Unknown to many students, the music department in Slee and Baird Halls is home to one of the most highly respected graduate music composition programs in the nation.
"For about 40 years or so, UB has been a major player in the national and international contemporary music scene," said David Felder, SUNY distinguished professor of music and Birge-Cary chair in composition. "It has been a home to leading composers since that time, and we have an internationally recognized faculty."
Along with a number of his colleagues, Felder is widely considered to be a leader of American music composition, as his works have been featured at festivals around the world.
The graduate composition program at UB is best known for its contributions to the field of contemporary classical music, a category that is difficult to define and often characterized by modern composition techniques and experimentation.
As part of this experimental focus on contemporary music, graduate students in the program are given a freedom in their work that they would likely not receive in other schools of the same caliber.
Trevor Björklund, an assistant professor in the music department and a recent graduate of the composition program, feels that the independence the students have in directing their own work is the most commendable characteristic of the program.
"The composition faculty members are very [interested in] helping young composers bloom on their own," Björklund said. "A lot of other places tend to push people in a particular direction but UB doesn't. It tends to attract people who have a slightly different take on things."
According to Björklund, the high quality of the compositions of graduate faculty is also a major factor responsible for the department's prestige.
Complementing the educational freedom is a state-of-the-art recording studio, The Lejaren Hiller Computer Music Studios, which is available to graduate students.
Cort Lippe, associate professor of composition and director of the studios, says that although students today have the luxury of being able to do most of their composing on their own computers, they often make use of the studios as a work nears completion.
"Students can do a significant portion of projects with their own equipment," Lippe said. "They usually wait until a certain point in their work to make use of the studios, when, for instance, they need to hear the results in a high quality multi-channel environment, need more computing power, or need specific software they do not own."
Another major factor in the establishment of the composition program and the department as a whole is the numerous high-profile concerts and events that the department presents each year.
"We bring in well known, internationally recognized performers for five or six concerts over the course of the year," said Jeff Stadelman, associate chair of the music department. "It's the only place in the world where someone can have the opportunity to hear live each year all of the Beethoven string quartets."
The most prestigious performance event, however, is the June in Buffalo music festival and conference that showcases the compositions of a handful of musicians chosen from around the world each year.
"June in Buffalo is a very major attractor," Felder said. "We bring in the leading ensembles and leading composers, and then we also solicit emerging composers from around the world to apply. The UB reputation is extremely enhanced internationally by that festival."
In addition to the national and local composers and musicians that perform pieces at the festival, a number of faculty members and upper level graduate students from the UB program participate in the event as well.
Throughout the year, the music department performs numerous concerts and events in the performance halls of Slee and Baird, ranging from undergraduate student groups like the UB Symphony Orchestra to professional ensembles from around the world.
According to Stadelman, some of the most exciting events each year are the performances of the cornerstone ensemble of the department, the "Slee Sinfonietta." The group, founded by Felder, is a professional chamber orchestra in residence at UB. It is made up of faculty members, grad students, and some local professionals.
The dates of the Slee Sinfoetta and the rest of the performance schedule can be found at http://www.slee.buffalo.edu.
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