EducationBM Northwestern University
MA Indiana University
DMA Indiana University
Courses Taught
Musicianship I, II, & III
About
Mischa Zupko’s honors include first place in the Pacific Symphony
Orchestra’s ‘AMERICAN COMPOSER’S COMPETITION’, first place in the Loudon
Symphony’s American Composer Competition, the Lee Ettelson Composers
Award from Composers Inc., co-winner of the USA International Harp
Competition Composition Contest, three ASCAP Morton Gould Young
Composers Awards one of which was the first place Kaplan Award, the
‘First Music’ award from the New York Youth Symphony, the Ruth and Emil
Beyer award from the National Federation of Music Clubs, awards from the
Bloomington Chapter of the National Society of Arts & Letters, the
Jacob Druckman prize from the Aspen Music Festival, a CAP grant from the
American Music Center, Dean’s Prizes from Indiana University and
finalist in the Rome Prize Competition.
Mr. Zupko’s commissions
include those from the Minnesota Orchestra, the Pacific Symphony, the
St. Olaf Symphonic Band, the Barlow Endowment, the Fromm Foundation, the
Gilmore International Keyboard Festival, the Music Institute of Chicago
and the New York Youth Symphony. In addition, he has collaborated
closely with several virtuoso instrumentalists including pianists
Winston Choi and Lori Simms, violinist Minghuan Xu, saxophonist Timothy
McAllister, harpsichordist Bradley Brookshire, flutist Thomas
Robertello, harpist Maria Luisa Rayan, and organ/saxophone duo Doug
Cleveland and Fred Hemke. In a more commercial venue, he has had the
opportunity to work with Cortina Productions in scoring a short film
exhibit that exists as a permanent installation at the new Indiana State
Museum and with the Lilly Company in producing musical demos to promote
a new product.
Mr. Zupko remains active as a performer. As a pianist, he has
performed in a number of venues playing his own works as well has the
works of his peers and more standard literature. Among his performances
include those with the Indiana University New Music Ensemble, solo and
collaborative performances at the Mayslake Peabody Estate in
collaboration with PianoForte and on the Fulcrum Point New Music
series. He has also conducted several ensembles, including the
well-known Chicago Virtuosi chamber orchestra.
Mr. Zupko was
appointed the 2010-2011 composer-in-residence with Chicago’s own Fulcrum
Point New Music Project. He also serves as the composer-in-residence
with the Music Institute of Chicago where he runs an innovative new
program for young composers called the Composers’ Lab. In addition, he
holds teaching positions at DePaul University, Roosevelt University, and
Trinity Christian College and directs the music program at the Lutheran
Church of the Ascension in Northfiled, IL.