On June 12, 2012, we premiered "Working Together", a piece by young American composer Kimberly Osberg; a former student of Dr. Daniel Ott.

Kimberly had initially contacted us to propose writing a piece for the Exponential Ensemble. We gladly commisioned her to write a piece for piano, clarinet and percussion for our Season ONE finale. Working with Kimberly inspired us to create the Fordham Composers Program. 

Since 2013, we have worked with more than 70 composers, all students of Dr. Daniel Ott.  

William Blacklaw (FCLC, ‘23) is majoring in Music and minoring in Arabic. As an instrumentalist, he has performed with Takht ensembles as well as the Jazz Ensemble at Fordham. His main interest are composing and arranging for various genres and instruments, specifically Levantine and Egyptian music, and is looking forward to working with such great musicians to create an original piece of work.

Lizzy Galbo (FCRH, ’22) is a senior studying Integrative Neuroscience and Music. She is currently conducting cognitive neuroscience research on the intersection of music and visual processing and a project on compositional intentionality. Lizzy is a vocalist with 15 years of training, also playing piano and violin for over 10 years, and cello and double bass in high school. She has loved gaining exposure to various musical styles at Fordham, playing piano and singing in jazz ensembles, and singing in the University Choir. Lizzy is incredibly thankful for the opportunity to learn from the Exponential Ensemble and Dr. Ott and compose a chamber work exploring complex harmony and the interplay of instrumental voices.

Brendon Gardner (FCRH, ‘22) is a senior at Fordham University double majoring in Music and Communications and Culture, with a double minor in Philosophy and Theology. He primarily plays electric bass but has been known to play a couple of other instruments including the banjo and saxophone. He has been writing music from a variety of genres and styles since middle school. Brendon is ecstatic to be playing and working alongside so many talented musicians and is grateful for both the Exponential Ensemble and Dr. Ott for providing this exciting opportunity.

Nemo Keane (FCLC, ‘22) is currently a senior at Fordham University double majoring in Music and Film. They have been playing the viola for 19 years, the violin for 14 years, and have sung for 17 years. They have scored their own soundtracks for their short films and hope to participate in the creation of film and video game soundtracks in the future. Many thanks to Dr. Ott and the Exponential Ensemble for allowing Nemo to return to the Fordham Composers Program for a second time. It has been a pleasure and an honor to work with such incredible musical artists.

Ally Lambie (FCRH, ‘22) is a recent graduate of Fordham University, having majored in Music and Anthropology. She has studied classical piano for nearly 15 years and has picked up a few other instruments along the way. While over the years Ally has directed and accompanied various choral groups and musical theater programs, this is her first time entering the world of composition. She is incredibly excited and grateful for this opportunity to expand her musicianship and would like to thank Exponential Ensemble and Dr. Ott for supporting her throughout this amazing process. 

Bradley Moyer (FCRH ‘23) is majoring in Communication and Culture with a minor in Marketing. He is a singer and composer of alternative music, has been a part of multiple music classes at Fordham, and is in the Songwriting club. While he mainly composes pieces where he is singing and playing the piano, he is excited to show a vocal piece reimagined for the violin, flute, and piano. He hopes you will be uplifted by the piece, and picture a fairytale while listening.

Brendan Munnelly (FCRH, '22) is a music major from Ridgefield, Connecticut. He is a self-taught guitarist, who has been playing and writing music for the past seven years. Fordham University's music program helped give Brendan a deeper understanding of music theory, furthering him in his musical endeavors. Brendan has played in Fordham Jazz ensembles as well as a few side projects with his fellow classmates. He is looking forward to composing alongside Dr. Ott and the Exponential Ensemble. 

Antonio Rivoli (FCRH, ’22) is a double major in Urban Studies and Music. Though he originally played trombone in middle school and guitar in high school, he has since been focusing more on the piano in college. His favorite pianist is Bill Evans, and he enjoys listening to jazz as well as alternative rock. He is excited to be composing his first piece for flute, violin, and piano, and hopes the audience finds it invigorating and thought provoking.

