As the reputation of Illinois’ experimental music studio quickly spread across the country during the late 1950s and early 60s, both new music composers and electrical and electronics engineers started attending the University as students and visiting faculty members of Experimental Music Studio. By 1965 the faculty of the EMS included Salvatore Martirano, Charles Hamm, Kenneth Gaburo, Ben Johnston, and Herbert Brün. The compositions and developments in both electronic music and computer music made by these composers and electronic engineers helped to solidify the University of Illinois as one of the country’s premiere institutions for electronic and computer music.
In the spirit of the University’s experimental music studio members of the Sousa Archives staff will be joining other composers and experimental music performers from the community in a special concert of new music composed by Barry Morse, a 2016 graduate of the School of Music’s doctoral composition program, for the Etherphonic Theremin Orchestra. This free concert will take place at in the Krannert Art Museum’s Hood Gallery on Saturday, March 4, at 2:00 pm. A brief lecture on the music and Theremin will precede the afternoon’s performance. For further information about the concert please contact Barry Morse at barryrmorse@hotmail.com and for further information about the Sousa Archives and Center for American Music’s experimental music collections either call (217)244-9309 or email sousa@illinois.edu.