Composers Jin-Hi Kim and Augusta Read Thomas have been Music Alive Composers-in-Residence with the New Haven Symphony Orchestra (NHSO) for the past year and are looking forward to continuing and expanding their projects in Greater New Haven this coming year.   

Over the past year the NHSO's Shifting Patterns Project has explored numerous new innovative ideas - from Composers working with students with learning difficulties, to inspiring young composers through mentorships and instruction, to the influences of Asian and American cultures on art music.

Ms. Thomas has taken the lead with the Young Composers Project.  For the past year and continuing this year Ms. Thomas has been mentoring and guiding a select group of high school age composers that will culminate in a performance of their music by the NHSO Contemporary Music Ensemble on May 15, 2011.  In addition to their work with Ms. Thomas, the Young Composers have had the opportunity to work with musicians from the NHSO and gain new perspectives from composers at local Universities.     

Ms. Kim has spent her residency time during the past year going out into select middle schools to teach her Music and Meditation program to a variety of local children. By combining traditional Korean music with meditation techniques, the children learned new ways of personal development to apply to their lives, as well as gaining an appreciation of traditional Korean culture.  This year she will continue her work in schools and expand her work to staff and partients at the Connecticut Mental Health Center in New Haven. 

Both composers will write new works for the NHSO that will be premiered in this coming 2010/11 season.  Ms. Kim's piece for flute, bass, percussion and komungo will be premiered in multiple performances that will culminate each of her week long school residencies in New Haven.

Ms. Thomas' new piece Radiant Circles will have its world premiere by the NHSO Thursday, March 10, 2011 in Woolsey Hall.  Don't miss this exciting concert event!    

For more information on how you can be involved with Shifting Patterns, please contact NHSO Director of Education Dan Kinsman at dkinsman@newhavensymphony.org or 203/865-0831 x13.

The Residencies of Jin Hi Kim and Augusta Read Thomas are made possible through Music Alive, a residency program of the League of American Orchestras and Meet The Composer. This national program is designed to provide orchestras with resources and tools to support their presentation of new music to the public and build support for new music within their institutions. Funding for Music Alive is provided by The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, The Aaron Copland Fund for Music, and the ASCAP Foundation Joseph and Rosalie Meyer Fund.