Lebanese composer Sami Seif fills us in on his 2025 solo competition winner, “Miniatures from Phoenicia”, originally premiered by the amazing Mary Kay Fink, and nerds out with Elizabeth and Nicole about how extra cool flutists are (admittedly, this is Nicole’s paraphrase). Sami also shares some fascinating tidbits about Lebanese music and inspires us with his delightfully positive pedagogical philosophy. Nicole and Sami discuss the pleasure of traveling for work. Finally there’s some sage advice here for collaborating happily with your favorite composers.

https://www.samiseif.com/

Seif, Miniatures from Phoenecia

Elizabeth Younan, Fantasia II for Solo Flute 

Saad Haddad, Tasalsul I for Solo Flute

Nadim Taraby, BAYĀTI, HAYĀTI for Violin (2), Viola, Cello, Clarinet, Bass Clarinet, and oboe

Elizabeth and Nicole talk high-brow music in humble places, curating thought-provoking recital experiences, and shirking traditional “responsibilities” attached to the repertoire canon. What makes a concert interesting? What are the performer’s responsibilities to the audience? And how does this translate into pedagogy? Deep thoughts to kick off 2026 with Music Crush (and listen to the end for an update on Lake Bacon)!

Flutist-composer Kyrese Washington won FNMC’s 2025 composition competition in the flute and piano category.Today they explain how their winning composition, “Poem” came to life and how their compositional persona really blossomed during the pandemic, despite improvising and composing for fun from an early age. There are some grateful shout-outs to mentors Tim Hagen and Valerie Coleman, and a fascinating review of their commission from Katherine Needleman. Keep listening for some very fun musical suggestions and video ideas!

https://colemanpagemusic.com/composer/kyrese-washington/

Bjork, Post

Charlie XCX, Brat

Chaka Kahn, “Tearing It Up”

Today’s episode features an awe-inspiring conversation with harpist, arts administrator, and new music advocate Elizabeth Huston. As the Executive Director of the L.A.-based composer collective, Synchrony, she has been involved in commissioning, producing, and educating numerous composers over the years. She tells us how she creates an engaging show, describes the process by which composers get paid for their music, and gives performers some practical tips for getting to know your composers and their works for a more meaningful collaboration. Stick around for the contemporary harp music primer at the end! 

https://elizabethharpist.com/

R. Murray Schafer, Crown of Ariadne: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NRAV0kXvy5M

Caroline Lizotte, Suite Galactique: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dgIgOTgMCpk

Jan Krzywicki, Starscape: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i8zdeK_tx_0

This episode features an inspiring conversation we had with award-winning flutist and arts advocate Dr. Iva Ugrčić, the founder and director of LunART Festival, a celebration of women artists in its eighth year.  She takes us through her educational journey, from Serbia to Paris to Madison, Wisconsin, and walks us through the criteria she uses for selecting composers, both for her festival and for her own commissions. Iva has no regrets and appreciates everything she has experienced in work and life.  And she tells us that she’s already living her dream! We love that. 

https://www.ivaugrcic.com/

Chen Yi, Gi: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ty_ex4KABIc

Sato Matsui: https://www.satomatsui.com/

3rd Coast: https://www.thirdcoastchambercollective.com/projects/chamber-camp

Elizabeth and Nicole are catching up after a long, luxurious summer. Elizabeth crocheted, and Nicole learned how to swim. Nicole might have gotten too detailed about the process of learning how to swim as a 51-year-old…then Elizabeth got all fancy and tied it into metacognition as she learned it in her back-to-school faculty seminar. Discussions on skill vs talent and the general superiority of musicians in the teaching realm abound, and Elizabeth chooses a swear word to post on her office door for the beginning of school. Ever the party pooper, Nicole manages to bring this whimsical conversation back around to the coming crisis in arts funding. 

Asha Srinivasan, composer of the 2015 FNMC Composition Competition winner for flute and cello, Dviraag, joins us today to discuss her auspicious beginnings as a classical singer in India, how she blends her Indian and American heritage in her work, and so much more! She stresses how making art is a process of self-discovery, but her specific tips can really help us all collaborate better with one another. And she spills some tea on her latest flute project with her colleague from Lawrence Conservatory, Erin Lesser!

https://www.twocomposers.org/asha/about.php

Laurie Berkner: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Laurie_Berkner

Aruna Sairam: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aruna_Sairam

Metallica, Black album: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DqDeH3hwxfw

And some additional listening recs Asha sent us later!:

Mehdi Hassan: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mehdi_Hassan

John Luther Adams, Become Ocean: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dGva1NVWRXk

Louis Andriessen, De Staat: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MC1TkipqZrM

Donnacha Dennehy, Gra agus Bas: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ORJ1wgRI3WU

Composer Daniel Kessner came up in the SoCal composition world in the 60s and 70s, and he has Seen Some Things. Today he discusses the wild experimentation of the 20th century and the importance of learning your Bach inventions. Stick around for some great advice for up-and-coming composers and a fun preview of his bass flute and electronics piece, Imaginary Temples.

⁠https://www.universaledition.com/en/Contacts/Daniel-Kessner/⁠

Schumann piano quartet in E-flat, Andante: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u4EDwHCR-PI

Bach, 3-Part Invention #3: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nq7W41doqk0

Salonen Violin Concerto: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2n0kZc3Utpc

Nicole asks Elizabeth if she has any age-related non-negotiables, in performance and in life. Like, how do you know you’re too old to learn a new technique? When do you give yourself permission to prefer happiness over work? And furthermore, for whom are you accepting the work? Nicole spills the beans about getting fired from her first teaching gig and Elizabeth wonders how gender affects likeability at work. They both agree that reading the room might be the most important professional skill. 

Brandon Shaw, Startup Musician

Inga Chinilina, winner of FNMC’s 2024 Composition Competition in the solo flute category, joins us today to discuss her winning piece, “Learning to Love America” and how she weaves immigrant experiences into her works. She also explains her PhD research, which wrestles with the inherent solitude in personal listening and the limits of human perception. She is a composer who seeks first and foremost to translate her experiences into sounds, and urges potential collaborating performers to ask for everything they want in a commissioned piece! 

https://chinilina.com/

Chinilina, Salt Soaked: https://chinilina.com/salt

Alejandro Escuer: https://alejandroescuer.com/

Tristan Barton: https://www.tristanbartonmusic.com/

Rose Hegele: https://www.rosehegele.com/

Khovanshchina: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Khovanshchina