Dahn compositions to be premiered

Dr. Luke Dahn, assistant professor of music at Northwestern College, will have two of his compositions premiered this month.

A brass quintet fanfare entitled Dash will be premiered by the renowned Boston Brass at the April 16 Northwest Iowa Symphony Orchestra-sponsored concert in Sioux Center. The piece was written as part of the ensemble’s Fanfares! project, which celebrates their 25th anniversary.

A new 17-minute work for large ensemble entitled ... Like A Fantastic Ague will be premiered and featured on the University of Iowa Center for New Music spring tour. Performances are April 15–17 at the universities of Wisconsin, Minnesota and Iowa, respectively.

Dahn has written compositions heard throughout the world, with recent performances given by groups and soloists such as the Moscow Conservatory Studio for New Music, the NODUS Ensemble, the NEXTET Ensemble, Composers Inc. and saxophonist Kenneth Tse. Venues have included the Estonia Academy of Music, the 14th International Saxophone Meeting in Slovenia, Harvard University’s Memorial Church, the Miami ISCM Festival Series and the N.E.O.N. (Nevada Encounters of New Music) Festival. Several of his works have been recorded on the Albany label, included his quintet Penumbrae, winner of the 2010 League Composers/ISCM Composers Competition. 

Dahn earned a doctorate in music composition from the University of Iowa, where he served as visiting assistant professor. He also received a Master of Music degree from Western Michigan University and a bachelor’s in music from Houston Baptist University. He has taught music theory and composition courses at Northwestern since 2007.