition, "Echoes' White Veil" by Jason Eckardt, will be performed by pianist Marilyn Nonken. The program also will feature Martirano's 1967 composition "Cocktail Music," along with a world premiere by David Rakowski and works by Luigi Dallapiccola, Jonathan Harvey and Alvin Lucier.
Eckardt, a Mellon Presidential Fellow at Columbia University, New York City, and executive director and founder of the performance group Ensemble 21, was one of 67 composers who submitted anonymous entries to the international competition, which was judged by five UI composition faculty members. In addition to a concert featuring the winning composition, the award includes a $500 cash prize.
Composition professor Zack Browning said the music school launched the annual award to support the professional development of new, young composers and to keep alive the memory of Martirano, who taught at the UI from 1963 to 1995 and is perhaps best known as the inventor of the Sal Mar Construction, dubbed "the world's first composing machine" by Science Digest. Martirano died in 1995.
"Sal was one of the most inspirational teachers you'd ever run into," said Browning, who said the award was created "to continue his unique energy and creative mind."
"He was one of the original cross-over artists," combining jazz, traditional, classical and other musical styles in his compositions, Browning said. "But always, his emphasis was on being original he was the most original person you could ever meet."
The deadline for the second annual Martirano award is Nov. 15. Compositions may be up to 20 minutes in length, and can be written in any style or aesthetic for any instrument, combination of instruments, electronics or tape. To qualify, composers must be age 30 or younger.
Entries may be submitted to the 1998 Salvatore Martirano Composition
Award, 2136 Music Building, MC-056. For more information, contact Browning,
244-2686.
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