Fresh Ventures

See what past participants in the Fresh Inc Festival are up to! Our composers and performers maintain a habit of collaborating with one another and with 5HE for years after their participation in the festival, forming a growing network of cultural leaders nationwide. Below you will find some of their most notable projects to date, and we are proud to support their work and careers for years to come. To read more about individual participants, head to our alumni page.

More recent projects are in the process of being added – check back soon!

Alum explores ancestry and writes non-fiction book

Composer wins Thompson Street Opera Call for Scores

Composition alum releases piano album

Alum composes for The Crossing Choir and for a new opera

Composer writes piece for Astral Artist

Megan Ihnen co-presents Black Meridian

Alum accepted in Global Leaders Program, starts zFestival

Ava Shadmani receives graduate fellowship

Fresh Inc class of 2020

Alum explores ancestry and writes non-fiction book
Sammy Sussman, composer

Composer wins Thompson Street Opera Call for Scores
Joshua Brown, composer

Alum receives graduate fellowship for research project
Ava Shadmani, violin

Violinist a runner-up for Winifred Small Prize (Royal Academy of Music)
Amalia Young, violin

Composition alum premieres new works and starts new projects
Alexa Letourneau, composer

Beyond Boundaries partners with Aspire 2 STEAM
Beyond Boundaries, ensemble

Alum engages in art activism & indie pop
Ari Schwartz, harp

Alums premiere new flute pieces, featured in Oregon Arts Watch
Sarah Jordan, composer

2020 Alum creating digital content
Spencer Arias, composer

Kickstarter: Lost Islands, a project by the Cygnus Trio
Cygnus Trio
Erica Jacobs-Perkins, violin
Benjamin Stuchbery, flute
Jonathan Stuchbery, guitar

Kenosha Symphony Woodwind Quintet Premiers Haley Woodrow quintet
Haley Woodrow, composer

Shelby Blalock finalist for American Prize in Composition
Shelby Blalock, composer

Phoenix Down RPG and Dragon Ballad
Teil Buck, Oboe
Dylan Lloyd, Clarinet
Eric Salazar, Clarinet

Composition Alum Named Semi-Finalist for The American Prize
Shelby Blalock, composer

“RE: New Music” – Clarinet and Flute Duo
Emily Mehigh, clarinet
Robin Meiksins, flute
Laura Harrison, composer

The Passion of Joan of Arc Film Score
Dan Langa, composer
Sam Johnson, cello

Black Sheep Contemporary Ensemble featured on Boston Globe
Nicole DeMaio, composer
Bradley Frizzell, clarinet
David Voss, composer
Jonathan Russ, composer

Fresh Inc class of 2016

Alum composes for The Crossing Choir and for a new opera
Ayanna Woods, composer

Alums premiere new flute pieces, featured in Oregon Arts Watch
Robin Meiksins, flute

Third Coast Percussion to premier work by Ayanna Woods
Ayanna Woods, composer

Duo Caprice Premiere
Emma Schmiedecke, cello
Matthew Kennedy, composer

Recent and Upcoming Premiers
Kyle Rotolo, composer

Evanston Concert Series and Commission Update
David Flowers, composer
Joran Roulo, soprano
Susan Bengtson, viola
Alex Holzen, flute

Three Crowns Park Recital Fundraiser
Connor Thummel, trombone

Madison New Music Festival Founded by Zachary Green, Features Performances by fresh inc Alumni
Zachary Green, composer
Jordan Roulo, soprano
Emily Sprague-Klein, piano
Robin Meiksins, flute
Emily Mehigh, clarinet

Commission for Fellow Alum Premiered at UT-Austin
Kathryn Drake, violin
David Flowers, composer

Commission from Kenosha Community Foundation
Zachary Green, composer

Arranging Projects with Driftwood Quintet, Nightingale Trio, Chance the Rapper
Ayanna Woods, composer

New Quintet Performs at Children’s Science Museum
Alex Hoelzen, flute

Formation of New Woodwind Trio
Teil Buck, oboe

365 Days of Flute
Robin Meiksins, flute

Slate Arts Performance: PROTEST
Ralph Lewis, composer
Connor Thummel, trombone

New Alumni Collaborations, Residencies and Performances
Matthew Kennedy, composer
Emma Schmiedecke, cello
Rogue Trio, ensemble
Driftwood Quintet, ensemble
David Angelo, clarinet