Nollan Wang (FCLC, ‘23) majors in IPE and minors in Music. He has played piano since he was seven and has always enjoyed composing his own music. He hopes to use this opportunity to gain experience and grow in music composition. He hopes for the audience to find something to enjoy in his music. Special thanks to Dr. Ott and the Exponential Ensemble for this opportunity.

Aaron Wuchterl (FCRH, '22) is a double major in Economics and Music. He enjoys creating his own instrumental music, and hopes that his original chamber piece will provide a sense of somberness.

Austin Yoo (FCRH, '22) is a Major in Music with a minor in Business Administration. He is a jazz guitarist and has performed with different groups both in and outside of Fordham. He has also studied popular songwriting, voice, piano, and in high school was selected as first saxophone for three years in the Westchester, NY All-County/State bands. He hopes to create music that is relatable to many, whether that be in a pop, jazz, rock, or classical context.

Peter Zirnis IV (FCLC, ‘23) is a Music Major from Jersey City, New Jersey. He has been playing guitar for three years, and has participated in a number of jazz ensembles at Fordham. With very little compositional experience, he has been excited to develop his skills in music making, and would like to thank Dr. Ott and the entirety of the Exponential Ensemble for giving him this opportunity to explore the world of composition. 

The 2018 Fordham Composers Program served as our Season 7 Finale, A Musical Canvas, on Tuesday May 1, 2018. The students were asked to write pieces inspired by art works made by Fordham University visual art students.

"Fragments in Formation" by Yohanna Franco was inspired by artwork from Jack Snedaker. (see video)

Proudly hailing from The Bronx, Jeremiah Cortes is an ordinary musician that takes inspiration from his somewhat odd life in New York City. Jeremiah started to play the guitar and the clarinet at the age of 12. He is currently junior and a Music major at Fordham. After college, he hopes to score films here in New York City.

Franco Giacomarra is a junior at Fordham University studying Theatre with a minor in Music. Instilled with a love for music and the arts from an early age by his parents, Franco was trained in piano throughout elementary school and began to play drums and bass with various rock bands in high school, where he also played bass guitar in the concert band. Last fall, Francesco produced Tyler!, a genre bending horror musical that premiered in the Whitebox Studio Theatre as part of Fordham's Playwriting program. Currently, Francesco plays bass and sings for Avenue Eight, a ten piece funk band comprised of college students chiefly from the Philadelphia area, who play everywhere from music festivals to late night basement parties. Upcoming works include an immersive narrative concert experience which will be created in collaboration with both members of Avenue Eight and the Fordham Theatre Company, and will serve as his thesis project next spring.

Yohannah Franco is a Music and American Studies double major and Journalism minor at Fordham University. She has studied classical piano for 14 years, dabbling a bit in composition along the way. She's thrilled to be learning more alongside the Exponential ensemble and debuting an original work this semester! Besides her passion for playing Romantic-period pieces, arranging songs for piano and singing Broadway tunes, Yohannah also loves to write, photography, enjoy all sorts of food and explore NYC!

James Ho was born and raised in Puerto Rico and moved to Brooklyn at the age of 12. He first began learning piano at 16 and is currently studying the piano under Dr. Nathaniel Sloan, who specializes in Jazz. Some of his interests include chess and philosophy of existentialism and mostly thinking about how AIs will make us all unemployed. While he listens to classical composers, mostly from the romantic era and the impressionist era, mostly Frederic Chopin and Maurice Ravel, he also listens to contemporary composers like Yuki Kaijura, Yoko Kanno, and Yiruma. He first began his music minor experience through his Intro to Music History course. Through the Fordham composition course, James wishes to learn composition for himself and understand how the music of those his listens to and plays influences his composition style and technique. James will graduate this August double majoring in Economics and Computer Science and minoring Music where he will go onto to be a masters candidate for Data Analytics.

