Apr 18, 2019
For the second year in a row, Maffe takes home both first and second place in the annual Biola Composition Competition. "Patchwork Grey," a solo harp piece performed by Gretchen Sheetz won first place. It is characterized by its colorful chromaticism despite the practical limitations of the instrument's pedals (listen below). Second place was claimed by The Artisan, Maffe's epic musical self portrait which illustrates the dichotomy of commercialism and pursuit of artistry in the life of a composer (watch the performance below).
This anonymous competition was judged this year by Steven Hartke (2013 Grammy Award for Best Contemporary Classical Composition), widely recognized as one of the leading composers of his generation, whose work has been hailed for both its singularity of voice and the inclusive breadth of its inspiration.