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Stacy Garrop’s Composer Blog

I have had a wonderful second year of my residence with the Champaign-Urbana Symphony Orchestra! In my first year, I focused almost exclusively on offering a wide assortment of activities for education programs. These brought me to multiple elementary, middle, and high schools, colleges, and several organizations to work with students and adults of all [...]

Recap of CUSO’s March 9th Terra Nostra Performance

On Saturday, March 9th, the Champaign-Urbana Symphony Orchestra held a concert that will forever hold a special place in my heart. The combined forces of CUSO, the University of Illinois Oratorio Society (Andrew Megill, conductor), Central Illinois Children’s Chorus (Andrea Solya, conductor), and soloists Sarah Gartshore, Betany Coffland, Steven Soph, and David Govertson performed my [...]

Terra Nostra, Post #7: Program Notes

CUSO will be joined by the University of Illinois Oratorio Society, Central Illinois Children’s Chorus, and soloists Sarah Gartshore, Betany Coffland, Steven Soph, and David Govertson to give the Midwest premiere of my TERRA NOSTRA on Saturday, March 9th in Foellinger Great Hall. Terra Nostra focuses on the relationship between our planet and mankind, how this relationship [...]

Terra Nostra, Post #6: Finishing the Oratorio

CUSO will be joined by the University of Illinois Oratorio Society, Central Illinois Children’s Chorus, and soloists Sarah Gartshore, Betany Coffland, Steven Soph, and David Govertson to give the Midwest premiere of my TERRA NOSTRA on Saturday, March 9th in Foellinger Great Hall. When I originally wrote the oratorio in 2014-2015, I wrote a series of [...]

Terra Nostra, Post #5: Five Musical Inspirations

CUSO will be joined by the University of Illinois Oratorio Society, Central Illinois Children’s Chorus, and soloists Sarah Gartshore, Betany Coffland, Steven Soph, and David Govertson to give the Midwest premiere of my TERRA NOSTRA on Saturday, March 9th in Foellinger Great Hall. When I originally wrote the oratorio in 2014-2015, I wrote a series of [...]

CUSO will be joined by the University of Illinois Oratorio Society, Central Illinois Children’s Chorus, and soloists Sarah Gartshore, Betany Coffland, Steven Soph, and David Govertson to give the Midwest premiere of my TERRA NOSTRA on Saturday, March 9th in Foellinger Great Hall. When I originally wrote the oratorio in 2014-2015, I wrote a series of [...]

Terra Nostra, Post #3: Part I Completed

CUSO will be joined by the University of Illinois Oratorio Society, Central Illinois Children’s Chorus, and soloists Sarah Gartshore, Betany Coffland, Steven Soph, and David Govertson to give the Midwest premiere of my TERRA NOSTRA on Saturday, March 9th in Foellinger Great Hall. When I originally wrote the oratorio in 2014-2015, I wrote a series of [...]

Terra Nostra, Post #2: Digging into the Composing Process

CUSO will be joined by the University of Illinois Oratorio Society, Central Illinois Children’s Chorus, and soloists Sarah Gartshore, Betany Coffland, Steven Soph, and David Govertson to give the Midwest premiere of my TERRA NOSTRA on Saturday, March 9th in Foellinger Great Hall. When I originally wrote the oratorio in 2014-2015, I wrote a series of [...]

CUSO will be joined by the University of Illinois Oratorio Society, Central Illinois Children's Chorus, and soloists Sarah Gartshore, Betany Coffland, Steven Soph, and David Govertson to give the Midwest premiere of my TERRA NOSTRA on Saturday, March 9th in Foellinger Great Hall. When I originally wrote the oratorio in 2014-2015, I wrote a series of [...]

Music Alive Composers Institute, Day 2

This past Saturday, we had a wonderful 2nd full day of our Champaign-Urbana Symphony Orchestra Music Alive Composers Institute! Twelve composers from eight Midwest universities joined us for the Institute. We had lots of activities: CUSO harpist Molly Madden and CUSO percussionists William Moersch and Ricardo Flores gave demonstrations on how to effectively write for their instruments within an orchestra setting; we [...]