Courage Barda (b. 2003) is a composer, countertenor, and media artist from Indiana. He composes music for the voice and creates interdisciplinary performance works that integrate movement, theater, text, and video. Playfulness and critical theory are central to his creative practice. His research focuses on intermedia counterpoint and the aesthetics of abjection and camp. After surviving a severe neurological event, he began to center his work on his disabled body, using it as compositional material and a conceptual framework.

His work has been performed by ensembles such the Fourth Choir, the Young New Yorkers’ Chorus, the Phoenix Boys Choir, the Capital Hearings, the International Brazilian Opera Company, Hub New Music, the Choral Arts Initiative, and NOTUS, Indiana University’s contemporary vocal ensemble. 

He is completing bachelor’s degrees in Composition and Historical Performance (Voice) at the Jacobs School of Music at Indiana University. His composition mentors include Gabriel Jenks, John Gibson, Aaron Travers, Don Freund, and David Dzubay. He studies voice with Thomas Cooley. He will begin pursuing a Master of Music in Composition at the Thornton School of Music at the University of Southern California in the fall of 2026.

Shane Scott Cook (b. 1994) is a composer, performer, and songwriter whose work explores themes of community, connection, nature, and the queer experience. His music is shaped by an eclectic background as a classical percussionist, jazz singer, folk enthusiast, and musical theater aficionado, and has been commissioned and performed by Del Sol Quartet, Akropolis Reed Quintet, Salastina, Stare at the Sun, Young New Yorkers’ Chorus, Duo Cortona, and Hindustani vocalist Saili Oak.

From 2023–25, Shane served as Teaching Artist-in-Residence at the Gabriela Lena Frank Creative Academy of Music, where he taught piano, guitar, percussion, and music theory to public school students in rural Northern California. Recent appointments include Composer-in-Residence for Del Sol Quartet’s 2025 ChamberFest, Composer Fellow for the 2025 Akropolis Chamber Music Festival, and 2024 Sounds Promising Young Composer Fellow with Salastina.

In 2025, his premieres included bloom for Quintet Attacca and mezzo-soprano Quinn Middleman (EarTaxi Festival); song-cycle Namesake (Boston Singers’ Resource and Catalyst New Music); speak, winner of The Capital Hearings’ Young Composers’ Competition; and chamber works call it what it is (OLEA Ensemble) and Neon Landscape (Moody Center at Rice University). That same year, his choral works received awards or recognition from Stare at the Sun, Young New Yorkers’ Chorus, Choral Arts Initiative, and the EcoVoice Project. Additional recent highlights include the 2025 Dragon Prize in Choral Music, and first prize at Fourth Coast Ensemble’s 2024 Chicago SongSlam.

 An Illinois native, Shane is based in Houston, TX and began doctoral studies at Rice University’s Shepherd School of Music in 2025.

Listen and find out more at www.shanescottcook.com.

Matthew Tirona (b. 2005) is a composer and musician based in Boston. His compositions are textural and contemplative, taking inspiration from landscapes, seascapes, climate change, technological progress, loss, mourning, nostalgia, American popular music culture, and the color blue.

Collaborators include the Gonzaga University Wind Ensemble, Unison Chamber Music Collective, Garden State Singers, NEC Philharmonia, and NEC Wind Ensemble, among many others. His music has been featured at the Belvedere Chamber Music Festival (1st prize winner), Midwest Graduate Music Consortium New Music Concert (Call for Scores winner), Trio Tyche: NEC Honors Ensemble Recital (NEC Honors Ensemble Composition Competition winner), Rivers School Conservatory Seminar on Contemporary Music for the Young (commissioned composer), and in venues such as Jordan Hall, Tufts Distler Performance Hall, Voxman Recital Hall, and 102 Franklin St Art Loft.

 An accomplished choral singer, Matthew currently sings in the NEC Chamber Singers and the First Baptist Church of Boston choir. He has sung the major choral works of Handel, Mozart, Beethoven, Brahms, Duruflé, Poulenc, and more, under conductors such as Erica Washburn, James Burton, Hugh Wolff, David Loebel, Bill Drury, Holly Druckman, and Amelia LeClair.

Matthew is pursuing his Bachelor of Music in Composition at the New England Conservatory of Music, studying with Michael Gandolfi. As a musician of Filipino descent, Matthew hopes to be an advocate for diversity and representation in composition and classical music. Matthew is affiliated with the performance-rights organization American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP).