Mischa Zupko began his musical studies on piano at a very early age.  He received a Bachelor's degree in piano performance from Northwestern University in 1994 and a Master's degree in composition from Indiana University in 1998.  He is currently working on his doctorate at I.U. where he is an associate instructor.

Mr. Zupko began composing in 1994 after finishing his degree at Northwestern.  He began his formal training in 1996 at Indiana University
and has since received several awards in composition.  Among these awards are a second place in the Lansing Symphony Orchestra's Richard's Artist Award  for new orchestral composition (1998), the Dean's Prize at Indiana University (1998), an award from the National Society of Arts & Letters (1998), the Jacob Druckman prize from the Aspen Music Festival (1999), and an ASCAP Foundation Morton Gould Young Composers Award (1999).

His works have been performed at the Oberlin Conservatory, the University of Iowa, the Royal Academy in London, and the Aspen Music Festival where he was a participant in the Advanced Masterclass for Composition.  Most recently his Three Etudes for Piano were performed at the 7th Annual Crane New Music Solo Performers Competition at the SUNY Potsdam School in Potsdam, New York.  The performer of these works, Winston Choi, received first place.  This summer, his orchestral work Lumens will be performed by the Aspen Sinfonia under Markand Thakar.

Mr. Zupko remains active as a performer.  In 1998 he was a pianist in the Indiana University New Music Ensemble.  He has also played with the Evansville Philharmonic and served as rehearsal accompanist for their production of The Barber of Seville.    In addition, he has performed many student and faculty works at I.U.

© 2000 Dan Dixon, Scott Schirmer, & the DarWest Team.