Dorothy and Sherrill C. Corwin Awards Winners announced for Large Ensemble, Chamber Ensemble, Electronic Music, and a special category for new music duo Transient Canvas Hosted annually by the UC Santa Barbara Department of Music and generously supported by the Corwin Family Foundation, the Dorothy and Sherrill C. Corwin Awards recognize excellence in music composition, and are open to all UC Santa Barbara undergraduate and graduate student music majors in the Department of Music, the College of Creative Studies, and the Media Arts and Technology Program. The 2021 Awards included four categories: Work for Large Ensemble, Work for Chamber Ensemble, Electronic/Audio-visual Work, plus a special category for Works for Marimba and Bass Clarinet, to be premiered by the duo Transient Canvas. Every year, three external judges are nominated by the Corwin Chair to evaluate student scores and recordings and award prizes linked to monetary rewards, concert performances, and studio recordings. Nominated by Corwin Chair of Composition João Pedro Oliveira, this year’s jury included Elainie Lilios from Bowling Green State University, Ken Ueno from UC Berkeley, Rodrigo Sigal from Centro Mexicano para la Musica y Artes Sonoras, and Amy Advocat and Matt Sharrock of Transient Canvas. Read on to learn more about each of the 2021 Awardees and their works. Artist biographies are available here.
Rodney DuPlessis, Doctor of Philosophy First Prize, Work for Chamber Ensemble Coacervate for violin and electronics
“Certain mixtures of polyelectrolytes can spontaneously form dense liquid droplets (called coacervates) suspended in water (dilute phase). These liquid droplets are often filled with complex molecules, proteins, polymers, and nucleic acids. Coacervate formation has been suggested as a possible mechanism through which the first simple cells formed on earth (Abiogenesis). In composing Coacervate, I worked closely with violinist and chemical engineer Chelsea Edwards to create a sonic narrative from this chemistry. Distinct musical motives are inserted into dilute textures where they compartmentalize, chain together like charged polymers, and erupt into the beginnings of life.” Listen here.
Dariush Derakhshani, Doctor of Philosophy First Prize, Electronic Music Pārsa
“Pārsa can be categorized as a programmatic piece. The inspiration of its form and direction came from the history of Persepolis and its demolition by Alexander the Great. The initial section is meant to represent a grand sound which is slowly ravaged as the piece continues. What remains by the end are broken parts and pieces representing the slow destruction of Persepolis by fire. The final section (A’) is a distorted memory of the grand sound heard in the beginning which quickly crumbles into a minuscule sound with a high amount of tension in its core.” Listen here. UC Santa Barbara Department of Music | Spring 2021 Newsletter | 9
