Mesquite Symphony Orchestra announces new Composer-in-Residence Program

The Mesquite Symphony Orchestra is pleased to announce its first Composer-in-Residence, Kevin Day. Selected by Music Director Felix Torres, Day will begin his residency with the start of the 19/20 season for a two-year term continuing through July 31, 2021.

As part of Day’s residency, the MSO will present the world premiere performance of “Danza del Sol” as part of the MSO season opener on September 14, 2019. The MSO will perform additional works during this time by Day including two further world premieres.

Music Director Felix Torres said, “We are delighted to establish the Mesquite Symphony Orchestra’s first-ever Composer-in-Residence program. Injecting new music into the repertoire is important for the longevity of our craft and to continue providing new, relevant programming to our audiences. Kevin’s music is full of energy and highly accessible, and I am thrilled to share his music with our audience.”

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Kevin Alexander Day (b. 1996 in Charleston, WV) is an American composer, conductor, and multi-instrumentalist from Arlington, Texas. Day graduated in May 2019 from Texas Christian University with his Bachelor of Music in Instrumental Performance Degree, where he studied Euphonium and Tuba with Richard Murrow, Jazz Piano with Joey Carter, Composition with Neil Anderson-Himmelspach, Blaise Ferrandino, and Till Meyn, and Conducting with Germán Guitiérrez and Eddie Airheart. 

He will be pursing his Master of Music in Music Composition Degree at the University of Georgia in Fall 2019, where he will study with composer Peter Van Zandt Lane and conductor Cynthia Johnston Turner. Kevin has composed over 120 works for solos, concert band, orchestra, chamber, and choral groups. His works have been premiered across the United States and in South Africa. 

Kevin Day is a winner of national composition contests such as the 2nd Annual Philadelphia Youth Orchestra Young Composers Competition, the Tribeca New Music Young Composer Competition, and the Dallas Winds Fanfare Contest. Day is a finalist twice for the ASCAP Morton Gould Young Composer Award, and a finalist of the Novus New Music Call for Scores Contest. He is also a Composer Fellow for Cycle 8 of the Gabriela Lena Frank Creative Academy of Music for 2019. His music has been premiered and showcased at the SCI Region VI Conference, W.I.B.C, the NAfME All-Northwest Conference, TMEA, The Midwest Clinic, the American Bandmasters Association Conference, CBDNA, and on KERA TV. 

He is the recipient of the 2016 W. Francis McBeth Student Musicianship Award from Kappa Kappa Psi National Honorary Band Fraternity. He has also worked with and has been mentored by renowned composers Gabriela Lena Frank, Julie Giroux, John Mackey, William Owens, and Frank Ticheli. Kevin is a member of BMI, TMEA, ITEA, the Gamma Sigma chapter of Kappa Kappa Psi, and the Delta Mu chapter of Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia. He is also a member of the Millennium Composers Initiative. 

Day's works have been recorded/distributed by Mark Records (Naxos) and are published by Murphy Music Press, LLC, Cimarron Music, and Kevin Day Music.