Updates and Current Projects

I am immensely grateful for the incredible opportunity to be part of the Upstream Artist Fellowship and to create music that captures the essence and beauty of the Sand Dunes State Forest. This forest is a source of peace and inspiration for me.

Reclaimed by Nature tells the story of the land. Originally, the Sand Dunes State Forest was prairie land. Pioneers tried to transform it into farmland. The soil was too sandy for it to flourish and they planted trees. The trees blossomed into a beautiful forest. I hope you enjoy the beauty of the forest as much as I do.

Thank you Minnesota Upstream and Springboard for the Arts. Your support throughout this fellowship has been instrumental in allowing me to explore and share my artistic vision in such a unique and inspiring natural setting.

The chance to immerse myself in the serene landscapes of the Sand Dunes State Forest has not only fueled my creativity but has also allowed me to connect with the environment on a profound level. Your fellowship has provided a platform for me to express the intricate relationship between music and nature, and I am truly honored to have been given this opportunity.

Thanks for watching!

Excited to announce that I have been selected for a 2023-24 fellowship at @letsbespoken, a mentorship program for women and non-binary musicians! This cohort brings together 20 artists and ensembles from around the world to collaborate and develop our projects, ideas, & goals. #letsbespoken letsbespoken.org

I’m thrilled to announce that I’ll be releasing my first solo piano ep on May 14th! Here’s a snippet of Electric Stare from the ep! Thank you, East Central Regional Art Council for making my dream come true!

Philippa Musical

Addressing themes of otherness, in-between-ness, and acceptance, Philippa Musical presents the true story of Harlem Renaissance-born child prodigy Philippa Duke Schuyler, her struggles as a mixed-race pianist, composer, author and journalist, and her internal war with herself around owning her blackness. Schuyler’s compositions are fused with new original music, resulting in a vibrant cross-genre, cross-generational mashup score.

New musical under development with collaborator G. Victoria Campbell

Previous Projects

My multimedia piece Four Seasonal Sketches premiered on December 10th.

My piece Bloodlust will be premiered at Zeitgeist Halloween Festival. http://www.zeitgeistnewmusic.org/all-events.html

I received an MSAB Grant to create Four Seasonal Sketches of Central Minnesota. I film natural locations and add sound design to the footage. I am composing original piano music to go along with each season. The piece will premiere at the Princeton Library in Princeton, MN on December 3, 2022. It will be released online on December 10, 2022.

Summer Updates

I had a wonderful summer! In June I was a part of the 2022 Westben Composer Performer Residency. You can check out the music we created here: https://westbendigitalvenue.ca/?layer=5

In July, I led a Free First Saturday Event at the Walker Art Center

In August, I particapated in the the New Musical Project, where my musical Polly the Musical had a semi-staged premiere.

I’m pleased to announce that I received my second Minnesota State Arts Board grant to create a multimedia piece entitled Seasonal Sketches of Central Minnesota. I will film beautiful nature scenes throughout Central Minnesota and will create soundscapes to match each scene. I’m very excited and grateful for this opportunity.

Minnesota Opera’s MNiatures 2021:

Check out the opera short I wrote for the Minnesota Opera’s MNiatures: Semblance: Leigh Opulent.

Check out Impossible Musics from Corrector Records. My piece Drip Switch is featured on this mixtape. All of the pieces on this mixtape are wonderful! Please check them out!

I’m currently working two projects. A film score for Stranger in the Woods and Impossible Musics for Corrector Records. I had a lot of fun doing the Live Piano Hotline. I am going to start doing livestreams once a month. More info to come.

Stephanie’s Live Piano Hotline

I’m working with Springboard for the Arts’ Artist’s Respond: Combating Social Isolation. The COVID-19 crisis has resulted in increased levels of social isolation in our communities, as an artist in Minnesota I want to create moments of joy, solace, solidarity, sharing, and a sense of connection – for those who are feeling most isolated in these pandemic times. We are ardently working to ensure community building in this era where many of us are forced to isolate-and what better way to do that than to share music? I’m reaching out to local retirement communities, and long term care facilities to see if there’s an interest in having residents experience live piano music for one hour via YouTube. I will be performing a Live Piano Hotline in order to combat social isolation during the holiday season. This is a free event. I will play a variety of piano music including Classical, Rock, Pop, Holiday, and Broadway. The dates for the Live Piano Hotline are 12/6 at 10:00am, 12/10 at 6:00pm, 12/12 at 3:00pm, and 12/19 at 3:00pm. Please let me know if you know of any organizations that may be interested in listening to live piano music at a distance. Links to the livestream performances below:

I’m currently working on two film scores. Here’s a sample of what I’m working on for Dinner Party