Milwaukee Sonic Arts Festival

The inaugural Milwaukee Sonic Arts Festival presents experimental electronic music and sonic art that engages with technology as a means of sonic expression. It will feature performers Alex Wier, percussion and Jennifer Clippert, flute along with three concerts and two presentation/workshop sessions.

This event will act as a showcase and celebration of the region’s exceptional electronic music scene as well as a community gathering designed to facilitate further development of experimental sonic arts practice/research and strengthen connections between electroacoustic artists throughout Wisconsin and beyond.

Submissions

All submissions must be received by Sunday, August 30. Submissions will be adjudicated by UW-Milwaukee faculty and students and you will be notified of your results within 1–2 weeks of the deadline.

There is no submission or registration fee. As a community building event, attendance is required, so although submissions from anywhere are welcome, artists and presenters from the Midwest may find it easier to attend, though all submissions are encouraged! 

Composers, Performers & Composer-performers 

Works that include electronics in any way, including fixed media, pieces for voice/instruments and electronics, audiovisual works, and live electronic improvisations are welcome. Composers, performers, and composer-performers are all encouraged to submit to this call.

Featured Performers Jennifer Clippert and Alex Weir will present a handful of selected works and have generously offered to workshop these pieces one-on-one with the selected composers in advance of the event.

The submission process requests a score (if applicable), recording/audio representation (required), name of the person/people who will be performing the work (required if applicable), and a “tech rider” that clarifies any equipment/staging requirements. UW-Milwaukee has an outstanding array of performance spaces, equipment, and loudspeaker configurations. Submissions in all categories may be for stereo, quad, 5.1, 7.1, or 8.1 double-diamond speaker arrays and feature video.

• Works for featured performers and electronics
  • Solos and duos are welcome
  • Works involving piccolo, alto, soprano, and bass flutes are all encouraged/possible
  • Any percussion setup is possible; however, practicality/feasibility of the setup will be considered in the adjudication process
• Works that the composer can perform themselves/works where the composer provides their own performer and/or works submitted by performers
• Audiovisual works (1 screen with stereo, quad, 5.1, 7.1, or 8.1 double-diamond)
• Fixed media (stereo, quad, 5.1, 7.1, or 8.1 double-diamond)

Presenters

The festival will feature up to two paper/presentation/workshop sessions – each will run for a total of 1 hour and 15 minutes, and feature an assortment of papers, presentations, and/or workshops on a topic of your choosing relating to electronic music and/or transdisciplinary art.

Please include an abstract and outline of your presentation, a proposal for your workshop, and in the case of a paper presentation, your completed paper. You will be asked to select from these options:

• 15-minute presentation
• 30-minute presentation
• 1 hour and 15-minute workshop

Performances & Workshops

Join us for presentations and workshops at 1:30 p.m. and 6 p.m. in the MB60 Electronic Music Studio. Three free public performances are also included as part of the festival activities. Tickets are not required for these events.