January 23, 2015—Associate Professor of Flute Molly Barth has been awarded a New Music USA grant during its third round of project grants. Barth received support for “Adventurous Repertoire for Flute and Guitar,” the debut recording by Duo Damiana, a two-person ensemble including guitarist Dieter Hennings.

Out of 1242 submissions received, New Music USA awarded just 62 grants.

Duo Damiana is focused on broadening the cutting-edge body of repertoire for flute and guitar. Composers featured include Chen Yi, David Lang, Hebert Vazquez, Ricardo Zohn-Muldoon, Shafer Mahoney, Jean-Michel Damase, Michael Fiday, and Toru Takemitsu. Future plans include commissions and performances of works by Jesse Jones, Luca Cori, Marc Satterwhite, and Scott Perkins. In summer 2014, Duo Damiana mentored 97 young composers and numerous performers at the Oregon Bach Festival Composers Symposium, and performed at the National Flute Association Convention in Chicago.

The 2014-15 season includes tours through numerous US states. Past tours have taken Duo Damiana throughout the Midwest and the Pacific Northwest regions of the United States.

Awards for New Music USA’s third round of project grants total $284,250 support artistic work involving a wide range of new American music. The program recognizes and supports the multiple roles composers and contemporary music practitioners play in the artistic landscape and responds to the creative spirit of collaboration between artists from multiple disciplines. The 62 awarded projects include concerts and recordings as well as dance, film, theater, opera, and more, all involving contemporary music as an essential element.