EarShot Reading: Indiana University Jacobs School of Music

March 20–22, 2024

Open Reading on March 22, 8:00 PM MAC 066

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Participating Composers: Pablo M. Teutli, Ted Babcock, Daniel Cui, Hansol Choi

Mentor Composers: Chen Yi, Anthony Cheung, Melinda Wagner

Conductor/Mentor: Jeffery Meyer

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About the Composers

Pablo M. Teutli is a young Mexican composer interested in observing the society around him to portray it through allegorical and imaginative musical narratives. He studied music composition at the Faculty of Music of the National Autonomous University of Mexico, at the Jacobs School of Music of Indiana University, and at UC Berkeley. His professional training has been under the guidance of composers Lucía Álvarez, Arturo Márquez, Ken Ueno, P. Q. Phan, David Dzubay and Maria Granillo. In 2020 he received the Young Creators Grant from the National Fund for Culture and Arts. He has been awarded several national composition prices such as the Salvador Contreras Composition Competition for Symphonic Orchestra (2020), the Arturo Márquez Composition Contest for Chamber Orchestra (2017) among many others. Some of his most relevant works are: ‘’El circo de las luces’’ (The circus of the lights), dedicated to the victims of hate crimes; ‘’Un beso en la herida’’ (A kiss on the wound), composition which promotes the sensitivity required to cross cultural borders dividing society; and ‘’El eco de la sangre’’ (The echo of the blood), which commemorates the 200 years anniversary of the consummation of the Mexican independence and was awarded by the Mexican Government in 2021.

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​​Ted Babcock is a Philadelphia based composer and percussionist. As a composer, his works ride the boundaries between conceptual electronics, percussive counterpoint, and an instinctual lyricism. Recent premieres include a new orchestral work Pulse, Echo written for the Cabrillo Festival Orchestra and a new work for the Viano String Quartet documenting the lives of frontline workers. His pieces have been premiered domestically and internationally at such venues as the New World Symphony Center, the Museum of Fine Art Boston, and the University of Nanjing. Other recent projects include the premiere of his first solo album Trilogies for percussionist and electronics, which was praised by I Care if You Listen as  “…worthy of redefining the repertoire on the vibraphone.” He has been commissioned by leading performers and presenters such as arx percussion duo, Fringe Arts Philadelphia, the H2 saxophone quartet, percussionist/videographer Evan Chapman, the Curtis Institute of Music, flutist Antonina Styczen, and members of the Philadelphia Orchestra. His works have received praise for their innovation and craft from an eclectic following, from film festivals and concert stages to the band Wilco.  

As a percussionist, he has been nominated for two Grammy awards for his work with The Crossing Choir and has performed with award winning contemporary music groups such as the Boston Modern Orchestra Project, eighth blackbird, and the PRISM Saxophone Quartet. He has also appeared with many leading chamber ensembles such as Opera Philadelphia, Astral Artists, and the NOVUS ensemble of Trinity Wall St. An avid collaborator, he has assisted, performed, and recorded for many of the leading composers of our time such as Tristan Perich, Michael Gordon, David Lang, Gabriella Smith, David Hertzberg, George Crumb and many others. His playing has been featured in ‘best of’ lists in the New York Times and National Public Radio, as well as Rolling Stone Magazine. As a recording artist, he can also be heard on labels such as Navona, Tzadik, and New Focus Records. 

A committed educator, he spent three seasons as a teaching artist for Play On, Philly!, an after school music program offering orchestral training to underserved youth in the Philadelphia area free of charge. He received degrees in composition, percussion, and community artistry from Boston Conservatory at Berklee and the Curtis Institute of Music. 

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Daniel (Jingyang) Cui is a Chinese-born composer who draws inspirations mostly from his Chinese background which includes culture, history, and current social issues. As a person who spent a long time aboard his home country, it has been his passion to share his perspectives on China through music. However, he is also often inspired bt little things such as the cuteness of animals or a fun anecdote. His compositions range from chamber pieces to orchestral works. He is currently pursuing his master’s degree in composition at Indiana University, Jacobs School of Music, where he is working with David Dzubay and Aaron Travers.

He completed his bachelor’s degree in composition at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music in Sydney, Australia. During his time is Australia, he studied with many well celebrated Australian composers such as Carl Vine, Paul Stanhope, and Gerard Brophy. He has collaborated with various professional ensembles world-wide such as Hub New Music, Prism Quartet, Sydney Chamber Choir, Sydney Conservatorium Orchestra and Sydney Conservatorium Clarinet Ensemble who had commissioned and premiered his works. 

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Hansol Choi, a composer and percussionist based in Queens, New York. He draws inspiration from his early experiences singing hymns in church and performing in Samulnori (Korean percussion quartet) groups. This instilled in him a passion for expressing the human experience; both individual and communal, and its relationship to divinity and spirituality.

His recent achievements include the world premiere of "3°(Sahm-doh/삼도)" for Orchestra, conducted by Yeo Ryeong Ahn and performed by the University of Michigan’s University Symphony Orchestra. This piece was selected through Ahn’s 'Korean Contemporary Orchestral Call for Score,' marking the culmination of her doctoral research supported by the University of Michigan School of Music, Theater & Dance Eileen Weiser EXCEL fund, under the guidance of Maestro Kenneth Kiesler. Choi also debuted with the Great Falls Symphony Orchestra in Montana, presenting his award-winning piece "[OUT]cry for Orchestra,” (recipient of the Carl Kanter Orchestral Thesis Prize). This piece was chosen by Grant Harville, the Music Director of GFSO, as the winner of the ‘Second Performance Project’ call for score.

Currently, Choi is working on commissions from Talujon Percussion Quartet, Dave Eggar & Tasha Warren, 'Caught in a Snare,' and the Phonon Wind Ensemble based in Taiwan. His past notable performances include the premiere of his Concerto for Solo-Percussion and Orchestra ‘Higgaion’ at Alice Tully Hall, Lincoln Center, in June 2018, performed by percussionist Chiching Grace Lin and the CYCNY Youth Orchestra.

Beyond composing, Choi actively engages in a diverse artistic life as a percussionist and educator. He serves on the faculty for percussion, theory, and composition at the Eisman Center for Preparatory Studies in Music (ECPSM) at Queens College, with additional teaching roles at Midori and Friends (percussion and composition) and Mannes Prep division (theory, ear-training, & music history).

Recently, Choi was honored with the inaugural Emerson Wahl “So Good” percussion fellowship at the ‘New Music on the Point’ festival of 2023. During this fellowship, he performed works by notable composer Amy Williams and collaborated with artists like Jay Campbell (Cellist of the JACK Quartet) and the Confluss Duo. He maintains a regular presence in orchestras and ensembles such as the National Chorus of Korea, The Symphony Orchestra of New Jersey, Centre Symphony Orchestra, and the New Amsterdam Symphony Orchestra, among others.

Choi, originally from South Korea, is now a longtime Queens resident. He is deeply committed to infusing his compositions and performance methods with his rich Korean heritage, integrating traditional Korean folk music elements. His educational background includes a master’s degree in composition from The Manhattan School of Music and a percussion performance degree from the Aaron Copland School of Music, Queens College, CUNY. His significant composition mentors include Richard Danielpour, Marjorie Merryman, James Ra, David Serkin Ludwig, Vivian Fung, and Edward Smaldone. Currently residing near Bowne Park in Flushing, Queens, he finds calm in leisurely walks in the park’s beautiful scenery.