Composers-in-Residence
ABOUT THE RESIDENCY
This one-of-a-kind residency program brings nationally-renowned composer-artists to our building to work with our young musicians. Our students will be exposed to world-class musicians who will be able to bring compelling life stories - of our students, our community, the musicians - to life through music.
With the support of our composers-in-residence, our students have the chance to learn how to collaborate with professionals; how to bring create musical ideas; and how to make social change happen through music and art. This initiative also provides the artists a unique opportunity to explore what it means to compose in an educational setting and to gain a unique perspective about our world through the eyes of our young people.
Each composer takes part in a year-long residency, which includes:
This one-of-a-kind residency program brings nationally-renowned composer-artists to our building to work with our young musicians. Our students will be exposed to world-class musicians who will be able to bring compelling life stories - of our students, our community, the musicians - to life through music.
With the support of our composers-in-residence, our students have the chance to learn how to collaborate with professionals; how to bring create musical ideas; and how to make social change happen through music and art. This initiative also provides the artists a unique opportunity to explore what it means to compose in an educational setting and to gain a unique perspective about our world through the eyes of our young people.
Each composer takes part in a year-long residency, which includes:
- Performance of a newly composed orchestral work written explicitly for our Orchestras
- Workshops and masterclasses with our students, and
- Performances in collaboration with our orchestras and for our communities.
AHMED ALABACA is an American Composer/Conductor/Song-Writer/Pianist. Born and raised in San Bernardino California, he understand the value of handwork and perseverance. Ahmed moved to New York at the age 22 with hopes to expand his musical palette and experience. Over the span of several years he finished his BA in music from Hunter College and scored 3 plays and composed 1 musical. He believes in the transformative power of music, growing up in an inner-city, underserved neighborhood, music was the one thing that gave Ahmed peace and a sense of hope, a true reason to reach for the stars. Now living in Los Angeles, Ahmed has scored several web series, television shows, short films, and concert music. Since the world premiere of his piece “Across the Calm Waters of Heaven-A Piece for Peace” at the 2016 Colour of Music Festival-Ahmed has been commissioned to compose new works for several of the musician from that festival. Ahmed continues to push and challenge himself, seeking new and fun sounds, while holding true to his roots and his love and admiration of music.
JORDYN DAVIS is the first African-American woman to receive a Bachelor’s Degree in Music Composition from the university, as well as the first graduate to receive a Bachelor’s Degree in both Music Composition and Jazz Studies concurrently. Davis spends much of her time composing and arranging music for film, chamber ensembles, and symphony orchestra that have been performed at the Detroit Institute of Art, Peter D. & Julie F. Cummings Cube, Guarneir Hall - Chicago, the University of Michigan, Michigan State University and more. As a bassist, she has traveled the world and performed at the Michigan Jazz Festival & East Lansing Summer Solstice Jazz Festival, as well as with the Black Excellence Trombone Choir, Bruce Barth, and Michael Dease. Additionally, she is the founder of an indie rock/neo-soul project called "Composetheway" which she founded in 2016 as a way to express ideas about recognizing the importance of self-love and empowering others.
GORAN IVANOVIC, one of the most versatile, skilled, and curious musicians in Chicago, has built a career built upon exploration. Born and raised in Croatia, he was in the midst of studying at the prestigious Mozarteum University in Salzburg, Austria with masters like Elliot Fisk and Joaquin Clerch when his parents (his father is a Serb, his mother a Bosnian Croat) were expelled in the late 90s; the family was granted asylum in the US and they settled in Chicago.
Since his arrival he’s displayed a deep interest in collaboration, steadily expanding his stylistic range well beyond the European classical music and Balkan sounds he was fluently versed in when he arrived. These days his repertoire not only incorporates those disciplines, but jazz and flamenco as well.
He’s recorded duet albums with the great Pakistani-Chilean jazz guitarist Fareed Haque as well as Greek-American musician Andreas Kapsalis. He’s a key member of the quartet Eastern Blok with Matt Ulery, Doug Rosenberg, and Michael Caskey, a combo that deftly surveys the folk music of Macedonia, Bulgaria, and Serbia in a distinctly jazz-oriented context, embroidering timeless Balkan melodies and rhythms with sophisticated improvisational gambits.
