2024-2025 Wunsch New Music Festival, September 29-October 1, 2024

Every two years, KU Music provides students — and the public — with the opportunity to experience innovative new music from some of today’s leading composers and ensembles during the Wunsch New Music Festival. The festival concerts are free and open to the public.

Guest Artists for the 2024-2025 Festival

Guest Composer-in-Residence: Dr. Narong Prangcharoen

Guest Ensemble-in-Residence: Khemia Ensemble

Dr. Narong Prangcharoen
Dr. Narong Prangcharoen

Dr. Narong Prangcharoen, Composer-in-residence

Thai Composer Narong Prangcharoen’s success as a composer was confirmed by his receiving the prestigious 2013 Guggenheim Fellowship and the Barlow Prize. Other awards include the Music Alive, the 20th Annual American Composers Orchestra Underwood New Music Commission, the American Composers Orchestra Audience Choice Award, the Toru Takemitsu Composition Award, the Alexander Zemlinsky International Composition Competition Prize, the 18th ACL Yoshiro IRINO Memorial Composition Award, the Pacific Symphony’s American Composers Competition Prize, and the Annapolis Charter 300 International Composers Competition Prize. In his native country, Mr. Prangcharoen was recipient of the Silapathorn Award, naming him a “Thailand Contemporary National Artist”. He recently received Sugree Charoensook Award from The Stock Exchange of Thailand (SET) annual “Social Recognition Project” 2015.

A group of people standing in a stairwell next to instruments, including a piano, cello, and xylophone
Khemia Ensemble

Khemia Ensemble, Ensemble-in-residence

Hailed by the Columbia Daily Tribune as adding a “fresh dimension” to the concert experience, Khemia Ensemble is dedicated to reflecting broader perspectives in contemporary classical chamber music. With its dynamic instrumentation (soprano, flute, clarinet, violin, cello, piano, two percussion), Khemia’s unique sound world encompasses the presentation of new classical music with a mix of acoustic chamber works, multimedia, and multi-genre influences.

Khemia has been featured in venues and festivals including National Sawdust (Brooklyn, NY), the Mizzou International Composers Festival (Columbia, MO), Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art (Bentonville, AR), Strange Beautiful Music (Detroit, MI), New Music Gathering (Bowling Green, OH), Latin IS America (East Lansing, MI), the Missouri Summer Composition Institute, and the Biennial New Music Festival (Córdoba, Argentina). Passionate artist educators, Khemia has held residencies at more than a dozen universities in North and South America. The ensemble's eight members also hold faculty positions at seven academic institutions across the U.S. including University of Georgia, Florida State University, University of Arkansas, University of Missouri, University of North Carolina-Greensboro, Utah State University, and Utah Valley University.

Committed to expanding the chamber music repertoire, Khemia has commissioned and premiered over 60 mixed-instrumentation works by professional, collegiate, and high school composers. Current and recent collaborators include Bobby Ge, Florence Maunders, Nicolas Lell Benavides, David Biedenbender, Stefan Freund, Phillip Sink, and Nina Shekhar. Khemia’s sophomore album, Intersections, was released on Ravello Records in December 2022.

Khemia Ensemble is Amy Petrongelli (soprano), Mary Matthews (flute), Thiago Ancelmo (clarinet), Er-Gene Kahng (violin), Eli Lara (cello), Annie Jeng (piano), Shane Jones (percussion), & Chelsea Tinsler Jones (percussion).


Schedule of Events

Wunsch New Music Festival: Kansas Virtuosi

Sunday, September 29, 2024 7:30pm
Swarthout Recital Hall

Wunsch New Music Festival: Hub New Music Contemporary Music Workshop

Monday, September 30, 2024 7:30pm
Swarthout Recital Hall

Wunsch New Music Festival: Hub New Music and guest composer

Tuesday, October 1, 2024 7:30pm
Swarthout Recital Hall

September 25-27, 2022

September 25

Concert | 7:30 p.m. | Swarthout Recital Hall

Kansas Virtuosi Concert: featuring the music of Marcos Balter and KU Composition Faculty. 
 

September 26

Contemporary Music Workshop: with Marcos Balter and International Contemporary Ensemble. 
 

September 27

Lecture: Marcos Balter.

Ensemble-in-Residence Concert: International Contemporary Ensemble featuring the music of Marcos Balter and others.

November 10-14, 2019

November 10

Concert | 7:30 p.m. | Swarthout Recital Hall

Kansas Virtuosi performs music of Melinda Wagner

November 11

Concert | 7:30 p.m. | Cider Gallery, 810 Pennsylvania, Lawrence

Music of KU composition faculty

November 12

Open Rehearsal | 10:00 a.m. | Swarthout Recital Hall

Guest ensemble concert featuring Left Coast Chamber Ensemble

Concert | 7:30 p.m. | Swarthout Recital Hall

Guest ensemble concert featuring Left Coast Chamber Ensemble

November 14

Lecture | 10:00 a.m. | Swarthout Recital Hall

Composer-in-Residence Melinda Wagner

February 13-14, 2019

Feb. 13

Guest Composer Portraits | 12 p.m. | Hall Center for the Humanities

Lectures by Amy Beth Kirsten, Tonia Ko, Hannah Lash and Nina Young

Pre-Concert Talk | 6:45 p.m. | Swarthout Recital Hall

with Amy Beth Kirsten, Tonia Ko, Hannah Lash and Nina Young

Kansas Virtuosi | 7:30 p.m. | Swarthout Recital Hall

Presenting music by Amy Beth Kirsten, Tonia Ko, Hannah Lash and Nina Young

Feb. 14   

Panel Discussion | 10 a.m. | Swarthout Recital Hall

with Amy Beth Kirsten, Tonia Ko, Hannah Lash and Nina Young

Salon Concert and Conversation | 7:30 p.m. | Cider Gallery, 810 Pennsylvania St.