Gregory P. Hopp is a freshman at Fordham University double-majoring in Middle East Studies and Classical Languages with a minor in Music. He spent his early childhood in Queens, followed by 12 years in State College, PA. Having been raised by a family that is almost constantly dancing, he trained in Irish dance for eight years and competed at the World Championships twice. This love of dancing developed into a love of music, and he has been playing the piano for eleven years and now sings in the Schola Cantorum choir. He is incredibly excited to study composition, and would like to thank Dr. Ott and the Exponential Ensemble for all their help and Mr. Douglas Swaine for the years of piano lessons. He would also like to thank Dr. Sosa for introducing him to the possibility of studying music at the collegiate level.

Neo Myeong Jo is from South Korea and 22 years old. She enjoys composing, listening and dancing to music--especially techno. She is also interested in film music and hopes to hear her piece in a film one day. 

Julie Patadia is a senior at Fordham University Lincoln Center. She is a psychology major with a music minor. This will be her very first piece of music created and she plans on continuing her education in composition after graduating. She would like to thank Exponential Ensemble for their dedication and guidance through the writing process.

From Franklin Square, New York, Victoria Pitz is a junior in music and english double-major.  With skills on clarinet, alto saxophone, guitar, and piano, she has played in the University Orchestra, Gloria Dei Band at the University Church, and University Pep Band.  She currently holds a seat in Fordham's Jazz Orchestra at Jazz at Lincoln Center and plays guitar/voice in the Praise and Worship Band at Fordham.  With interests in both historical and ethnomusicology, Victoria hopes to purse research in conjunction with Music Therapy.  Working for a Santa Fe-based non-profit, Victoria discovered her gift for healing and the bith-place of music therapy as an ancient indigenous practice.  She hopes to venerate this exposure to non-Western music and culture in her composition.  Victoria has previously arranged jazz charts and looks forward to cultivating a classical piece.  She thanks Dr. Ott, the Exponential Ensemble, and the ever-inspiring mentors in Fordham's Music Department for their dedication and investment in her. 

Sam Ross was raised in Mineral Springs, North Carolina. He has always held a deep love for music but did not begin to play until teaching himself guitar at 16 years old. After developing a sufficient musical skillset and experimenting with various other instruments, Sam combined his love for music with his passion for the literary arts, writing pop and folk songs and recording them on a digital 4-track recorder. Sam currently is a junior at Fordham University majoring in American Studies with minors in English and Music, and he continues to write poetry and songs whenever time permits. 

Lyra Sior is a Music and Psychology double major at Fordham University. She began studying music with childhood piano lessons. For the past 8 years she has played flute, the last 4 of which have been with the University Orchestra. Following a little background in jazz arranging and electronic music production, she is excited to begin her composing career with the help of Dr. Ott and the incredible musicians of the Exponential Ensemble.

Justice! Sommerville-Adair is a freshman at Fordham studying mathematics and music. She participates in the Fordham University Choir, plays piano, and is learning cello and violin. Over the summer she worked as music director for Lights Up Productions' Legally Blonde, Little Shop of Horrors, and Into The Woods.  She's very excited and nervous to have the opportunity to compose, and to have the members of the Exponential Ensemble perform her composition.  

Born and raised in Norwalk, Connecticut, Jessica Somma is a junior at Fordham double-majoring in History and Music with a minor in Arabic. Jessica is currently involved with the Fordham University Choir, but she comes from a 10+ year career of choral performance, including multiple performances in state and regional festivals. Although she will always be a choir kid, Jessica is now excited to try her hand at instrumental composition. She would like to thank Dr. Ott and the Exponential Ensemble for guiding her through the process and is excited for her world premiere as a composer!

Thomas Steccato is a senior at Fordham University studying Communication and Media, and Music.  This is his first time composing for an ensamble and is very excited to share what he has made. He would like to thank Dr Ott and the Exponential Ensamble for their guidance and help with his composition. 

