Andrew McManus, doctoral student in composition, is one of six graduate students whose work will be performed at the New Music Ensemble concert on Saturday, November 10 at 8 PM, Fulton Recital Hall.

As a busy graduate student at the University of Chicago pursuing his Doctorate in Composition, how do you balance academic classes, staying tuned-in with the Chicago new music scene, and composing your own works?   

I can say that it’s a busy schedule to keep! I do make a serious effort to stay on top of all three of these things, as difficult as it may be sometimes. At the end of the day, though, I see them as part of one larger project, in which the academic side of things informs my work as a composer, and vice versa, where my experiences as a composer inform how I approach academic work. For this reason, while I do prioritize composing and attending concerts, I do make time to focus on academics.

Will any of your latest works be featured in this year’s New Music Ensemble Concerts?

Yes – I have a work for solo viola on the fall concert and a string quartet scheduled for the winter. I’m especially grateful for the opportunity to have the string quartet performed, since I’ve worked on and revised the piece over the course of the past two and a half years! Continue reading →