News

I’m honored to have received support from the City of Chicago’s Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events through their 2025 Individual Artists Program. This grant is helping me continue developing In Sympathy with my collaborators; a project that bridges art,...

I’ve been invited to present the making of "In Sympathy" as part of Fermilab’s Colloquium series, a forum regularly attended by physicists, researchers, and science-minded members of the public. The Colloquium offers a rare window into new work at the intersection of...

Recording has begun for my new album on Cedille Records, featuring Timothy McAllister, Civitas Ensemble, and ~Nois Saxophone Quartet. This project celebrates a twenty-five-year collaboration with Tim, whose artistry and friendship have been a cornerstone of my...

I’m excited to share that Resonance opens May 16 at Fermilab’s Art Gallery, an immersive mixed reality installation that bridges sound, light, and quantum physics. Created in collaboration with Agnes Chavez, Todd Johnson, and Brad Robin, this work explores how...

Thrilled to announce the long-awaited premiere of "In Sympathy", a large-scale work for chamber ensemble and resonating glass array, inspired by the phenomenon of sympathetic resonance and developed in collaboration with Fermilab physicists. Presented by Civitas...

I’m honored to have been selected by Cedille Records for a new recording project featuring saxophonist Timothy McAllister, Civitas Ensemble, and ~Nois Saxophone Quartet. This will be my second album with Cedille, and I’m deeply grateful to the label for its continued...

I’m delighted to be included on AiDuo’s latest release, "Meeting Point", with a new recording of "From the Skyline". The duo has been spotlighted in Portuguese media in connection with this album, positioning "Meeting Point" as a significant addition to their...

Honored to have been named the 2024 Guest Composer at Fermilab, the nation’s premier particle physics laboratory. This appointment provides an extraordinary opportunity to engage with scientists exploring the fundamental nature of the universe and to create new work...

I’m deeply honored that Simple Song, written in memory of Frederick Hemke, receives its first commercial recording on Joshua Heaney’s "Alchemy". The work was made available online for all saxophonists touched by Hemke’s legacy to perform in his memory. A reviewer...

I’m thrilled that Fanfare 80 is featured on the Lincoln Trio’s Cedille release "Trios from Contemporary Chicago". Take Effect Reviews described the piece as “quite tense in the flowing cinematic interaction that rumbles firmly". Strings Magazine called the album...

Delighted that my work From the Skyline was featured on saxophonist Don Paul Kahl’s debut solo album Go Within (2021), a beautifully curated collection of contemporary works for saxophone and piano. Praised in The Saxophone Symposium as “an outstanding recording” for...

Honored to have been commissioned by the National Society of Arts and Letters to compose a new solo piano work as the required piece for the finals of its National Piano Competition. The competition, which brings together top young artists from chapters across the...

Looking forward to a commission from the Sejong Cultural Society, whose annual Sejong Music Competition promotes some of the nations most talented string player and pianists and introduces them to Korean-inspired repertoire. I’m excited to contribute works that bridge...

Commissioned by the Buckingham Salon Series for a new string quartet and solo violin work, supported by Chicago arts patron Michele Mohammadi. Conceived as part of her distinguished salon concerts overlooking the city skyline, the work was written for her daughter,...

Absolutely thrilled to see this new video performance of Quantum Shift by the Kenari Quartet! This intrepid group of saxos has been praised in American Record Guide as “one of the best young ensembles to appear in several years,” and lauded for “exceptional balance,...

Excited to share that Quantum Shift and Tailgate are now officially available through Resolute Music Publications. These works have been championed by leading saxophonists and ensembles across the country, and I’m thrilled they can now reach an even wider community of...

Excited that the Donald Sinta Quartet recorded “Quantum Shift” on their album Ex Machina (released February 2020, recorded at Solid Sound Recordings). The album, praised for its “virtuosic to the core” performances, features six premiere recordings and explores a wide...

Commissioned by Midwest Young Artists Conservatory, this new string sextet arrangement of my piano quartet Occupy, originally premiered by the Lincoln Trio with guest violist Masumi Per Rostad, received a dynamite performance by the Soar Sextet at the Fischoff...

Honored to be commissioned by Western Michigan University’s long-standing Western Brass Quintet; one of the oldest and most distinguished brass chamber ensembles still active in the U.S. They’ll lead a consortium including Fulcrum Point, Axiom, Seraph Brass (winners...

Civitas Ensemble holds a very special place in my heart as one of my favorite chamber groups of all time. Consisting of members Yuan-Qing Yu, Kenneth Olsen, and Lawrie Bloom, each holding prominent chairs in the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, and my longtime...

Honored to receive a commission from the Grant Park Music Festival for their 2020 season in celebration of Chicago’s “Year of Music.” Their orchestra chorus is one of the nation’s only free, outdoor classical institutions, with deep reach in the city and a legacy of...

Grateful to hear that In Transit appears on Robert Young’s album Hybrid (2018), where his “effortless expression and facile technique” drew praise from critics.   Young’s work on Hybrid has been hailed as a fresh voice in saxophone recording, praised by Claude...

Honored to find that “In Transit” was selected as a semi-final piece for the Adolphe Sax International Saxophone Competition, marking its inclusion in one of the world’s leading platforms for emerging saxophonists and contemporary repertoire.  Best of luck to all the...

Pleased to accept a commission from the Contemporary Tenor Repertoire Initiative, an organization dedicated to expanding and supporting new works for the tenor saxophone. I look forward to collaborating with the 30 premier performers in the consortium on this project...

Thrilled to be commissioned through a consortium of quartets, led by the Kenari Saxophone Quartet. This group, known for commissioning new works and advocating for the growth of saxophone quartet repertoire, brings together these incredible ensembles, including...

Performed with Holly Mulcahy at Walker State Prison, bringing music by Wang Ji and myself alongside movements from Messiaen’s Quartet for the End of Time and Franck’s Sonata. The event opened informal dialogue and invited inmates to respond to the music, fostering...

It was an honor to serve as guest composer-in-residence at Indiana University, where I presented my Violin Concerto with the Indiana University New Music Ensemble and violinist Sang Mee Lee. The week included a composition seminar and several private lessons with IU...

My new Violin Concerto with violinist Sang Mee Lee and David Dzubay with the IU New Music Ensemble is completed and has been premiered!   Thank you Sang Mee and David for your artistry, your honesty and your friendship!  Here is a link to a video of the premiere and...

My album"Eclipse" gained significant exposure around the country, receiving airplaay on stations WFMT (Chicago), WPBR (Princeton), WSUM (Madison), KGNY (Denver/Boulder), WCNY (Syracuse).

The video that is being created with Michelle L’amour and Lavendar Cabaret Productions to the title track of my album “Eclipse”(available on Amazon and iTunes) has taken a bit longer than expected, but I couldn’t be happier that we took the time to get it right. The...

Get your copy of Eclipse now! #Eclipse by @ZupkoMischa with performances by violinist Sang Mee Lee, cellist Wendy Warner and the composer at the piano is out on Cedille Records! Order on CedilleRecords.org, Amazon, iTunes Also available for preview on Spotify

Fahrenheit, a piano concerto, performed by Winston Choi and the Fulcrum Point New Music Project on the Ear Taxi Festival at the Harris Theater (205 E Randolph St, Chicago) on October 5th at 7:30pm was a great success!  See the reviews here: Chicago Tribune Classical...