Phillip Thompson is a junior from Spokane, Washington. He is studying music and creative writing and hopes to continue to do so after college. He is very grateful to Dr. Daniel Ott and the Exponential Ensemble for this amazing opportunity.

Merissa Wright is a senior with an individualized major in Music Therapy at Fordham University. From Ocean Bluff, Massachusetts, she has been singing and composing music for guitar and voice for 11 years. Merissa loves the universality of music and its ability to reach a person on a psychological, spiritual, and physical level. Alongside being Captain of the Women's Track and Field Team, Merissa is conducting an Undergraduate Research Project on the BPM of music and its correlation to stride and lower-leg injury patterns in runners. Merissa works as a Music Therapy leader for children and adults with disabilities, and is excited to expand her composition skills to instruments other than the guitar. This will be her first time writing for Traditional instruments and hopes to bring her unique tastes to the world of music which was at once unknown to her. She thanks Dr. Ott and the Exponential Ensemble for their talents and guidance. 

Born and raised in Manhattan’s Upper West Side with an eclectic upbringing of Hip Hop, R&B, and Jazz, music is important to Andrew Abbensett. He even goes as far as saying that music saved his life on multiple occasions. He accredits this to broadening his musical tastes, joining choir, tackling musical theater, delving into jazz ensemble, experimenting with music production, and finally taking the Music Composition class. As he is about to graduate Fordham University with a B.A. in Music and a minor in English, he is grateful for all of the opportunities to expand his musical knowledge and appreciation, along with his overall growth as a musician. He hopes that the Young Composers Program will be the beginning of a long legacy filled with creating music for all to enjoy.

Benjamin Carbone is a 21 year-old composer, guitarist, songwriter, and audio engineer from Syracuse, New York. He is currently finishing his last semester as a student of music at Fordham University where he focuses in Jazz Performance. Benjamin's main artistic inspirations are the extraordinary events hidden just a quarter inch beneath the thin layer of the mundane that covers our quotidian lives. These events often take place in elevators, dive bars and coffee shop lines. This is his first full venture into the world of composition. He hopes that you all enjoy it. 

Joanna Connolly hails from Queens, NY, the fourth of six children in a chaotic and musical family. She grew up singing showtunes with her two sisters, and this experience began her love of song and story. In the summer of 2014, Joanna had the unique opportunity to participate in the Manhattan School of Music Summer Voice Festival, and she continues to study voice under the tutelage of Tessa Lang. Last year, Joanna also had the privilege to study English and Music at the University of Oxford, where she performed in a number of musicals produced by the University. She graduates from Fordham this May with a degree in English and Music.

Rosemary Derocher grew up in New York, Illinois, and Virginia, spending the most time just outside of Albany, NY. She has been playing piano since age six and saxophone since age 12, in addition to being self-taught on guitar, banjo, ukulele, and whatever other instruments she can find (this includes the concertina). She is grateful for all of the playing opportunities afforded to her in high school in jazz bands, wind ensembles, rock bands, and pit orchestras. Rosemary is now a senior majoring in English and minoring in Music at Fordham College Rose Hill. In December 2015, the Fordham Jazz Orchestra in cooperation with Jazz at Lincoln Center played her first large scale composition and arrangement, "Tumble Dry Low." She loves the look on someone's face when they know they've just heard or played something that sounded really good.

Sarah Homer was born and raised on Long Island but considers the Bronx her second home after three and a half incredible years at Fordham University's Rose Hill campus, where she majors in English and minors in music.  She began studying the piano at age seven and the clarinet at age nine, and spent middle and high school working her way through all six levels of NYSSMA on piano, clarinet, and vocals, as well as performing in various school and extracurricular bands and choruses.  These days, she primarily plays the clarinet in pit bands, a passion she discovered during high school thanks to the guidance of some of the best music teachers on the planet.  Sarah is very much looking forward to working with the incredibly talented members of the Exponential Ensemble to try her hand at composing!

