Well, dang. This award is internal, but to have a good college orchestra rehearse and perform a new piece of mine? And Mark Gibson is going to conduct it? I'm pretty excited.
So...I have to think of an idea for this piece. I work better (read = faster) if I have a concept in mine. Here are a few that I came up with.
1. I started this opera (and this opera blog), and I'm a little worried that this piece will derail me from my opera project. Solution? Pull a John Adams and use music from the opera to create a suite. I'm sure the Milwaukee Symphony didn't mind this at the time.
2. Write a ballet. This is something I've been wanting to do for years, ever since I had my composition interview at CCM in the dance wing. (And I never saw so many tights in my life.)
I want to write a Zombie ballet! (Yes, arguably Michael Jackson already did this, but did he have a Zombie Queen? Huh? Did he?)
3. Some composer friends have suggested different types of concertos. Toy piano concerto, anyone?