Professional Conferences

Music Theory Midwest

On April 24-26, 2014, Lawrence hosted the 25th annual meeting of MusicTheory Midwest (MTMW), a regional chapter of the Society for Music Theory. The keynote speaker was Deborah Stein from the New England Conservatory, whose research focuses on the performance and analysis of lieder. The pre-conference workshop was entitled “Rhythm, Meter, and Hypermeter in Pop-rock Music,” and was led by Nicole Biamonte from McGill University. The annual meeting showcased work by university faculty, graduate students, and independent scholars, and exposed Lawrence students to cutting-edge research in the field of music theory. In the past, many papers presented at MTMW have had an interdisciplinary component, making this event of interest to students and faculty in both the conservatory and the college.

Society of Electroacoustic Music in the United States

In 2012, Lawrence hosted the 27th annual SEAMUS conference. Society of Electroacoustic Music in the U.S. is one of the primary organizations that promotes the creation and performance of electroacoustic music. The conference took place over three days and included thirteen electroacoustic performances (with many multi-media works presented), nine paper sessions, and four sound art installations. The conference was organized by LU Assistant Professor of Music Theory/Composition, Asha Srinivasan, and UW Oshkosh Associate Professor of Music, Ed Martin.

Guest Composers and Theorists

Theory/composition students enjoy frequent contact with internationally known composers and music theorists; in recent years, Lawrence has hosted such luminaries as:

Elainie Lillios
Evan Chambers
David Maslanka
Stephen McNeff
Samuel Adler
Philip Glass
Gunther Schuller
Michael Torke
Joan Tower
Augusta Read Thomas
Chen Yi
Scott Lindroth
Maria Schneider
Rodney Rogers
Allen Winold
Janet Schmalfeldt
Fred Lerdahl