By

As a continuation of the College of Music and Sibelius Academy’s partnership, alumnus Conor Brown, (MM ’18) and DMA student Brett Armstrong (Double Bass) had the opportunity to participate in the highly competitive Creative Dialogue program in Sante Fe last summer.

Organized by the Sibelius Academy at the University of Arts in Helsinki, Creative Dialogue provides young instrumentalists and composers with the opportunity to collaborate in an annual international workshop. 

The highly selective, invitation-only program featured 12 musicians from schools such as Juilliard, Eastman and Colburn, among others. Brown represented CU Boulder as a composer and clarinetist, performing in a group improvisation and leading an original composition. Armstrong worked directly with Magnus Lindberg, the current composer-in-residence for the London Philharmonic Orchestra, to re-envision a solo cello piece as a solo bass piece. 

In addition to offering opportunities for collaboration among composers and performers, the program was filmed for a documentary that will feature the various students involved, including Brown and Armstrong. Congratulations to the pair on this accomplishment!

Read more about the College of Music's partnership with Sibelius Academy