Help Mitchell Attend the Nief-Norf Summer Festival

We are raising funds to help our son, Mitchell, attend the Nief-Norf Summer Festival in Knoxville, Tennessee, an incredible opportunity that he was selected for through a highly competitive international audition process.

Mitchell was chosen as one of only a handful of percussionists from a wide pool of applicants from around the world. As an undergraduate student, this is an especially meaningful honor and a major milestone in his musical journey. Being selected to participate at this level is a reflection of his hard work, dedication, and talent, and we are so proud of what he has accomplished.

The Nief-Norf Summer Festival is a multidisciplinary new music festival that brings together performers, composers, improvisers, scholars, and music technologists for collaboration and exploration of contemporary music in an immersive and inspiring environment. Hosted at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, the festival offers masterclasses, workshops, and performances with world-renowned faculty at the Natalie L. Haslam Music Center.

As part of the festival’s Performance Track, Mitchell will have the opportunity to take part in an intensive contemporary music experience alongside undergraduate, graduate, and professional musicians. Performance Fellows perform an average of five or more works, including world premieres by festival composition fellows, chamber and large ensemble works, open score realizations, and group improvisations. It is a rare chance to learn, grow, perform, and build connections within an extraordinary community of contemporary musicians who create, collaborate, experiment, and push the boundaries of modern performance.

One of the most exciting parts of this year’s festival is its celebration of the 50th anniversary of Steve Reich’s groundbreaking work, Music for 18 Musicians. Steve Reich is one of the most influential minimalist composers, and he has written many important works for percussion and percussion-centered ensembles. Music for 18 Musicians is an evening-length chamber work that includes six percussionists along with a large group of other instrumentalists, and Nief-Norf will be performing this monumental piece during the festival this summer. For a percussion student like Mitchell, the opportunity to be part of a performance connected to such an important work is truly extraordinary.

The festival is also bringing in guest artist Russel Hartenberger, a founding member of the Steve Reich Ensemble and a world-renowned percussionist. Having the chance to work with a musician of his caliber, especially on a piece so closely tied to his own performance history, means Mitchell and the other musicians will receive an exceptional level of guidance and feedback. Opportunities like this are incredibly rare, especially for an undergraduate student.

The cost for Mitchell to attend the two-week festival is $3,099, not including airfare, food, and other travel expenses while in Tennessee. We are setting a fundraising goal of $4,000 so he can fully participate in this life-changing experience without the added burden of financial stress.

If you are able to give, any amount will help support Mitchell in taking this important next step in his education and musical career. If you are not able to donate, sharing this campaign would mean so much to us as well.

Thank you for supporting Mitchell and helping make this amazing opportunity possible.