On September 1, 2013, MATA held its 16th Benefit Gala honoring Dawn Upshaw. Special guests were Donnacha Dennehy, Osvaldo Golijov, and Robert Hurwitz (president of Nonesuch Records since 1984)—three music figures whose lives were impacted by Upshaw’s musical genius.
Among the good news that were announced that night, we learned that the festival received 658 submissions this year! 15 or 20 of these pieces will be presented in April.
Another major announcement was the creation MATA Junior, in collaboration with Face The Music to help promote the music of high school-age composers.
Of course, some music was performed:
Jacob Cooper’s Silver Thread (2011) by Mellissa Hughes (voice) and Jacob Cooper (electronics).
Lucy Dhegrae (voice) and Kris Saebo (double bass) performed Shawn Jaeger’s In Old Virginny (2009).
Mellissa Hughes and Caroline Chin (violin) performed selections from György Kurtág’s Kafka Fragments (1986).
See photos of the event:
