Stephen Cabell

Illinois Wesleyan Names Winner of
2003 High School Composers’ Contest

Feb. 28, 2003

BLOOMINGTON, Ill.—Stephen Cabell, a senior at the Interlochen Arts Academy, Interlochen, Mich., is the winner of the third High School Composers’ Contest sponsored by the Illinois Wesleyan University School of Music.

Cabell will be a guest at Illinois Wesleyan’s 2003 Symposium of Contemporary Music, where his original composition “Mind’s Eye,” will be performed Feb. 25, at an 8 p.m. concert in the Westbrook Auditorium of Presser Hall, 1210 Park St., Bloomington.

A quartet for horns, “Mind’s Eye” is part of a triptych of pieces by Cabell that are based on his dreams. “Whenever I tell people that these pieces are inspired by dreams they usually ask, ‘What kind of dreams?’ I always respond by telling them that they were not inspired by ‘situation dreams’ but dreams consisting entirely of color—gray, black, yellow, and orange. The pieces try to convey those colors,” said Cabell.

“Minds Eye” will be performed by four students from the Interlochen Arts Academy: Leelanee Sterrett of Manton, Mich., Sophia Goluses of Pittsford N.Y., Andrew Pech of Grand Rapids, Mich., and Lindsay Hanson of Interlochen, Mich.

Originally from Henderson, Ky., Cabell is in his third year at the Interlochen Arts Academy where he studies composition with Michael Albaugh and John Boyle, as well as horn with Julie Schleif and piano with Thomas Bara.

Cabell has been composing music since he was eight years old. By age 14 he had composed over 60 pieces for various instruments and ensembles including piano, organ, string and large orchestra. “Composing is an outlet of emotion which, for me, does not come easily in words. The best part about composing is hearing your piece performed. It doesn’t matter if it’s the first time or the tenth time, it is always satisfying,” said Cabell.

In 1999 Cabell received first prize at the Kentucky Educators Technology Conference Digital Competition. Also in 1999, he won the Kentucky and South-Eastern United States division of the National Federation of Music Clubs Composition Competition with his piece “Zukunftmusik.”

More recently, Cabell received an American Society of Composers, Authors, and Publishers Morton Gould Young Composers Award for his composition “Earbox Essay,” before being selected as the winner of this year’s High School Composer’s Contest. “This is a major honor for me. I have never won a competition where I am also able to have my piece performed at a major venue like the new music symposium at Illinois Wesleyan,” said Cabell.

Much of Cabell’s free time is spent pursuing music. He tutors students in music theory, researches composers and studies and collects musical scores. After high school, Cabell hopes to attend a music conservatory such as the Julliard School or the Curtis Institute of Music.