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News Release

Last modified: Tuesday, October 30, 2007

Nikolas Jeleniauskas Wins Composing Award

IU Grad Student Takes 2nd in National Competition

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Oct. 23, 2007

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. -- Nikolas Jeleniauskas, a graduate student at Indiana University, Bloomington, Ind., earned second place in the 21st Annual Young Composer's Competition for 2007, sponsored recently by the Austin Peay State University Center of Excellence for the Creative Arts.

Jeleniauskas won the honor for his "Abstractions" for violin, clarinet and piano.

He is a composer, conductor and dancer from Syracuse, N.Y. He is pursuing a master's in composition at Indiana University. He received his bachelor's in composition/musicology with high distinction from Syracuse University.

In 2006, Nikolas' work, "Abstractions," was premiered at the Society of Composers Regional Conference at Hamilton College and was featured on WCNY's "Fresh Ink" program in May 2007.

Since 1987, the Austin Peay State University Young Composer's Competition has been held each year, becoming a national competition in 1993. The APSU Department of Music and the Center of Excellence for the Creative Arts have awarded prizes to composers from such prestigious musical institutions as Peabody Conservatory of Music, Harvard University, Yale University, the Cleveland Institute, New York University and the Eastman School of Music.

The purpose of the contest is to encourage young composers by providing professional-level performances of their music as well as nancial incentive and support. Composers winning first prize traditionally are invited to Austin Peay's campus for the performance of their music, an important facet of the competition. The composers also interact with both undergraduate and graduate students in composition and theory, talking to classes and meeting with composition students.

The competition is open to student composers in the U.S. Scores submitted this year were for a wide range of instrumental and vocal media. Qualified university faculty and composers served as judges.

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