Entitled Spolia, this year’s festival explores the traces of the past recast into unique new expressions, just as ancient artifacts are reincorporated into newer architecture to become spolia. Inspired by Katherine Balch’s Musica Spolia, this theme threads through works including Yu Kuwabara’s Five Images-In nomine and Adam Greene’s Memos, and works incorporating recorded sound fragments, like D. Edward Davis’s broad call and Kay He’s On the Rime of the Fading Forest.  

We are proud to prominently feature Southern California and Arizona-based composers, including some former residents and recent arrivals, among them Christopher Adler, Katherine Balch, Adam Borecki, Franklin Cox, Adam Greene, Kay He, Texu Kim, and Philippe Manoury. And we culminate the festival with a new work by Mark Menzies commissioned by the Athenaeum Music & Arts Library.  

Housing for artists is generously provided by Ann Craig and Garna Muller.