Most recently, Ivanovic released an eponymous trio album with bassist Ulery and percussionist Pete Tashjian where he’s achieved a stunning assimilation of his many influences, creating a hybrid all his own. Reviewing the new album for All About Jazz, Budd Kopman wrote, “It is easy to get lost in Ivanovic's technique, especially if one plays (or attempts to play) Classical style guitar, in a jazz style or not.” The trio’s agility has also been noted. As Jeff Elbel wrote in the Chicago Sun-Times, “The trio are recognized for their individual virtuosity, but they show particular excellence as a unit able to stop on a dime and twist gracefully through the trickiest hairpin turns together on local stages.”
Since his arrival he’s displayed a deep interest in collaboration, steadily expanding his stylistic range well beyond the European classical music and Balkan sounds he was fluently versed in when he arrived. These days his repertoire not only incorporates those disciplines, but jazz and flamenco as well.
He’s recorded duet albums with the great Pakistani-Chilean jazz guitarist Fareed Haque as well as Greek-American musician Andreas Kapsalis. He’s a key member of the quartet Eastern Blok with Matt Ulery, Doug Rosenberg, and Michael Caskey, a combo that deftly surveys the folk music of Macedonia, Bulgaria, and Serbia in a distinctly jazz-oriented context, embroidering timeless Balkan melodies and rhythms with sophisticated improvisational gambits.
Most recently, Ivanovic released an eponymous trio album with bassist Ulery and percussionist Pete Tashjian where he’s achieved a stunning assimilation of his many influences, creating a hybrid all his own. Reviewing the new album for All About Jazz, Budd Kopman wrote, “It is easy to get lost in Ivanovic's technique, especially if one plays (or attempts to play) Classical style guitar, in a jazz style or not.” The trio’s agility has also been noted. As Jeff Elbel wrote in the Chicago Sun-Times, “The trio are recognized for their individual virtuosity, but they show particular excellence as a unit able to stop on a dime and twist gracefully through the trickiest hairpin turns together on local stages.”
DE'SEAN JONES is an artist who is on a path to becoming a part of Detroit’s great musical legacy. Mentored by the legendary jazz trumpeter Marcus Belgrave and electronic music pioneer “Mad” Mike Banks of UR (Underground Resistance), De’Sean is well versed in the tradition of jazz as well as the experimental sounds of the future. Since graduating from the Detroit School of Fine and Performing Arts, De’Sean has gone on to tour the world, perform and record with notable names in Gospel: Karen Clark Sheard & Kierra "KiKi" Sheard, Jazz: Christian McBride, and HipHop: Rick Ross. In addition to performing alongside music Icon Stevie Wonder for New Years Eve 2011, De’Sean continues to assert his musical voice with his 2011 album release entitled “De’Sean Jones: Septet" and follow up 2013 release "The Knomadik Project". De'Sean is best known for having a colorfully rich tone coupled with a powerful sound that renders high energy musical experiences. Featured in De’Sean’s music is the essence of Jazz, Heavy Metal, Hip-Hop and Electronic Music. Having debuted at the 2008 Detroit International Jazz Festival, Jones continues to actively perform across the country with his band “De’Sean Jones & Knomadik”.
As a member of UR (Underground Resistance) since 2007, he performs globally with experimental electronic music groups “ÐIII” w/(DJ Mark Flash & Jon Dixon), Time Line w/(“Mad” Mike Banks & Jon Dixon) and “Galaxy2Galaxy”, which completed a world tour in 2011.
As a member of UR (Underground Resistance) since 2007, he performs globally with experimental electronic music groups “ÐIII” w/(DJ Mark Flash & Jon Dixon), Time Line w/(“Mad” Mike Banks & Jon Dixon) and “Galaxy2Galaxy”, which completed a world tour in 2011.
MARCUS NORRIS' first foray into making music came in the form of producing rap beats on pirated software, installed on a Windows 98 computer that he Macgyvered together from spare parts while lying on the floor of his childhood bedroom. Though he came to composing concert music later, he transferred that same imagination and ingenuity to writing music of all kinds. Marcus has been called a “New Musical Talent in our Midst” by Chicago’s N’digo Magazine. His achievements include being awarded the prestigious Cota-Robles fellowship for pursuing his PhD at UCLA, being chosen in 2020 for the LA Philharmonic’s National Composers Intensive, and in 2017 winning 1st prize in the Southeastern Composers League Competition. His violin concerto “GLORY” opened to three sold-out performances when premiered by the Jackson Symphony Orchestra in 2019, and then was subsequently performed in Guangzhou, China later that year. His Dance Suite “I Tried So Hard for You” premiered in Havana in 2018, closely following the Russian String Orchestra premiere of “My Idols Are Dead” in Moscow. In 2020 he founded South Side Symphony – the only orchestra that would perform “Back That Thang Up” on the same concert as Beethoven.
