-
Composer Everette Minchew (born 1977) is consistently active in the creation, performance, and promotion of contemporary music. Moderately prolific, his catalogue includes small chamber pieces for violin, piano, various wind instruments, harpsichord and electronic music. Current commissions include a string trio and an opera based on an 11th-century crusades tale.
His earliest musical training came at the age of eleven when he began playing alto saxophone; it wasn?t long until he began his first attempts in composition.
He received a Bachelor?s Degree in Music History from the University of Southern Mississippi, where he studied saxophone under world-renowned soloist, Lawrence Gwozdz.
Fearing that traditional university training would hinder his development as a progressive composer, he abandoned the idea of formal lessons in favor of an intense private study of modern masterworks.
Minchew's works are characterized by their intense timbral explorations and brutal dissonance. That is not to say, however, that the compositions are devoid of beauty. In the first of the Two Brief Pieces, for example, the harpsichord chimes stringent yet haunting chords evoking a sense of loss.
Other pieces, like the Figment No. 2 "Juggler's Fancy" play upon the kaleidoscopic interaction between timbres and tones. The rapid alternation of pizzicato, arco bowing, and extreme glissandi remind the listener of Xenakis coupled with a Berio Sequenza. Minchew's Invention "Two-Part Contraption" for piano owes much to Ligeti's etudes and boogie-woogie jazz.
His music has been performed around the United States, and he was the featured composer at the 2005 Intégrales New Music Festival in Hattiesburg, Mississippi.
He currently resides in Hattiesburg, Mississippi with his wife, Cheryl.
Author Archives: Everette Minchew
Happy Birthday, Mr. Babbitt.
Today the father of serialism turns 90. I had the pleasure of meeting him a few years ago at Milsaps College in Jackson, MS during a two day Babbitt-palooza of concerts and lectures. He was a very nice man, but … Continue reading
An Unintended Series – Report #1 from Integrales 2006
Two or three years ago, I composed a work for solo alto saxophone titled, Figment. Later the same year, I composed a work for solo violin which I named Figment No. 2. I bet this wasn’t the first time the … Continue reading
World Premieres?
Recently, I read an article (I can’t remember where, NY Times, Newmusicbox, one of several blogs…) which discussed the idea of world premiere performances and when is a performance an actual “world premiere.” Is the world premiere the initial performance? … Continue reading
Composing as profession.
I don’t think I have ever considered composition as a profession. There are very few composers in this country that pay their bills by composing alone, so we resort to other methods to make ends meet. Some composers are also … Continue reading
Aural Assault
Soon silence will have passed into legend. Man has turned his back on silence. Day after day he invents machines and devices that increase noise and distract humanity from the essence of life, contemplation, meditation…. Tooting, howling, screeching, booming, crashing, … Continue reading
…So that happened.
I have decided to join the band wagon and make a post for the new year and recapping last year. First congratulations to Jerry on the first anniversary of the new Sequenza21 New Music community. (and a little thing called … Continue reading
Intro to Prepared Piano
I was driving around the other day, and I popped in a Tori Amos cd I had in my car. It was her disc, Under The Pink, and it brought back memories of the first time I was introduced to … Continue reading
Ain’t nothin’ gonna break our stride.
Saturday evening the Gulf Coast Symphony Orchestra gave its first concert since hurricane Katrina. The concert program was as follows: Carl Nielsen: Helios Overture, Opus 17Claude Debussy, Arr. Arthur Luck: Clair de luneChristopher Theofanidis: Rainbow BodyGustav Holst: The Planets, Opus … Continue reading
Listening.
Lately I have really been getting into Steven Stucky’s Lutoslawski and His Music. In it Lutoslawski speaks of a chance encounter he had with John Cage’s Concert for Piano and Orchestra. Composers often do not hear the music that is … Continue reading
The ever growing Sequenza21 family.
On Friday October 28 at 5:06 p.m. my wife, Cheryl, gave birth to our first child, an extremely handsome little boy named Asa Gray Minchew. He has a full head of brown hair and pretty blue eyes. He was born … Continue reading