Indiana State University Newsroom

The Indiana State University School of Music will host a chamber music recital featuring two world premiere performances of brand new works written specifically for this occasion at 7:30 p.m. Monday, April 24.

The concert is organized by Erik Rohde, assistant professor at Indiana State.

"It is always a great honor to bring new compositions to life," Rohde said, "but this concert in particular I have been looking forward to for a long time!"

The main attraction is the premiere of a new string quartet by composer Elliott Miles McKinley, his "String Quartet No. 8." Written especially for Rohde, this piece will be a special performance.

"I've worked with McKinley a lot in the past, performing other works of his and getting to premiere his Violin Sonata in 2011. His music is so compelling - a mix of traditional contemporary classical music with a distinctive jazz streak," Rohde said. "He always presents a new challenge for me as a performer and exciting music for audiences to hear."

McKinley has taught in several universities in the United States and had his works performed all over the world. He currently teaches at Roger Williams University and performs with the ensemble earWorm. McKinley has been to Indiana State before as a 2012 winner of the university's Contemporary Music Festival MusicNow competition.

The program will also feature a premiere by composer and violist Jacob Tews. Tews and Rohde together form the duo sonic apricity, whose mission it is to commission and perform new works for violin and viola duo alongside standard classical repertoire. They will perform the premiere of a new duo by Tews on the first half of the performance.

Tews teaches at Wartburg College in Waverly, Iowa, where he conducts the Wartburg Community Symphony, the string orchestra Kammerstreicher and teaches violin and viola.

To present this concert, faculty musicians Erik Rohde and Kurt Fowler will be joined by Jacob Tews and Hillary Kingsley of Minneapolis. The concert will also include a performance of a string trio by Evan Chambers (2013 featured composer of the Indiana State Contemporary Music Festival).

For more information about composer Elliott Miles McKinley go to elliottmilesmckinley.com. For more information about the performance, call 812-237-2770.

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Photo: https://photos.smugmug.com/Other/Media-Services/Submitted-Photos/Staff-Uploads/i-h8CsGFL/0/O/shapeimage_2.png -- composer Elliott Miles McKinley

Media Contact: Libby Roerig, director of communications and media relations, Office of Communications and Marketing, Indiana State University, 812-237-3790 or libby.roerig@indstate.edu