Further developments

Some follow-up on two posts last week:

German-born composer Carl Christian Bettendorf is the winner of the St. Paul Chamber Orchestra's first Emerging Composers Competition. In a concert Saturday night, SPCO musicians played his entry, Palimpsest, and pieces by the three other finalists. After an intermission and a brief discussion among the composers, the judges announced their decision. Then the ensemble, conducted by Scott Yoo (who was one of the judges), played the winning composition again for the audience in the intimate SPCO Center. Bettendorf's prize is $3000 and yet another performance of Palimpsest--at an SPCO subscription concert at some point in the next few years. Karl Gehrke's Friday story previewing the competition includes excerpts from the piece.

And if you're interested in reading what Phoenix Symphony violist Karen Bea told a House subcommittee last Thursday, you can find her comments here. The American Symphony Orchestra League summarizes by saying her "testimony highlighted the public value of NEA funding, specifically describing the Phoenix Symphony’s NEA-supported One Nation project, a partnership with the Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community." The League says Bea was one of only two public witnesses invited to speak on behalf of the NEA.