This year’s carol composition competition has been won by Stewart Duncan, an American composer from Indiana.
Stewart Duncan (b.1993) is a Bloomington, Indiana-based composer pursuing his Ph.D. in Musicology from the Jacobs School of Music at Indiana University. Duncan graduated from William Jewell College in Liberty, Missouri in 2015 with a B.A. in Oxbridge Honors Music History, and was the resident Music Scholar at Grace & Holy Trinity Cathedral in Kansas City. Stewart studied composition with Dr. Ian Coleman and Dr. Anthony Maglione at William Jewell, as well as with Dr. Steven Grahl at New College, Oxford. His works have been premiered by the Choir of St. John’s College, Oxford, the Choir of St. Stephen’s Cathedral, Vienna, by the Concert Choir, Schola Cantorum, and Chamber Orchestra of William Jewell College, and by the Choir of Grace & Holy Trinity Cathedral, Kansas City.
The panel was delighted with the standard and number of entries to this year’s competition and was impressed with the range of musical ideas presented in the entries. Stewart’s piece will be premiered in the College carol service on November 27th.
Last year’s winner was Harry Baker.
Look out for news of the 2017 competition which will be announced in the Spring.