“Fearless Reception” World Premiere
Rogue Trio, ensemble
Ralph Lewis, composer

Fresh Inc class of 2015

Sid Richardson releases debut portrait album Borne by a Wind.
Sid Richardson, composer

The Space Around Us: A Musical Meditation on Climate Change
Jessica Pollack, clarinet
Samson Matthews, composer
Eric Salazar, composer
Daniel Morel, composer

fresh inc Piece Selected for SCI 2018 National Conference
Aaron Levin, composer

Meghan Yankowskas Updates
Meghan Yankowskas, clarinet
Eric Salazar, clarinet
Daniel Harrison, composer

Premier with Mivos String Quartet
Johnathan Russ, composer

USAF Band of Mid-America Performances
Meghan Yankowskas, clarinet

Nothing Gold Can Stay
James Budinich, composer

Chamber Music with Friends
Jessica Pollack, clarinet

New Music from Jonathan Russ
Jonathan Russ, composer

Composition Soundcloud Blog
Zan Berry, cello

Down Home Christmas
Matthew Lorenz, piano

Fresh Inc class of 2014

Center for New Music, Helia Music Collective, Opera Theatre Unlimited and the Fête Concert Series
Emma Logan, composer

Communitas 161 and SunSneeze
Kevin Rank, percussion

The Syrinx Project
Zoe Sorrell, flute

New Performances from Lilac 94
Lilac 94, ensemble

Sarah’s Violin Bags
Sarah Cranor, violin

Play it Forward Instrument Donation Program
Maggie Morrison, piano

Upcoming Premieres by Isaura String Quartet
Emily Call, violin

Recital: Book of Spells
The Magic Deuce, ensemble

Recital with Limbo Quartet and Duo d’entre Deux
The Magic Deuce, ensemble

Chamber Music with Friends: Coffee Hour
Jessica Pollack, clarinet

Kleinman Competition Winner
Jonathan Hannau, composer

Premiere of Harp Duo by Lilac 94
Daniel Morel, composer

Fresh Inc class of 2013

Composition alum releases piano album
Mathew Entwistle, composer

Megan Ilnen co-presents Black Meridian
Megan Ilnen, mezzo-soprano

2013 Alum premiers Stacy Garrop’s Alto Saxophone Concerto
Jonathan Hulting-Cohen, saxophone
Stacy Garrop, former Fresh Inc composition faculty

Admiral Launch Duo album release on Albany Records
Jonathan Hulting-Cohen, saxophone
Jennifer Ellis, harp

Bassoon Recitals and New Works
Brin Solomon, composer

A Composer’s Big Bang – Heisenberg Uncertainty Players at the Wire
John Dorhauer, composer

Quince Vocal Ensemble Performance
Evan Williams, composer

Heart of Darkness
Megan Ihnen, mezzo soprano and Jennifer Ellis, Harp

Young People’s Concert Series Commission, Jonestown Chamber Opera
Evan Williams, composer

Music in the American Wild
Emlyn Johnson, flute

Thin Places No. 3: Island Sanctuary Performed at Boston New Music Initiative Concert
Patrick O’Malley, composer

Kafka Fragments
Megan Ihnen, mezzo soprano

New Commissions and Recent Performances
Jonathan Hulting-Cohen, saxophone
Jennifer Ellis, harp

David Raksin Arrangements
Brin Solomon, composer

Washington National Opera: Three 20-Minute Operas
Rene Orth, composer

Philadelphia Fringe Festival Commission
Rene Orth, composer

Latitude 49 at Strange Beautiful Music VI
Latitude 49, ensemble

Boise Philharmonic Double Bass
Milo Fultz, double bass

Heisenberg Uncertainty Players’ New Residency and Shout Section Big Band’s New Album
John Dorhauer, composer

the waters wrecked the sky Included on Arianna Tieghi’s In Memoriam Dinu Ghezzo Album
Evan Williams, composer

Commission for Cellotronic Games
Patrick O’Malley, composer

GRIME to be Played on WGTE’s New Music from Bowling Green
Evan Williams, composer, Rachael Claire Eid-Ries, viola, W. Gage Ehmann, cello, Andrew O’Connor, bass

New Ensemble: Quartet Datura
Marta Honer, viola