Sarofim Awards
Courtesy of a generous gift from Louisa Sarofim, the composition department awards annual composition prizes for the best undergraduate and graduate student works. A panel of professional composers outside the school of music is selected each year to adjudicate the competition. Winners receive a cash prize and are commissioned to compose a new work for AURA.
Graduate Student Awards and Commissions
2019 — Joshua Arnoldy, Isolation (flute)
2017 — Carlos Cordero, Night Writing (mezzo-soprano & viola)
2016 — Robert J. Coe, Metanoia (flute, clarinet, violin, cello, piano & percussion)
2015 — Eamon Carmody, House of Mirrors (flute, clarinet, violin, viola, cello, piano & percussion)
2013 — Mark Buller, The Revolution Will Not Be Televised (piano & percussion)
The Revolution Will Not Be Televised (excerpt)
2012 — Daniel Webbon, N 42º W, (clarinet, violin & piano)
N 42 º W (excerpt)
2012 — Samuel Hunter, Carrying Fire Through Midnight Snow (clarinet, violin, cello & piano)
Carrying Fire Through Midnight Snow (excerpt)
2011 — Desmond Ikegwuonu,N’ime Okwute (Inside a Stone), (flute, cello & piano)
N’ime Okwute (Inside a Stone), (excerpt)
2010 — George Heathco, Shifting Landscape (clarinet, violin & piano)
Shifting Landscape (excerpt)
2009 — Jack Benson, Fringe (violin & viola)
Fringe (excerpt)
2008 — Joel Love, Real Fiction (fl, cl, vn, vc, pf, perc)
Real Fiction (excerpt)
2007 — Tyler Ruberg – Shock Wave
2006 — Brad Sayles – The Penny Arcade
Undergraduate Student Awards and Commissions
2020 — Antonio Sanz Escallón, Branches (clarinet, violin & piano)
2019 — J.E. Hernandez, New Work (flute, cello & piano)
2018 — Hernan Campa, How Long? (flute, clarinet, alto saxophone, violin, cello & piano)
2018 — Kyle Rivera, Unfateful (flute, bass clarinet, alto saxophone, piano & percussion)
2017 — Victor Rangel, Black-Bodied Peppered Moth(alto saxophone & percussion)
2016 — Yanis Eberhart, Wings of Fire (violin, cello & piano)
2015 — Victor Rangel, La Sombra del Pájaro(flute, clarinet, violin, viola, cello, piano & percussion)
2013 — Adam Beard, Tessellations (flute & piano)
Tessellations (excerpt)
2012 — Martin Quiroga, Subluxation, #dislocatedshoulder, (two pianos)
Subluxation, #dislocatedshoulder (excerpt)
2011 — Alex Winkler, Combustible (two pianos)
Combustible (excerpt)
2010 — Phillip Elder, In Transit (percussion duo)
In Transit (excerpt)
2009 — Hong-Da Chin, Lost Sound (violin & marimba)
Lost Sound (excerpt)
2008 — Paul Wadle, Exertion/Distortion (fl, cl, vn, vc, pf, perc)
Exertion/Distortion (excerpt)
2007 — Hugh Lobel, Through the Electric Naught (fl, cl, vn, vc, pf, perc)
2006 — Devin Collins, El Devorador de Eternidad (fl, cl, vn, vc, pf, perc)
Sarofim Commissions
Courtesy of a generous gift from Louisa Sarofim, AURA frequently commissions new works
from professional composers, with an emphasis on former graduates who have established
significant composing careers.
2015 – Blake Wilkins, Hinge (flute, clarinet, violin, cello, piano & percussion)
2010 – Brian Suits, March March! (flute, clarinet, violin, viola, cello, piano & percussion)
2009 – Cyrill Schurch, Plasticity (flute, clarinet, violin, cello, piano & percussion)
2008 – Ken Booker, Fantasies (flute, clarinet, violin, cello, piano & percussion)
2007 – Eric McIntyre, Lament (flute, clarinet, violin, cello, elec. guitar, piano & percussion)
2004 – Timothy Rolls, Unity (alto saxophone, viola & piano)
2003 – Michael Slayton, Through Stone Door (violin, cello & piano)
2002 – Sun Ha Kim, A Butterfly’s Dance (brass quintet & electroacoustic sounds)
2001 – Hua Yang, Piano Quartet (violin, viola, cello & piano)
2000 – Leonard Mark Lewis, Joc Parti (flute, clarinet, violin, cello, piano & percussion)
1999 – Karen Griebling, Nine Songs from This Dancing Ground of Sky (large chamber ensemble)
1998 – Braxton Blake, Six Poems of Dorothy Parker (soprano & piano)
