Discover America Competition

No entity in town has provided greater nor more consistent advocacy for American music than The Chicago Ensemble.
Lawrence Johnson, Chicago Classical Review

The winning pieces from previous rounds of the “Discover America” competition are listed below. Most of the winning works of “Discover America IX” (2017) were presented in four concerts during the 2018-2019 season, with a few appearing in the 2019-2020 season.

DISCOVER AMERICA IX

John Allemeier, "4", for violin, viola, cello, and piano
Krists Auznieks, Godspeed, for violin, cello, and piano
Matthew Browne, On the Immortality of a Crab, for clarinet, violin, cello, and piano
Fabio Massimo Capogrosso, Un Breve Raconto Notturno, for violin, cello, and piano
Micah Clark, Ushabti Avenue, for flute, cello, and piano
Robert Cohen, Parables, for soprano and piano
Ryan Dodge, Somavine, for flute, bass clarinet, cello, and piano
Douglas Fisk, Banjo and Shadows, for baritone and piano
Gilbert Galindo, Echoes of the Divine, for violin, viola, cello, and piano
Vladan Gecin, Mount Parnassus, for violin and piano
Hendrik Hofmeyr, Dover Beach, for soprano, flute, cello, and piano
Daniel Bonaventure Lim, Wish I May, Oh, Wish I Might, for soprano and piano
Steve Locks, Rain, for violin, cello, and piano
Paul Novak, #1 of Three Night Pieces, for flute and piano
Matthew Peterson, Empire Builder, for flute, violin, cello, and piano
Elliot Roman, Two of Willie's Dances, for flute, clarinet, cello, and piano
Michael Schelle, Chords that Rhyme with your Eyes, for clarinet and piano
Aaron Spotts, Inter-, for flute, clarinet, violin, and piano
Ingrid Stölzel, The Gorgeous Nothings, for soprano, flute, oboe, and piano
Anton Svetlichny, Left on Board, for violin and piano
Joyce Wai-Chung Tang, Reflections on Arirang, for clarinet, violin, and piano
Alexander Timofeev, Phoenix, for clarinet and piano
Luzia VonWyl, Autumn, for violin, cello, and piano
Roger Zare, Telescopic Variations, for violin, cello, and piano

Discover America VIII

Voice and instruments:

Michael Betteridge, First Time He Kissed Me, for mezzo-soprano and piano
Melissa Dunphy, Tesla’s Pigeon, for soprano and piano
Michael-Thomas Foumai, Songs of the Kisaeng, for soprano, clarinet, violin, cello, and piano
Ted Moore, Three Songs, for soprano and piano
Mark Zuckerman, Menagerie, for soprano, flute, and piano

Instruments without voice:

Drasko Adzic, Wood, Needle, String, Bones, for flute and piano
Patrick Castillo, Incident, for cello and piano
Gilad Cohen, Ten Variations, for oboe, string quartet, and piano
Robert Cohen, Five Nights in Sofia, for violin and piano
Sungji Hong, Bisbiglio, for flute, clarinet, and piano
Wendy Lee, My Cagey Companions, for violin, viola, cello, and piano
Mei-Fang Lin, L’image Reconstituée, for flute, clarinet, violin, cello, and piano
Marc Satterwhite, Memento Mori 3: Ribbons on the Memory Wall, for clarinet, violin, and piano
Jonathan Russell, Piano Trio, for violin, cello, and piano
Roger Zare, Irlandzki Polonez, for oboe, violin, cello, and piano

Discover America VII

Ted Goldman: Scrudge (2009), for violin, cello, and piano
Alexandra Gardner: Crows (1998), for clarinet, violin, cello, and piano
Gregg Kallor: Exhilaration (2007), for mezzo-soprano and piano
Clint Needham: Five Movements (2007), for woodwind quintet
Scott Wheeler: Trio No. 2 (Camera Dances)(1996, rev 1999), for violin, cello, and piano
Roger Zare: Sonata (Beautiful Savior) (2008) (world premiere), for violin and piano

Discover America VI

Eric Moe: Time Will Tell (1996), for flute, clarinet, violin, viola, and piano. Moe's A Whirling and a Wandering Fire (1986) for flute, clarinet, and piano, was a winner in the Discover America I competition.
Ursula Kwong-Brown: La Poesia (2004), for soprano, cello, and piano
Christopher Dietz: Trio (2005), for clarinet, cello, and piano
Peter Knell: Collage (2005), for string quartet and piano

Discover America V

Stefan Weisman: From Frankenstein (2002), for mezzo-soprano, flute, clarinet, violin, cello, and piano

Discover America IV

James Barry: Songs of Issa (1999), for soprano and piano
Randall Bauer: Catch in the Turn (1999), for flute, clarinet, violin, cello, and piano
Robert Carl: The Villa of the Mysteries (1997), for flute, violin, cello, and piano
Stephen Hartke: The Horse With the Lavender Eye (1997), for clarinet, violin, and piano
Andrey Komanetsky: Twelve Preludes (2000), for violin, cello, and piano
Mei-Fang Lin: Four Movements (1995), for clarinet and piano
David Macbride: El regreso (1999), for mezzo-soprano and piano
Lansing McCloskey: Wild Bells (1999), for viola and piano
Robert Maggio: The Riddle (1999), for clarinet, violin, and piano
Robert Paterson: Thursday (1999), for soprano and piano
Dmitri Tymoczko: Five Cummings Songs (1994), for soprano and piano

Discover America III

Darlene Cowles Mitchell: O Felix Anima (1995), for soprano, flute, clarinet, and piano
Joseph Pehrson: Exhilarations (1993), for clarinet, cello, and piano
Martin Rokeach: North Beach Rhapsody (1991), for clarinet and piano
Andrew Waggoner: The Big White Medicine Wheel (1995), for clarinet, cello, and piano

Discover America II

Delvyn Case: Variations (1994), for cello and piano
Anthony Cornicello: Triple Play (1994), for flute, cello, and piano
Stephen Hartke: The King of the Sun (1988), for violin, viola, cello, and piano
Dan Locklair: In the Almost Evening (1983), for soprano, clarinet, and piano
Eugenio Rodrigues: Les Nympheas (1992), for violin, cello, and piano
Andrew Rindfleisch: Trio (1993), for violin, cello, and piano
David Evan Thomas: Many Happy Returns (1987), for clarinet, violin, and piano
David Vayo: Wings (1993), for cello and piano
Michael Zajonc: Rondo (1993), for violin and piano

Discover America I

Lawrence Axelrod: March and Fuga/Quodlibet from To Be Danced (1988), for violin, cello, and piano
Benjamin Broening: De Profundis (1991), for violin, cello, and piano
Robert Carl: Birds and Flowers (1990), for flute and piano
Tamar Diesendruck: Three songs (1991), for soprano and piano
Judith Dvorkin: Marpessa: A Myth, for soprano, clarinet, and piano
Kevin Malone: Manhattan Captive (1991), for violin, viola, cello, and piano
Eric Moe: A Whirling and a Wandering Fire (1986), for flute, clarinet, and piano
Scott Anthony Shell: Finale from Taylor-Made Duet (1989), for flute, clarinet, and piano
Jeffrey Stadelman: Friction Oracle (1991), for violin and piano
Jan Swafford: They Who Hunger (1990), for violin, viola, cello, and piano
Su Lian Tan: By Leaps and Bounds (1991), for cello and piano
Ronn Yedidia: Black Snow (1986), for flute, clarinet, and piano