photo by Ara Howrani

PRISM Quartet has announced the inaugural program of the Philadelphia Student Composers Project.

The concerts, set for Dec. 6 at the University of Pennsylvania’s Fisher-Bennet Hall, and Dec. 7 at Christ and St. Stephen’s Church in New York, will feature new works by rising-star composition students representing four of Philadelphia’s most prominent music schools.

The four composers, their works scheduled for their world premiers, and affiliations are Elise Arancio’s “Atomic Tangerine and Indigo; Green” (Curtis Institute of Music); Brendan McMullen’s “Spliced Tapes,” (University of Pennsylvania); Sepehr Pirasteh’s “Transgression (Act of Sin),” (Temple University); Gloria Quinn’s “Four Short Songs,” (University of the Arts).

PRISM Quartet, comprising saxophonists Matthew Levy, Timothy McAllister, Zachary Shemon, Taimur Sullivan has been described by Time Out New York, is “an eminent classical saxophone quartet with an unquenchable thirst for intrigue and adventure.” The quartet, credited with over 300 commissions, will also present music written for PRISM by composers with strong connections to Philadelphia, including David Serkin Ludwig’s “Josquin Microludes,” James Primosch’s “I Never Knew and Straight Up”, and Julia Wolfe’s “Cha.”