Awards and Commissions

August, 2024: Start’s “Traces: Inspired by Strong Women” wins the 2024 Christine Clark/Theodore Front prize for large ensemble in the International Alliance of Women in Music Search for New Music Competition

July, 2024: Start’s “Elizabethan Fantasy” was selected for 2024 ASTA Virtual String Teacher Summit New Music Reading SessionMay, 2024: Commission of a string quartet for Kay Alexander

May, 2024: Start’s “Nostalgia” is selected for She Scores! 2024, Cleveland, OH

March, 2024: Start’s “Conclusions” is selected as one of the 8 quartets for Music Madness, Raleigh and Durham, NC

April 2023: Commission for a new work to be premiered by the Western Michigan University Trombone Choir in their 2023-24 season.

February 2022: Sphinx Laureate and cellist Thomas Mesa’s CD, DIVISION OF MEMORY, on which he plays Start’s “Echoes in Life”, won a bronze medal in the Global Music Awards in the category of “classical.”  http://www.globalmusicawards.com/

November 2017: Commission from the Kalamazoo Symphony Orchestra for a work to be premiered during their 100th anniversary season.

2016: Commission from Blue Lake Fine Arts Camp “Chamber Music for Fun” program for a string orchestra piece in memory of the program’s founder, Phyllis Jansma


Kalamazoo Artistic Development Initiative grant through the Arts Council of Greater Kalamazoo to cover commission fees and expenses to attend the Assisi (Italy) Sacred Music Festival and perform a concert in Italy in July, perform a home-coming concert in Kalamazoo in August, and compose two new works for flute and cello: one in anticipation of the trip which is then premiered in Italy, and one as a reflection on the trip, which is then premiered in Kalamazoo.
2013
Commission from Shawna Lake of Oboe Chicago for a work for 2 oboes, piano, and cello obbligato 2011

Kalamazoo Artistic Development Initiative grant through the Arts Council of Greater Kalamazoo to cover commission fees and expenses to attend Oberlin Baroque Performance Institute, write a viol consort piece and a work for bass viola da gamba and keyboard, perform and record the works.
2011

Kalamazoo Artistic Development Initiative grant through the Arts Council of Greater Kalamazoo to cover commission fees and expenses to create a work for the Kalamazoo Mandolin and Guitar Orchestra and a concerto for Italian mandolin virtuoso Carlo Aonzo
2009
Commission for offertory work (2 vln, vc, cb) from First Congregational Church of Kalamazoo 2009
Commission from CUBE ensemble to create new work for performance on “Sounding the Sacred” concerts in fall of 2009 in Chicago and on the Michigan Festival of Sacred Music 2008
Commission for the Rose-Austin duo 2008
Commission from Chamber Music for Fun for string quartet/orchestra piece with multi-level parts 2006
Commission from Trio Dagoba for a string trio 2006
Commission from Capriccio for duo using flute/piccolo and harp/electric harp 2006
Commission of work for electric cello and acoustic instruments, by Don McQuitty, in honor of Sylvia Culp 2004
Arts Council of Greater Kalamazoo Arts Outreach Grant 2004
Gilmore Emerging Artist Grant 2003
Commission for cello and piano work for Don McQuitty and Sylvia Culp 2003
Commission for new work for Pinotage Ensemble (Chicago) 2003
Orchestral work for Kalamazoo College and Community Orchestra 2003
Commission from CUBE Contemporary Ensemble (Chicago) 2003
Creative Artist Grant from ArtServe Michigan 2002
Solo piano work for Kalamazoo College 2001
Honorable Mention, National Call for Scores, Chicago Musicians Club of Women 2001
Cello Ensemble piece for Rockford College Music Academy 2000
Chamber work for the Ariel Ensemble 2000
Orchestral work for the McHenry County Youth Orchestras 1999
Solo cello work for Marc Johnson, of the Vermeer Quartet 1997
Solo cello work for Carol Tarr 1994
Choral work and organ solos for First Baptist Church, Kalamazoo, MI 1994
Judge, Kalamazoo Bach Festival Young Artist Competition 1993
Cello Quartet commission for the Chicago Cello Society 1993
Brass Quintet commission from Alaskan Arts Council 1993
Oboe solo commission for Shawna Lake 1993
New Music Chicago Festival (appeared as composer and performer) 1988, 1992
Bowling Green New Music and Art Festival (composer and performer) 1992
June in Buffalo Festival 1992
Brass Fanfare commissioned by the National Junior Tennis Championships 1992
Duo commission for Caroline Pittman and Jeffrey Kust 1991
Fanfare commission for University of Chicago Orchestra 1991
Cello Sonata commission for Michael Masters 1990
Teacher – Composer Alliance of Chicago Area ASTA commissions 1988, 1989
Soundtrack for Northern Illinois University Art/Photo Department video 1984