2026 Program Guide | Cabrillo Festival of Contemporary Music

16 CABRILLO FESTIVAL OF CONTEMPORARY MUSIC 2026 DAN DEDIU SPONSORED BY CRISTIAN MĂCELARU & CHERYL HUDDLESTON DanDediu studied composition inBucharest withStefanNiculescu andDanConstantinescu,andinViennawithFrancisBurt.Hisoutput includes more than 180 works covering almost all musical genres: 5 symphonies and 20 other pieces for orchestra, 13 concertos, 7 string quartets, chamber music in various ensembles, piano music, choirs, five operas ( Post-fiction, Münchhausen, Eva!, A Lost Letter, Carnival Affairs ) and a Concert Opera ( Wagner Under ). He is the recipient of several national and international composition prizes and has coordinated as artistic director of the International New Music Week festival (in 1999, 2001, 2007, 2008, 2016- 2026). Dediu is professor of composition, artistic director of the Profil ensemble, and was rector of the National University of Music in Bucharest from 2008-2016. He also holds honorary doctorates from the University of Arts "George Enescu" in Iasi, the University of Craiova, Academy of Music, Theatre and Fine Arts in Chisinau and the Academy of Music in Cluj. In June 2022 he was elected President of the Romanian Composers and Musicologists Society. PAUL DOOLEY SPONSORED BY KATHRYN LAWHUN & MARK SHINBROT Paul Dooley is one of the most prolific and performed composers of his generation in America today. His path has embraced not only his Western Classical heritage, but also a cross-cultural range of contemporary music, dance, art, technology and the interactions between the human and natural worlds. Dooley’s music has been commissioned and performed by more than 100 orchestras around the globe, contemporary ensembles like the Nu Deco Ensemble and AlarmWill Sound, by all the United States military bands such as “The President’s Own” Marine Band, the Army Band “Pershing’s Own,” and hundreds of universities and high schools. In 2025 Dooley retired from the music faculty at the University of Michigan where he taught for 13 years, created the Performing Arts Technology department’s annual Computer Music Showcase, co-directed the Midwest Composers Symposium, and was coordinator of the “ONCE. MORE.” festival. Born in Santa Rosa, California, in 1983, Dooley began his musical life listening to Beethoven, Bruce Hornsby, Nirvana and Rush. At the age of 13, Dooley began a long mentorship with gifted songwriter Gary “Doc” Collins. In high school Dooley also studied composition with Charles Sepos, before earning bachelor degrees in mathematics and music composition at the University of Southern California (2002-2007) with Frank Ticheli and Stephen Hartke, and a master and doctorate degree at the University of Michigan (2007-2013) with Michael Daugherty. GALA FLAGELLO SPONSORED BY LIZA CULICK & GERI MIGIELICZ AND MICHAEL GOOD & JOANN CLOSE Gala Flagello is a composer and educator whose work is inspired by a passion for lyricism, rhythmic vitality, and fostering meaningful collaboration. Her music, described as "at times endearingly whimsical, at times ominous, but always moving" (Cleveland Classical) , resonates with audiences through its emotional depth and dynamic expression. With over 150 performances of her music each year, Flagello's collaborations with leading ensembles, artists, and institutions on national and international stages are impactful to audiences and performers alike. Flagello’s 2025/26 season features premieres by theWichita Falls Symphony Orchestra, Knoxville Symphony Youth Symphony, ROCO, the United States Naval Academy Band, Thalea String Quartet, and Calypsus Brass. Composer residencies this season include Glacier Symphony Orchestra, Knoxville Symphony Youth Symphony, United States Naval Academy Band, the 2025 SoundWaves Festival at Texas A&M University–Corpus Christi, the University of North Carolina Greensboro, and Purdue University Fort Wayne. Upcoming collaborations include a new work for soprano and symphonic winds featuring renowned vocalist Lindsay Kesselman, and a saxophone quartet concerto for acclaimed ensemble ~Nois. Flagello’s works have been featured by prominent ensembles including the BBC Symphony Orchestra, Detroit Symphony Orchestra, Chautauqua Festival Orchestra, Wichita Falls Symphony DAN DEDIU GALA FLAGELLO PHILIP GLASS PAUL DOOLEY VIVIAN FUNG SARAH HENNIES