Peter Bagley Commission
On April 12, 2008 at a concert featuring the works of renowned American Composer Morten Lauridsen, Voce and Dr. Peter Bagley announced the creation of the Peter Bagley Commission for New Works of Art (the “Bagley Commission”). The purpose of the Bagley Commission is to (1) fund the creation of new works of art; and (2) promote and provide recognition to highly gifted aspiring artists. Initially the Bagley Commission will focus on choral compositions, seeking to build the available repertoire of modern choral works and encouraging choral works reflecting a wide range of cultural influences. As the Bagley Commission and Voce continue to grow, the Bagley Commission may be extended to works in other areas of the performing arts (including, for example, dance and instrumental compositions), and to the funding of performances of commissioned works. Initial funding for the Bagley Commission was provided by Dr. Bagley himself and by Voce, which intends to contribute proceeds from its concerts to the Bagley Commission from time to time.
The Bagley Commission is intended to honor Dr. Peter Bagley for his lifetime devotion to working with young musicians to help them realize their full artistic potential. As Professor of Music at The University of Connecticut, his rigorous academic program and exacting standards, combined with his seemingly endless encouragement of and support for talented students, produced some of the finest choral musicians in the United States. Hundreds, if not thousands, of his former students are proud to consider him their mentor and friend. As Special Assistant to the Dean of the School of Fine Arts at The University of Connecticut and as a frequent guest conductor and choral clinician for numerous festivals and all-state choirs throughout the country, Dr. Bagley continues to inspire young musicians everywhere. In order to honor Dr. Bagley and to support him in his lifetime mission of helping young artists realize their ambitions, Voce is proud to announce the creation of The Peter Bagley Commission for New Works of Art.
The first recipient of the Bagley Commission is Chilean composer Javier Farias Caballero, who has composed a piece to be premiered by Voce and Alturas Duo – an instrumental ensemble specializing in the performance of South American Music – in the fall of 2008. The composition, which draws upon the musical heritage of Chile, epitomizes the Bagley Commission’s goal of broadening the range of cultural influences in the choral repertoire available to American choral ensembles.
The second recipient of the Bagley Commission will be announced this summer. The winner of this commission will compose a new work for choir and debut this work with Voce on its third concert, “Connecticut Composer’s Forum.” If you wish to be considered for this distinguished award, please contact Voce’s Director of Administration at voceinc@att.net.
If you would like to honor Dr. Bagley with a contribution to the Bagley Commission, please email us at voceinc@att.net. In addition to notifying Dr. Bagley of your contribution, Voce will add you to the list of contributors below.
Contributors and gifts to the Bagley Commission
In honor of Adam Atkins
Dr. Peter Bagley
Ehren Brown
Thomas F. Cooke II
In honor of Sam Eurich
Immanuel Congregational Church
In honor of Brian Jones
Steve and Cynthia Lurie
In honor of Jack Anthony Pott
In honor of Meghan Sheehan
Mark and Allison Singleton
In memory of Harold Millard Singleton and the Rev. William K. Stephenson
Voce, Inc.
Peter Bagley, Professor Emeritus of Music and Special Assistant to the Dean of the School of Fine Arts at The University of Connecticut, received his B.S. in Music Education at the Crane School of Music, State University of New York at Potsdam, and his D.M. in Choral Conducting under Julius Herford at Indiana University. He taught public school music in Greenwich, Connecticut, and prior to his appointment as Director of Choral Activities at UConn, was Professor of Music at the State University of New York, College at New Paltz.
Dr. Bagley is an active member of the American Choral Directors Association, and was honored in October, 1990 by the Connecticut chapter as “… the Connecticut Choral Educator of the Year “. He was an active member of the Boards of Chorus America and the Hall Johnson Institute, and his professional achievements are recognized in Who’s Who in the East, and Who’s Who Among Black Americans. In April, 2006 he received the University of Connecticut, School of Fine Arts Lifetime Achievement Award, and in the following year he returned to his alma mater at the Crane School of Music, SUNY, Potsdam to receive the Helen M. Hosmer Excellence in Teaching Award. In the spring of 2009, he appeared on a panel with five esteemed conductors entitled, “Legends in the American Choral Tradition” at the national ACDA convention, Oklahoma City, OK. He returned to the national ACDA convention in Chicago, IL to conduct the 2011 Men’s Honor Choir.