Jessica Jones is a junior at Fordham, studying psychology and music, and hails from a small town in the Lower Hudson Valley. Showing interest in music at an early age, she was heavily involved in various music ensembles and drama productions, participating in her high school’s choir, band, and jazz band, and Fordham College Lincoln Center’s chamber orchestra. She plays the clarinet, bass clarinet, and piano, and has won several awards at New York State School Music Association (NYSSMA). She finds it ironic that she once told her band director in high school that she would never take a music composition class.

Born in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida and raised in Nashville, Tennessee, Ross Lampert always brings a love for music with him wherever he goes. Starting with piano lessons at the age of five before switching to saxophone through middle and high school, Ross has always experimented with songwriting and composition, a process that only grew as he joined various garage bands outside of school. Encouraged to learn other instruments and contribute his own songs, Ross picked up electric bass, drums, and eventually guitar, which has acted as his primary instrument and tool of composition for the past six years, writing instrumentals and lyrical songs in his spare time. Though he has little experience writing from a traditional composer's standpoint, Ross hopes to bring his unique experiences with the music world out of his comfort zone and into the 2016 Young Composers Program.

Brian Reynolds is a junior music and economics double major from East Northport, New York. He has been studying percussion since the age of 10, playing in bands and orchestras all throughout middle and high school. Currently, he serves as president of the Fordham University band and orchestra, student conductor of the pep band and drummer for the Fordham Jazz Collective. He has also undertaken independent study to compose original pieces while at Fordham, working with Dr. DeCusatis over the past two semesters. In his spare time, Brian enjoys exploring the city and attending live concerts. 

Shannon Rockett is a senior Music major studying classical vocal performance at the Rose Hill campus of Fordham University. Born and raised in northern Virginia, she has been singing chorally for 11 years, and began individual study as a dramatic soprano in college with Elaine Lachica. Her previous performance engagements include Apotheosis Opera's summer production of Wagner's Tannhäuser and Fordham University's Schola Cantorum and University Choir. Currently, Shannon is preparing to give her Senior Vocal Recital at the end of April this year. She thanks Dr. Ott and Exponential Ensemble for their guidance and patience through what is easily her most challenging musical endeavor to date.

Rebecca Su is a senior music major from Taipei, Taiwan. She moved to Shanghai, China at the age of 8 and started playing the violin at the age of 10 and singing at 16. In 2012, Rebecca left Taiwan and moved to New York to study music at Fordham University at the Lincoln Center. She is currently an alto in the women's choir. This is her first time composing under the guidance of Dr.Ott. In her spare time, Rebecca enjoys exploring the city. 

Holly Wang (also known as Yiping Wang) was born in Zhuhai, China, and came to New York for college in 2015. She currently majors in communication, possibly minor in politics and psychology at Fordham University Lincoln Center. Started to play piano since 3, she began to write songs (mostly pop, blues, EDM and country) at 13. She can play 7 instruments: piano, acoustic guitar, electric guitar, drum, bass, pipa (a Chinese instrument) and banjo, and she plans to learn cello, violin, ukulele and saxophone in the future. She has also produced her music for years. She is good at and fond of improvisation on piano, guitar and drum. This is her first time trying writing classical music, even though she has improvised such music on the piano for at least 2 years. Her goal in music is to cure people. She has helped others by writing music for and about them. 

Born and raised in Vermont, Linnea Willey is grateful to be on her third year of university in New York City, majoring in Music and minoring in Philosophy. Music, for her, is a form of both magic and medicine. She loves to sing, rap, drum, and dabble on the piano, guitar, clarinet, and sax. She is humbled that her composition is being played by such talented artists and heard by such beautiful people. 

