Interviews

Composer Chelsea Komschlies Melds Neuroscience And Fantasy In ‘Mycelialore’

Composer Chelsea Komschlies Melds Neuroscience And Fantasy In ‘Mycelialore’

Tucson Symphony

In Mycelialore Komschlies melds her interests in the human brain and fungi to create a fantasy world of mushrooms. Mycelium is the underground root-like structure of fungus. “The mycelium can form networks between trees and other plants, and there are many ways in which these networks can function like a human brain, like neurons firing. As a composer and fantasy enthusiast, I took that idea based in real science into a fantasy realm and asked the question: if these mycelium networks kind of function like a brain, then what if they had their own folklore and their own memory? If mushrooms can remember and tell their own stories, what would they say and how would they sound?”

In Conversation with Chelsea Komschlies

In Conversation with Chelsea Komschlies

McGill University: Schulich School of Music

by Jordan Gasparik

Winner of the 2021-2022 Research Alive Student Prize, composer Chelsea Komschlies talks about her project, venturing outside one's field of study and finding a vibrant culture for research creation.

2021-2022 Research Alive Student Prize-winner, composer and doctoral candidate Chelsea Komschlies will give her presentation, "Crossmodal Correspondences in Composing and Listening to Music” this week. The Research Alive series aims to unveil what makes music so magical in the ears and minds of the listener through live performance and dialogue between researchers and musicians. 

Announcing the Recipient of the 2020-2021 Andrew Svoboda Prize for Orchestral Composition

Announcing the Recipient of the 2020-2021 Andrew Svoboda Prize for Orchestral Composition

McGill University: Schulich School of Music

Congratulations to Chelsea Komschlies (current PhD), winner of the 2020-2021 recipient of the Andrew Svoboda Prize for Orchestral Composition! We asked Chelsea a few questions to get to know more about her and the compositions she creates. Discover how she uses crossmodal correspondences in her work, where some of her references might originate, as well as some prime advice for budding composers.

Curtis Young Alumni Voices: Chelsea Komschlies (Composition ’18)

Curtis Young Alumni Voices: Chelsea Komschlies (Composition ’18)

THE CURTIS INSTITUTE OF MUSIC

BY ALI KING

AK: Let’s start with the baby pictures on Instagram. You became a mom this year!

CK: Yes, she’s almost nine months old — quite the year, with a new baby and the pandemic! It’s been a joy, and hard. She makes my life sweet.

Choral Arts Philadelphia: Chelsea Komschlies Artist Profile

Choral Arts Philadelphia: Chelsea Komschlies Artist Profile

Choral Arts Philadelphia

As a child I loved spending hours poring over challenging puzzles. When I was about thirteen, I'd just read and watched the Lord of the Rings trilogy and was obsessed, and I remember I was playing the melody from the "Concerning Hobbits" cue and figured, ok, it can't be that hard to figure out the chords, and I just slowly by trial and error figured it out one note at a time, then did the same with all the other cues from the trilogy.

An Eclectic Dream Concert Featuring 'Teratoma, Odradek' by Chelsea Komschlies

An Eclectic Dream Concert Featuring 'Teratoma, Odradek' by Chelsea Komschlies

Colorado Public Radio Classical

BY BRAD TURNER

Most contemporary composers rarely hear their music performed live and often have no control over how it's presented in concert. Composer & Curator asks an artist to design a dream program around a piece they've written and explain their selections. Her eclectic selections include music by J.S. Bach, Iannis Xenakis, Evan Chambers and Alfred Schnittke, as well as songs by P.J. Harvey and Tool.