Nevertheless, She Composed
  • Home
  • About
  • NSC Interviews
    • NSC Index
    • NSC-01: Elainie Lillios
    • NSC-02: Mara Gibson
    • NSC-03: Amber Beams
    • NSC-04: Cara Haxo
    • NSC-05: Michelle Mcquade Dewhirst
    • NSC-06: Gabrielle Cerberville
    • NSC-07: Clare Shore
    • NSC-08: Kate Waring
    • NSC-09: Sophie Dunér
    • NSC-10: Jennifer Higdon
  • Projects We Love
  • Become an NSC Patron
  • Contact
  • Home
  • About
  • NSC Interviews
    • NSC Index
    • NSC-01: Elainie Lillios
    • NSC-02: Mara Gibson
    • NSC-03: Amber Beams
    • NSC-04: Cara Haxo
    • NSC-05: Michelle Mcquade Dewhirst
    • NSC-06: Gabrielle Cerberville
    • NSC-07: Clare Shore
    • NSC-08: Kate Waring
    • NSC-09: Sophie Dunér
    • NSC-10: Jennifer Higdon
  • Projects We Love
  • Become an NSC Patron
  • Contact
Search by typing & pressing enter

YOUR CART

NSC-02: Dr. Mara Gibson

website: www.maragibson.com
Picture


Composer, Mara Gibson is originally from Charlottesville, VA, graduated from Bennington College and completed her Ph.D. at SUNY Buffalo. She attended London College of Music; L’École des Beaux-Arts, Fontainebleau, France; and the International Music Institute at Darmstadt, Germany. She has received grants and honors from the American Composer’s Forum, the Banff Center, Louisiana Division of the Arts, Arts KC, Meet the Composer, the Kansas Arts Commission, the National Endowment for the Arts, the International Bass Society, ASCAP, the John Hendrick Memorial Foundation, Virginia Center for the Arts, Yale University and most recently, the MacDowell Colony. Internationally renowned ensembles and soloists perform her music consistently throughout the United States, Canada, South America, Australia, Asia, and Europe.

Gibson’s music can be described as “shocking, gripping and thought-provoking… conjuring a flurry of emotions” (PARMA recordings).   She is a regular cross disciplinary collaborator, having worked with choreographers, visual artists, writers, film makers and musicians.  In 2015, she released her first compilation CD ArtIfacts with her second close to follow titled Sky-born coming out November 2017 through Navona/Parma Recordings.  The newest cd will feature new works since 2015 including Blackbird featuring Cascade Quartet, drawing inspiration from a variety of artistic mediums, “haunting and epic with visceral energy;” her piano preludes, Conundrums inspired by a series of paintings by Baltimore based painter, Jim Condron performed by Holly Roadfedlt.  Pieces by long time collaborators, Michael Hall, several UMKC colleagues and Megan Ihnen are also featured on the new album in Spark and One Voice.   In August of 2017, Mara was the first annual commissioned composer for the Baroque on Beaver Orchestra led by Robert Nordling featuring her newest piece, Secret Sky inspired by the bird migration patterns on the island. Collaboration is integral to Mara’s process; whether through her music, collaborations or teaching, she hopes to achieve a relationship between the macro and micro.

Dr. Gibson taught as an Associate Teaching Professor at the UMKC Conservatory for over ten years, where she was founder of the UMKC Composition Workshop and co-director/founder of ArtSounds and from 2015-2017, she coordinated undergraduate composition and tripled undergraduate composition enrollment. She also contributes regularly to NewMusicBox and starting in the fall of 2017, she started as a Visiting Assistant Professor at Louisiana State University.

Interview Acknowledgments/Links:
Marjorie Mitchell/pianist, Sarah Sergesketter/pianist,Bennington College, Loyola University, London College of Music, Stephen Jaffe/Duke University, Yehudi Wyner/Brandeis University, Univ. SUNY Buffalo, PARMA Recordings, CDBaby.com, MacDowell Colony, Beaver Island Music Festival, Bryan Smith/tuba, Brett Dietz, LSU Associate Professor of Percussion, Hamiruge-LSU percussion ensemble, Darrel Hale, LSU Assistant Prof. of Bassoon,
Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art/Kansas City, Michael Hall/viola, Meghan Ihnen/mezzo-soprano, JoDee Davis/trombone, Trevor Thornton/piano,
Emily Trapp/piano Elainie Lillios, Prof. of Composition - BGSU, Constantinides New Music Ensemble, Women Composers Database - Rob Deemer,
LSU Electronic Music/Digital Media Dept., Charlotte New Music Festival, LSU Symphony Orchestra, Navona Records, NewMusicBox

Share Your Thoughts With NSC

"I realized my connection to, knowledge about, and interaction with women composers was somewhat limited...despite being one! I see this anthology as a blessed endeavor to create connections between these special composers and their audiences .  The interviews serve as an outlet to promote their work, careers,  and to celebrate their lives., all while providing an uplifting and educational resource. "  - Liz Knox, NSC Author

"This collection will be of extreme value in introducing many very fine composers who happen to be female, thus who have largely otherwise remained omitted from the ranks of prominently featured present day composers. Most lists of female composers are gleaned largely from the number of commercial recordings released, therefore neglecting many of us without the financial means to enter into a myriad recording ventures ... even those of us, myself included, who have exclusive publishing contracts with prominent, respected publishing houses. Again, the 1% reign. Thank you again for your much-needed volumes!" - Clare Shore

"Just wanted to thank you for this wonderful initiative. As a woman composer myself, and one of the very few Arab women who are professional film and concert composers in the world, it means a lot to see this type of platform and anthology to have our names and stories documented in order to inspire more women, and simply to know more about our fellow women composers.." -Suad Bushnaq


Connect with NSC

NSC Email Subscription


© 2017 - Nevertheless, She Composed: A Contemporary Video Anthology of Women Composers of the Twenty-First Century, Registered - U.S.Copyright Office - All Rights Reserved
MLA Citation: Knox, Elizabeth, A. www.NeverthelessSheComposed.org. Lily Lizard Publishing, [date of interview], [video URL].