Daniel Wilson, hails from the suburbs of Philadelphia, but currently resides in New York City, where he studies philosophy at Fordham University and piano performance at Juilliard. He has worked most prominently with Adelaide Roberts at Juilliard and Dr. Carl Cranmer at West Chester University. Over the past few years, he has participated in the Philadelphia International Music Festival, performed with the Immaculata Symphony Orchestra, and appeared at venues such as the Kimmel Center in Philadelphia. He most recently worked as the music director for Fordham University’s production of A Chorus Line and possesses particular interest in the repertoire of French composers. 

The 2014 Fordham Composers Program became an official composition class offered by Fordham University. Each of the 16 students enrolled that winter/spring semester were asked to compose a 3 to 5 minutes long piece using any combination of these instruments: clarinet, violin, viola and cello. 

Exponential Ensemble visited Dr. Daniel Ott's class five times to read drafts and guide the students in their compositional process. The program culminated with a performance of all the works in front of students, teachers and a special jury on April 10, 2014 at Fordham University. The jury selected two pieces to be performed on May 12, 2014 during Exponential Ensemble's Season 3 Finale at the National Opera Center.  

Nora Linde and Danielle Mendez were the 2014 Fordham Composers Program Winners. 

Born and raised in Queens, NY, Nicholas Cheung started piano lessons when he was eight. He is classically trained in piano and participated in and won many competitions. In addition to his major in Business Administration, he has a minor in music to compliment his musical upbringing.  He transferred to Fordham University from Clark University in 2011, the beginning of his sophomore year. Nicholas is currently in his final semester of Fordham University. For more information or to check out  his music, http://nickpiano.com/

Born and raised in and around the Bronx, Dan Gibney will be graduating from Fordham this May with a degree in Music and American Studies.  He grew up playing Irish music on the piano and the accordion and frequently performs at Irish cultural festivals throughout the U.S. and occasionally abroad.  Unless something goes horribly awry, he will be attending a graduate program in musicology in NYC next fall.  This is Dan's first attempt at composing, and he's so grateful to all of the members of the Exponential Ensemble for their advice!

Hyocheong Hong came to America in 2002 and was raised in New Jersey. Early on, she learned to play the piano but did not gain interest in music until she joined her school chorus during elementary school. Since music did not play an big part in her family, she was only able to interact with music through school. In 2006, she began to learn the cello and joined her church orchestra. Until high school, Hyocheong has been singing in the choir and has recently joined the University choir as well. Although she never imagined herself to be a composer, she looks forward to what she will learn through this workshop. Hyocheong is a music major in Fordham College at Lincoln Center.

Troy Krusz is a guitarist and vocalist from Mt. Vernon, New York. He began violin and piano lessons in grade school and started teaching himself to play the guitar at age 12. In middle school and high school Troy played with his school band, various rock bands and as a solo act throughout Westchester, the Bronx and Manhattan. He currently is studying at Fordham College at Lincoln Center and will graduate in 2015 with a double major in Music and Classical Languages. Troy has a passion for studying and playing early Blues, Folk and Traditional music, as well as Jazz, Rock and more. He enjoys spending his time reading, writing poetry, and watching live music.

Vianka Lemus was born in San Diego, California and began piano lessons when she was four. As a child she performed in a yearly recital under her teacher at the time, Inessa Novikova. The recitals were held in Tijuana, B.C., Mexico at the cultural center, and as many as 500 people attended.  Now a classically trained pianist, she is recieving further guidance under Irina Rees thanks to Fordham's Boyce Music Scholarship.  Vianka will be graduating this May with a Bachelors in Music, and plans (for now) to take her studies back to the west coast in 2015.

Nora Linde was born and raised in New York City.  Music has been a big part of her life since elementary school when she started studying piano, joined church choir, and began studying harp with Mariko Anraku, Associate Principal Harpist of the Met Opera.  Nora has played harp in church settings and at parties.  She also sings in the choir at Fordham University where she is a junior music major with political science and French minors.  Nora composed her first piece at age six.  The follow-up to "Catwalk" has been a long time coming, but she hopes it will be worth the wait.

