2005 MTNA-Shepherd Distinguished Composer of the Year: Michael Djupstrom.

The 2005 MTNA-Shepherd Distinguished Composer of the Year Michael Djupstrom is, at age 26, already embarking upon a rather remarkable career as a composer, pianist and educator. He completed M.A. and B.M. degrees in composition at the University of Michigan. He states his professional goal as being one that seeks "... to revitalize and foster public interest in classical music, especially in contemporary music, through my activities as a professional composer, performer and educator. In the future, I plan to teach composition in a university or conservatory; I want to help young composers to develop not only their technical skills, but also their awareness of the important connection between musician and listener, their sense of interdependence with the audience." Djupstrom currently teaches at the Settlement Music School in Philadelphia and actively composes and performs with the Phoenix Trio, a Boston-based piano trio.

What inspired you to compose the MTNA award-winning "Walimai"?

I found the creative impulse for this piece--as well as its title--from "Walimai," a short story by Isabel Allende, which is part of her collection Cuentos de Eva Luna (Stories of Eva Luna). I've long enjoyed her work, and these stories, in particular, are so intensely colorful and dramatic that many of them suggested a musical illustration to me even after a single reading. I attempted an orchestral sketch based on another of the stories for an orchestration class at the University of Michigan, but "Walimai" is my first completed work that was inspired directly by Allende's work.

Practical matters also had a lot to do with the creation of the piece. In 2005, I was offered a commission from the Michigan Music Teachers Association for a chamber work to be premiered at their annual state convention; around the same time, Professor Donald Sinta, who teaches saxophone at Michigan, approached me about writing a work for saxophone. Brian Sacawa, then a doctoral student of Sinta's, wanted to get involved in the commission, too, and so my piece for the MMTA became a saxophone work. The qualities of that instrument shaped the piece to a large degree: the warmth of its sound, its incredible facility and flexibility, even the works that make up its standard literature all influenced me.

What is your favorite instrumentation, if you have one?

I'm not sure if I really have a favorite group to write for. The thing is, I often don't choose my instrumentation. Usually, a request for a piece comes from a particular performer or group of performers, and their makeup determines a lot. Each group of instruments or voices sets up certain challenges and presents a number of different solutions for a composer. In the case of "Walimai," I was particularly comfortable with the instrumentation, so it presented fewer problems and more options for me. I used to study the saxophone somewhat seriously myself, and even after I gave it up, I continued to spend a lot of time with the instrument as an accompanist for many of Professor Sinta's students at Michigan. So I was both familiar with the instruments, in particular, and much of the standard literature available for that combination.

Though I said I might not have a favorite instrumentation, there are still many groups I haven't yet explored but would love to write for. And I'd like to compose again for the orchestra; it provides such a varied and limitless palette of sounds that I think it would be hard to ever grow tired of it. Recently, I've been fascinated by music combining live musicians with some kind of electronic element. It's something I'd like to learn more about, though it might be a bit down the road for me.

What composers have had the greatest influence upon you? In what way?

I first fell in love with the classical music of the early 20th century, and composers active during that period--Debussy, Ravel and Stravinsky to name a few--have had the most obvious impact on my own music, especially in terms of harmony. Their music inspired me to learn about how music functions on a sophisticated, intricate level--really, to learn about composing. Earlier composers like Brahms, Schubert and Beethoven have taught me about economy of material, and yet, look at the incredible variety they were able to create within that! Romanian composer George Enescu is a newer favorite of mine; much of his music has a subtle, elusive quality that both confounds and delights me.

What teachers do you consider to have had the greatest influence upon you? In what way?.

In composition, I think I owe the most to Bright Sheng, with whom I studied as an undergraduate and graduate student at Michigan. He taught me to demand excellence in my music, that if I wanted to write great music, I should compare my works to masterpieces. And he taught me innumerable ways to study and learn from those masterpieces, to make those composers my teachers. It's how I learned about structure from Beethoven, economy of means from Brahms, or the vocal line from Puccini--without consciously imitating their music, I learned to extract the truths they presented in their pieces and use them in my own work. Bright was also the first to make me believe in my own abilities as a composer. I owe a lot to him and I'm very grateful.

I've also studied piano for many years, and while at Michigan, I was very lucky to have been a student of Katherine Collier. Everything of great importance I learned from her. Her ability to facilitate technique, especially, is phenomenal--she could explain anything so simply and directly. I'd be thrilled if I could ever emulate that for my own students. Professor Collier is responsible for the fact that I consider piano and performing as important to me as composing today--something I never would have dreamed of saying five years ago.

Did your parents encourage you in your music?

My parents recognized early on my interest in music and supported it completely: through piano lessons, my involvement in school bands and choirs, taking me to concerts, letting me have chamber rehearsals at home, really anything I might have asked for. And they helped me attend college to pursue music study, not something every parent would agree to. They've come to my performances all around the country and are definitely my biggest fans. The fact that they're not musicians themselves makes their amazing support all the more remarkable.

What is your philosophy of teaching composition and/or performance?

I don't know if I've been doing it long enough to have really formed a "philosophy" surrounding my teaching, but I do believe in a few simple ideas very firmly: learn all that you can about your discipline. Study as much music as possible and ground yourself firmly in your technique. Then hold yourself to the highest artistic standards you possibly can--never allow anything less.

Do you participate in other non-musical activities?

Of course! I'm tremendously fascinated by foreign languages and I spend a fair amount of time studying them and try to practice in any way I can (reading, speaking with anybody I meet, checking out foreign films from the library). I've had the chance to travel some and would love to do more of it (I'm trying to create some professional excuses to visit China soon). Cooking is also fun, though that has as much to do with the eating as the cooking[

What do you wish to be your musical future?

Well, I certainly want to remain busy with composing and performances of my works. I'm sure that performing will also continue to be a part of my musical life. I'd like to mention one group: I'm part of the Phoenix Trio, a young professional piano trio. We try to give a fresh take on the standard chamber music concert through creative programming and by presenting works with some details about their historical and cultural contexts. We've given a number of concert tours throughout the Northeast, and audiences seem to really enjoy them--a number of people have commented that the nontraditional approach helps to break down the barrier between performer and listener and that it really deepens their musical experience. That's really gratifying for me to hear as a performer, and I'm excited for what might happen in the future for our group.

BONUS BYTE For more biological information regarding Michael Djupstrom or the Phoenix Trio, Visit www.phoenixtrio.com.

Ann Rivers Witherspoon is an active composer in many genres. She teaches at Houston Baptist University and maintains a pre-collegiate private studio in composition and piano, Witherspoon chairs the MTNA Composer Commissioning program.