Alyson Zieg ’24 (Bachelor of Music in Performance) recently won a commission for Towson University’s Fall 2024 concert series, which will include performances at Towson University and in the Baltimore area. Towson’s call for scores was funded by a grant from the College of Fine Arts and Communication DEI Committee.
“I’m extremely honored to have this opportunity to share my voice and experiences through music,” said Zieg. “Most of my composition work is centered around my identities and the way they function in my environment. I proposed a piece for an open ensemble that explores nature’s neutrality to societal issues. It will incorporate both folk music traditions with contemporary techniques. I look forward to collaborating with Towson students and making it come to life next fall.”
This project was intended to highlight the work and experiences of underrepresented voices, and to respond to a DEI-related topic or issue. The organization sought music submissions that tell stories, explore themes of identity, challenge the understanding of societal norms, and/or examine the contemporary landscape of DEI-related issues in a reflexive way. Scores could explore topics such as racial justice, gender equality, LGBTQ+ experiences, or disability rights, or the contemporary political discourse surrounding DEI-issues.
Zieg will produce a newly composed piece written for a chamber ensemble of no more than six parts, and approximately 10 minutes in length. The piece will be learned, rehearsed, and performed by a faculty-led ensemble of current Towson University students and faculty in the Fall of 2024.
Additionally, Thalea String Quartet has been playing Zieg’s “On Ecofeminism” this summer at festivals and chamber series. Zieg won a spot at the Composer Workshop during the Boulanger Initiative’s Women Composer’s Festival and she wrote the piece for Thalea String Quartet to experiment with at the festival in March.
Zieg will pursue a Master of Fine Arts in Music with a Performer-Composer specialization and concentration in integrated media at California Institute of the Arts (CalArts) beginning this fall.
