2020 McKnight Composer Fellowship Application
Supporting Documents:
Work Sample #1: Songs from Deep Valley
Solo Soprano, Solo Baritone, 2 flutes, 2 oboes, 2 clarinets, 2 bassoons, 4 horns, 2 trumpets, 2 trombones, bass trombone, tuba, percussion, piano, and strings.
Mankato Symphony Orchestra
Conducted by Dr. Ruth Lin
Soprano - Stephanie Thorpe
Baritone - Aaron Humble
Songs from Deep Valley was commissioned by the Mankato Symphony Orchestra (MSO) in collaboration with the Blue Earth County Historical Society for the “Celebrate Mankato” concert this past fall. The piece was originally imagined to be performed by a "riverboat orchestra" (clarinet, trumpet, trombone, piano, banjo, violin, and vocals) but as the project evolved, the decision was made to create the piece for full orchestra to better feature the full compliment of musicians. The piece is a suite of songs from the Betsy-Tacy Songbook compiled and published by the Maud Hart Lovelace Society. As the piece was performed, the Blue Earth County Historical Society projected a slideshow of vintage photographs and renderings from the early 1900s period. The orchestral music was written to be evocative of the era, nostalgic, and catchy.
Dress rehearsal with The Mankato Symphony Orchestra.
Work Sample #2: Cirrata (title)
Sharon Mautner-Rodgers - Cello
Benji Inniger - Guitar, Ronroco, Other Instruments
Cirrata is a rogue-lite, metroidvania style indie video game. The game is about Keir, an anthropomorphic red panda who was once a chef. Inspired by the popular console games of the 90's. Fight enemies and improve your reputation in town to grow the towns pub. Choose to improve the kitchen and/or the bar to receive special items to reinforce your ability to fight the threat.
All instruments were performed and recorded by Benji Inniger with the exception of solo cello, performed by Sharon Mautner-Rodgers. Other instruments include flamenco guitar, ronroco, toy piano, prepared piano, and usual percussion instruments such as water glasses, forks and spoons, tuned finger cymbals, etc.
Cirrata features a beautiful hand-drawn art style inspired by cartoonist Edward Gorey and Maurice Sendak’s Where the Wild Things Are that is both dark and inviting.
Work Sample #3: The Women of Troy: Movement 3 (live performance)
Kenneth Freed -Viola
Sharon Mautner-Rodgers – Cello
Mary Martha Singers - Chorus
Benji Inniger – Other Instruments
This recording is from a live performance that occurred on September 22, 2019 in Trinity Chapel at Bethany Lutheran College. The music was originally written as a recorded soundtrack for a 2017 theatre production of the same name. In 2019 I had the opportunity to rearrange the cues into a larger, twenty-one minute suite to be performed by viola, cello, piano, solo soprano, and female vocal ensemble. To date, this may be the most effective music I have written and it was tremendously edifying to study its effects on an audienece in both a live setting as well as embedded into the theatre production. This section is the third of three movements.
