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The Peoria Symphony Orchestra is thrilled to announce their second ever Composer-In-Residence, Stephanie Ann Boyd. Michigan-born, Manhattan-based American composer Stephanie Ann Boyd (b. 1990) writes melodic music about women’s memoirs and the natural world for symphonic and chamber ensembles. Her work has been performed in nearly all 50 states and has been commissioned by musicians and organizations in 37 countries.
Her residency features the world premiere of Everywoman: A Friedan Centennial Memoire, composed in honor of world famous Peorian and feminist Betty Friedan. The piece will be performed at the Peoria Civic Center Theater on November 20, 2021, at the Peoria Symphony Orchestra’s HerStory: A Musical Tribute to Betty Friedan concert.
Stephanie Ann Boyd notes:
“I’m beyond honored to be Composer-in-Residence with the PSO this season and to be able to celebrate Betty Friedan’s life and legacy in this new piece. Arts organizations have the exciting ability to educate and entertain in the same breath and I’m proud to be contributing to this powerful evening of storytelling on the feminine experience. And as orchestras seek to broaden their offerings beyond the well-known classical music canon, tacking on a newer work to a handful of concerts per season, the PSO is blazing new trails by dedicating an entire concert to music made in this century. It’s thrilling to say the least!”
Reflecting on Stephanie Ann Boyd’s residency, Maestro George Stelluto comments:
“Our Artist-in-Residence program allows for the flexibility to bring all kinds of wonderful musicians to Peoria. This year we have our first woman Composer-in-Residence Stephanie Ann Boyd. Stephanie is a world-class composer and we will be featuring her beautiful music this season. It’s a very special thing for an orchestra to invite a composer to be in residence and Stephanie is only the second one the PSO has ever invited. I hope you get to know her and her music in November.”
Stephanie’s music has been praised as “a racing, brassy score” (New York Times), “attractive lyricism” (Gramophone), “[with] ethereal dissonances” (Boston Globe), “[music that] didn’t let itself be eclipsed” (Texas Classical Review), “arrestingly poetic” (BMOP), and “wide ranging, imaginative” (Portland Press Herald).
Boyd’s music has been commissioned and performed by concertmasters of the BBC Symphony Orchestra, Singapore Symphony, New York City Ballet Orchestra, Des Moines Symphony, Faroe Islands Symphony, Anchorage Symphony Orchestra, Fort Smith Symphony, Arkansas Philharmonic Orchestra, and principal players in the Colorado Symphony Orchestra. Her music has been commissioned and/or played by the Boston Modern Orchestra Project, New England Conservatory Philharmonic, Cape Cod Chamber Orchestra, New York Jazzharmonic, River Oaks Chamber Orchestra, Roosevelt University Orchestra, Eureka Ensemble, JVL Festival Orchestra, Texas State University Symphony, Cremona International Academy Orchestra, UW La Crosse Symphony, Detroit Civic Orchestra, and the El Paso Youth Symphony.
Stephanie’s work has been presented by the Thalia and her Sisters concert series, the Moirae Ensemble, and Sandcastle New Music in New York City; Æpex Contemporary Music in Michigan; Juventas New Music, Collage New Music, and the New Gallery Concert Series in Boston; Cincinnati Soundbox, and others. Stephanie has worked with conductors such as Andrew Litton, Lina Gonzales, Earl Lee, Nathan Aspinall, Cliff Colnot, Gill Rose, Julian Benichou, Kristo Kondakci, and Kevin Fitzgerald. For more information, visit https://stephanieannboyd.com.
This residency is generously underwritten by Sid and Flo Banwart.
You can stay informed about the PSO and get concert details by visiting peoriasymphony.org, the PSO’s Facebook page (facebook.com/peoriasymphony), as well as our Twitter and Instagram accounts (@peoriasymphony). Those with questions can email patronservices@peoriasymphony.org or call 309.671.1096.
Release ID: 89053360