Austin Wintory, Gray Rain,  symphonic music, began its long gestation as a result of 9/11. The  composition began as a choral work, in honor of those lost, but  ultimately, Wintory said; it felt shallow and reactionary. After  visiting Dachau, he revisited the piece. More years passed until the  work was completed. 

Dr. Mayron Tsong, University of Maryland College Park, Mayron Tsong, Solo Russian Piano Music,  acoustic instrumental solo performance, involve works of Rachmaninoff  composed in the two decades before the Russian Revolution. A Steinway  Artist, Tsong performs around the globe including Carnegie Hall.

Gao Hong, Carleton College, Flying Dragon,  acoustic instrumental solo performance, features Hong on a Chinese  pipa, a pear-shaped lute. The performance has strong artistic appeal and  the flavor of a beautiful piece of storytelling as her fingers flutter  at warp-speed across the four strings of the instrument creating an  astonishing range of timbres. 

James Hartway, Wayne State University, Urban Pictures (Track  13 + 14), composition, is a concerto for jazz quintet and symphony  orchestra composed as part of the Detroit/Torino Urban Jazz Project. The  music gives an aural perspective on urban life. Dr. Hartway has  received more than sixty commissions from major musical and educational  institutions. 

Jeremy Soule, Max Steiner Agency, Skyrim,  video game music, features sounds inspired by icy mountain peaks and  the magnificence of dragons. Soules soundtracks receive critical acclaim  as the best in the video game industry. Often Soules music is  electronic and is frequently indistinguishable from live music. 

Krzysztof Kaczka, Guangzhou Symphony Orchestra (China), Nostalgy,  creativity/originality, is a unique, and highly successful project for  transcriptions of Frederick Chopin's pieces to flute and marimba. The  sounds are marvelous. Kaczka, born in Poland, made his New York debut at  Carnegie Recital Hall as IBLA Grand Prize winner. 

Ron Korb (Canada), St. Johann,  composition, came about after composer Ron Korb visited the St. Thomas  Church in Leipzig where Johann Sebastian Bach spent 25 years. This  unique version of St. Johann by Korb is for flute and jazz trio. Korb  has traveled the world and his compositions are steeped in diverse  cultural traditions. 

Shandy Phillips, Concertino Adagio, Allegro con spirito,  composition. Phillips said, "My goal was to produce a musical picture  of a large conversation, like a party, where there are many  conversations going on at once, each conversation leads to a different  tangent, a different angle. This Juilliard and Boston Conservatory  graduate is a frequent soloist and music teacher.