Joey LoVoi was born in Washington, D.C. but did not begin studying music until after he and his family had moved to Brussels, Belgium in 2004.  He started out as a trumpet player in his middle school band and piano lessons shortly followed.  Four years later he moved back to the US to the hometown of both his parents Tulsa, Oklahoma.  At the start of high school Joey joined his school choir and also began to learn how to play the guitar and the electric bass.  During this time he played guitar, piano, and occasionally bass in a number of different bands around Tulsa, one of which participated in the city's battle of the bands.  Joey is a music major currently in his fourth year at Fordham College at Lincoln Center.  

Charlie Situ is a classically trained pianist from San Francisco California. He spent most of his childhood improving on his piano technique on his own until he entered high school, where he expanded his musical knowledge by playing in ensembles in church and orchestra. He found joy in sharing and performing music with others. Now in college, he hopes to even strengthen his love for music by learning how to express himself more creatively through personal  compositional work.

Born in Valhalla, New York and graduate of Oak Grove High School in Hattiesburg, Mississippi, Christina Vilar is a Music major in her freshman year at Fordham University. She began playing the piano at the age of six, and then began playing the clarinet in 2005 when she joined her middle school band. Christina is a four year member of the Mississippi All-State Lions Band where she has marched in international Lions Clubs parades in Sydney, Australia, Seattle, WA, and Hamburg, Germany, taking home international championship titles in all three parades. She also had the pleasure of playing in the Tupelo Symphony Orchestra for two seasons alongside her teacher, Wilbur Moreland. Christina enjoys writing lyrics, creating remixes by combining classical and pop music, and attending a variety of concerts. 

Elliott Sawicki was born and raised in Buffalo, NY, where he expressed interest in music at an early age. Elliott began by taking violin, trumpet, and piano lessons, however it wasn’t until picking up a guitar at the age of 12 that he discovered his true passion for music. From that point on, he took lessons in guitar and piano, focusing on jazz, blues, folk and rock and roll. Elliott is now in his third year at Fordham College at Lincoln Center where he is continuing his studies in music. He participates in Fordham’s small jazz ensembles in partnership with Jazz at Lincoln Center, as well as the guitar ensemble under the instruction of guitarist Matthew Butterman. 

Harrison Nida was classically trained in voice while singing for ten years with the Ragazzi Boys Choir, going on three domestic and two international tours. He also completed collegiate level theory. Harrison is now is a singer/songwriter, and has been working with Lynn Verlayne Studios on his debut EP to be released this March. For a more complete bio or to check out his music, visit www.harrisonnida.com

Malcolm Morano is thrilled to be a part of Exponential Ensemble’s Young Composer’s Program for the second time!  Born and raised in Tenafly, NJ, Malcolm is a senior at Fordham University, double-majoring in Music and Philosophy.  From the ages of 10 to 17, he was a professional stage actor.  He played and composed progressive rock music for the electric guitar throughout high school.  Since college, he has been studying classical piano, which earned him a Fordham Music Lessons Scholarship last year.  He has also been the musical director of Fordham’s a cappella group, the F-Sharps.  In addition to composing, Malcolm also writes poetry, philosophy, political commentary, and art criticism.  

Nathan Miranda, born and raised in Cary, NC, started piano lessons at the age of four. He showed a passion for jazz early on, picking up the alto saxophone in his first year of middle school and playing in various big bands and combos through high school. At the age of sixteen, he joined Duke University's Jazzforce as an alto player, headed by renowned bassist John Brown and composed of the most talented high school students in NC's Triangle region. At seventeen, Nathan joined UNC-G's Miles Davis Jazz Studies high school jazz program and UNC's Essentially Ellington high school jazz festival. Upon arriving at Fordham University, he joined the Fordham-based band Cableknit in his freshman year, which culminated in the release of Cableknit's first EP in May 2013. In January 2013, Nathan joined Jazz at Lincoln Center's small group sessions, under the instruction of guitarist Matt Buttermann and singer Michael Mwenso. Through this partnership with JALC. In January 2014, Nathan joined Rose Hill's BJC Jazz Quartet headed by Brenda Earle Stokes and has played shows around the city with the group.