CHRISTIAN RYAN is a Detroit-based composer and violinist. As a frequent arranger and collaborator, he has written and premiered works for long-time childhood friend and violinist, Natalie Frakes and Detroit-based string quartet Six Mile Strings. Ryan has composed several pieces for violinist Kehan Zhang, the first of which, First Viola Study, was performed and recorded at the Royal Danish Academy of Music, followed by a Violin Concerto that premiered in Harbin, China in the Summer of 2015. Additional works include compositions for saxophonist John Seaton; NYC-based organist and composer, Buck McDaniel; and flutist Eric Lamb, of the International Contemporary Ensemble (ICE). His inspirations range from early English choral music, to American minimalism and pop music.
MATT ULERY a Chicago based bassist/composer and bandleader, has developed an instantly recognizable sound. Known for his sweeping lyricism, unconventional phrase structures, expressionistic emotionalism, Ulery’s music, from small, diverse chamber ensembles to full orchestras, is informed by the entire spectrum of jazz, classical, rock, pop, and folk– specifically American, South American, Balkan, and other European folk styles. He has been performing for 25 years on upright, electric, and brass basses.
For over two decades, Ulery has been the leader of his own groups and frequent collaborator. Ulery has produced and released 11 albums of all original music under his name. Ulery holds music degrees from Depaul and Roosevelt University and is in high demand as a bassist in Chicago. As a composer, Ulery has collaborated with diverse ensembles such as Eighth Blackbird, Miami String Quartet, New Millennium Orchestra of Chicago, Brazos Valley Symphony Orchestra, Chamber Music Festival of Lexington, Axiom Brass, Wild Belle, Guimaraes (Portugal) Jazz Festival, Projeto Arcomusical, and the Carmine Caruso International Jazz Trumpet Solo Competition.
When not touring parts of the U.S. and Europe, Matt is extremely active in the Chicago area music scenes and has performed with his own groups at prestigious venues such as Carnegie Hall, NYC Winter Jazz Festival, Chicago Orchestra Hall, Millennium Park Pritzker Pavillion, Chicago Cultural Center, The Krannert Center, Jazz Showcase, The Metro, Chicago Jazz Festival, Hyde Park Jazz Festival, Chicago World Music Festival, Vancouver Jazz Festival, Guimaraes Jazz Festival, and countless other fine music listening rooms. In addition to performing, recording, and writing, Ulery is on faculty at Loyola University Chicago and gives masterclasses and clinics nationwide and beyond.
Matt Ulery leads and composes all the music for several of his own ensembles, including Sifting Stars Orchestra (orchestral art songs), Loom Large (jazz big band), Loom (jazz quintet), Delicate Charms (jazz quintet), Pollinator (jazz brass band), By a Little Light Ensemble (chamber jazz nonet), string quintet, and various other pet projects.
For over two decades, Ulery has been the leader of his own groups and frequent collaborator. Ulery has produced and released 11 albums of all original music under his name. Ulery holds music degrees from Depaul and Roosevelt University and is in high demand as a bassist in Chicago. As a composer, Ulery has collaborated with diverse ensembles such as Eighth Blackbird, Miami String Quartet, New Millennium Orchestra of Chicago, Brazos Valley Symphony Orchestra, Chamber Music Festival of Lexington, Axiom Brass, Wild Belle, Guimaraes (Portugal) Jazz Festival, Projeto Arcomusical, and the Carmine Caruso International Jazz Trumpet Solo Competition.
When not touring parts of the U.S. and Europe, Matt is extremely active in the Chicago area music scenes and has performed with his own groups at prestigious venues such as Carnegie Hall, NYC Winter Jazz Festival, Chicago Orchestra Hall, Millennium Park Pritzker Pavillion, Chicago Cultural Center, The Krannert Center, Jazz Showcase, The Metro, Chicago Jazz Festival, Hyde Park Jazz Festival, Chicago World Music Festival, Vancouver Jazz Festival, Guimaraes Jazz Festival, and countless other fine music listening rooms. In addition to performing, recording, and writing, Ulery is on faculty at Loyola University Chicago and gives masterclasses and clinics nationwide and beyond.
Matt Ulery leads and composes all the music for several of his own ensembles, including Sifting Stars Orchestra (orchestral art songs), Loom Large (jazz big band), Loom (jazz quintet), Delicate Charms (jazz quintet), Pollinator (jazz brass band), By a Little Light Ensemble (chamber jazz nonet), string quintet, and various other pet projects.