Danielle Mendez is a songwriter and pianist from Atlantic City, New Jersey. After realizing her ability to play by ear at age eight, piano lessons shortly followed. Throughout high school Danielle played with local orchestras, pit bands, and jazz groups. She developed her passion for songwriting at age thirteen and had some of her jazz compositions performed within the Atlantic City Casinos. During her college career at Fordham University, she continues to play within the tri-state area and was featured within issues of The New York City Jazz Record and Hot House. Most recently, Danielle is working at Warner Music Group while also working on various writing and production projects. She will be graduating in 2014 with a Bachelors in economics and music minor.

Born and raised outside of Atlanta, Charlie Martin is a National Hispanic Merit Scholar and young composer working in New York's flourishing new music scene. In addition to Philosophy and Music majors in the Honors College, Charlie has also pursued four years of rigorous musical studies at The Juilliard School's Evening Division, as well as working as Creative Outreach Director for Silicon Alley social media start-up, ShowAmerica. Charlie has composed and arranged pieces for orchestral, choral, chamber, liturgical, and other settings.  He has collaborated with Corona Youth Music Project, a Queens-based branch of the globalEl Sistemamovement, and was the first Fordham student to combine music with the service-learning credit offered by theDorothy Day Center for Service and Justice.  He is humbled to have been recipient of Fordham's Departmental Piano Scholarship, the 2013 Exponential Ensemble Young Composer premiere, and the 2014 Conductor's Apprenticeship with the New York Youth Symphony. Charlie is passionate about social justice, music, and making things for people he loves.  For more info about Charlie, visit  www.charliemartinmusic.com

Born and raised outside of Atlanta, Georgia, Charlie Martin is pursuing Music and Philosophy majors at Fordham University, as well as additional studies through The Juilliard School's Evening Division.  Charlie has composed and arranged pieces for classroom and liturgical settings, in addition to vocal performance experiences with both the Fordham University Choir, the Young New Yorkers' Chorus, and a brief internship with the Corona Youth Music Project.  He is currently studying piano with Ms. Adelaide Roberts.  In addition to writing and performing music, Charlie is also active as a young philosopher, student leader, and social activist. His work has been featured in the Fordham Philosophy newsletter and The Fordham Observer, as well as other publications on campus. 

Malcolm Morano is a Junior at Fordham College at Lincoln Center, double majoring in Philosophy and Music.  As a teenager, he was a professional actor in both plays and musical theater.  Since the age of 12, he has played electric guitar, and was the member of multiple rock bands in high school for which he wrote a great deal of music for electric guitar.  In college, he began studying classical piano, music theory and became more interested in the music of Beethoven, Brahms, Mahler, and Bartok.  After years of hiatus, the Exponential Ensemble Young Composers Program is his first attempt at composing classical music. 

Hyun-Jin Jenny Park was born in Seoul, Korea and raised in Portland, Oregon.  She started piano lessons at the age of five and, in 2010, she performed pieces by Beethoven, Bach, and Villa-Lobos at the Old Church in Portland, with her instructor Craig Jones.  She has also dabbled in instruments like the violin, viola, guitar, jang-gu, and pipe organ.  Jenny is currently working towards her double degree of Psychology and Music at Fordham University.  Swan is her first composition.  

Terence Petersen is a music major in his senior year at Fordham University. He divides his time between the University Choir, the Fordham Experimental Theatre group, and various independent student film and music projects. He has been composing now for a year, and plans to continue as far into the future as the practice carries him. 

Electric guitarist John Venditti is a graduating senior at Fordham College at Lincoln Center. Writing and composing for electric guitar has always been one of his passions and upon graduation he will stive to continue learning to compose for orchestral instruments as well.  Through his composing he enjoys using the instruments to tell a story or express emotion, and perfecting using music as a form of communication.