Philip Blackburn
innova Director
651.251.2823 | pblackburn@composersforum.org
Philip Blackburn was born in Cambridge, England, and studied music there and at the University of Iowa with Kenneth Gaburo. He has worked at the American Composers Forum since 1991 as director of the innova Recordings label and has produced over 650 albums, including the multimedia Urtext series, Enclosures: Harry Partch. He is also a public artist specializing in sound — a composer/environmental sound-artist. Blackburn’s works have been heard in ships’ harbors, state fairs, forests, a TB sanatorium, and coming out of storm sewers, as well as in galleries, parking lots, and on concert stages. He has incorporated brainwave sensors and dowsing rods in performance as well as balloon flutes, conch shells, car horns, and wind-powered harps. His kinetic sculpture, The Scope at Beacon Bluff, sits on the site of the original 3M plant and he has built an art-house in Belize.
Chris Campbell
Director of Operations-innova recordings
651.251.2820 | ccampbell@composersforum.org
Chris Campbell is a composer, producer, and the Director of Operations at innova recordings where he runs the business side of the label. An alum of Sarah Lawrence College, Campbell studied composition with George Tsontakis. From sit-down concerts to all-night festivals, his music has been performed and heard from New Zealand to Montserrat. From the UK to the US. Praised as “heady, possessing elements of post-Minimalism, avant-garde rock, jazz and global fusion styles that mingle and merge with dreamlike mutability”…(The New York Times) and “a surreal (or super-real?) vortex…(Gramophone), Campbell’s music is a meditation on sacred space, ritual and sonic texture. In addition to his own music, Campbell has either produced or worked directly on the promotion and distribution of over 300 projects and albums, some of them appearing in publications such as Rolling Stone, Pitchfork, Newsweek, Time Out, Downbeat, and USA Today.
Yan Pang
Program Events Curator
318.889.0513 | ypang@composersforum.org
Yan Pang is a composer, choreographer, and scholar. She received her Ph.D. in Music with a minor in Theater Arts & Dance at the University of Minnesota. Her work focuses on inter-cultural music composition and performance. As part of this interest, she has been commissioned to compose and invited to perform in music festivals throughout the world. She considers both her music composition and dance choreography as a means to build multicultural understanding and tolerance. A selection of her varied publications includes the album Glory Times (as songwriter and music director) by the China Scientific & Cultural Audio Video Publishing Company, the score “Solis Ortus” (winner of the SunRiver International Composition Competition) by China People’s Cultural Publishing Company, the paper “Scene of Sichuan Opera” (co-author with Mingzhu Song), and the books Cool Math for Hot Music, All About Music, and Basic Music Technology (co-authored Guerino Mazzola et. al.) by Springer.
Paul Hanson
VP of Finance and Administration
651.251.2813 | phanson@composersforum.org
Paul received his bachelor of science in Business Administration from the Carlson School of Management at the University of Minnesota. He immediately started his nonprofit career with a position in the development department at Walker Art Center and then moved over to accounting. Paul was the Project/Grants Accountant at Minnesota Public Radio and Business Manager of MNN Radio Networks before arriving at ACF in spring of 2003.
Tim Igel
innova Publicist
651.251.2825 | innovapr@composersforum.org
Tim Igel is the Publicist for innova Recordings. He is also a composer of acoustic and electro-acoustic music. His music is influenced by American Folk Music, Early Music, and Experimental Music. He has studied with composition with Ronald Foster, Chiayu Hsu, and Libby Larsen as well as at Interlochen Arts Camp. A graduate of University of Wisconsin – Eau Claire with a degree in composition, Tim plays violin, piano, mandolin, and viola da gamba. He has studied violin with Nobuyoshi Yasuda and Timothy Klabunde. His works have been read and performed by the UW- Eau Claire Symphony Orchestra, Blue Streak Ensemble, World Youth Wind Symphony, and by some great friends. A firm believer in and advocate for music’s ability to build community, he seeks out projects that do just that. As publicist for innova Recordings, Tim understands and values the time and effort that composers put into recording and releasing their work. He believes that this effort merits equal effort on his part to get a project recognized. He works to ensure that each album gets out to as many ears as possible through digital and physical distribution tools as well as personal communication with radio stations, reviewers, and content creators. Tim feels that the unique voices of innova artists deserve to heard and works to make that a reality.
Kris Kautzman
Manager of Community Partnerships
651.243.0049 | kkautzman@composersforum.org
Kris Kautzman has been a vocal and instrumental chamber musician in the Twin Cities since 1994, and never ceases to be amazed by the immense depth and breadth of support for the arts in this community. She joins ACF with experience in community engagement and program development, gained during four years as the Operations Manager for CFA Society Minnesota. Kris also has a background in arts administration, developed while working for organizations including the Guthrie Theater and the Baroque Room, and from her 16 years onstage and behind the scenes with The Rose Ensemble. Recent performing adventures include The New Ruckus Composer Night, First Readings Project, Border CrosSing, Bach Society of Minnesota, a local premiere of the flute sonata by jazz-based composer Joe Makholm, and a memorable opportunity to croon 1920s popular songs (from a swing!) with beloved pianist Butch Thompson. She holds a BA in Musicology from Saint Olaf College.
Laura Krider
Director of Education and Community Partnerships
612.314.9228 | lkrider@composersforum.org
Laura Krider is an arts worker, nonprofit unicorn, and singer living in the Twin Cities. Before joining the American Composers Forum, Laura served as Graduate Student Services Assistant and Public Engagement Coordinator at the University of Minnesota – School of Music. She holds a Bachelor of Music in Vocal Music Education and a Master of Professional Studies degree in Arts and Cultural Leadership, both from the University of Minnesota. Laura has also done consulting/board work the St. Paul Chamber Orchestra, VocalEssence, and the MN State Arts Board. As a freelance singer, Laura is the Singer Representative to the Board and a founding member of The Singers: MN Choral Artists, and has also participated in projects with the Minnesota Beethoven Festival Dale Warland Chorale, Border CrosSing, First Readings Project, The MPR Carolers, and the a cappella group Deviated Septet. In short, she lives for making sound and supporting the people who craft it.
William J. Lackey
VP of Programs
651.317.9441 | wlackey@composersforum.org
Composer William J. Lackey found his love of sound and motion on club dance floors at an early age. His continued exploration of sound and the movement of sound can be heard in the form of concert works, installations, theatrical pieces, and on the dance floor. William serves as Vice President of Programs at the American Composers Forum. He comes to the Forum with an extensive background in arts management, concert/event production, community service, and teaching. William was selected as a McKnight Visiting Fellow in 2011, collaborating with several communities in Hector, Minnesota, to develop a multimedia work that explored the history of farming in that part of the state. His experience in Hector gave him a new perspective on how composers can find interesting ways to engage community.
Bonnie Marshall
VP of Development
651.251.2822 | bmarshall@composersforum.org
Bonnie has served as the VP of Development at the American Composers Forum since 2010 and has over 20 years of experience in communications and development in the nonprofit sector. Throughout her career, Bonnie has led varied projects that have secured safe places for troubled youth; advocated for people with disabilities; and raised project funding for programming to support and nurture artists. Most recently, Bonnie served as the Director of Individual Giving at Arc Greater Twin Cities. In that role, she was responsible for leading individual giving efforts, growing the annual campaign, and developing events from a large annual gala to small donor gatherings. Prior to working at Arc, Bonnie served as the Director of Communications & Marketing at Minnesota Project Innovation (MPI), an economic development agency linking investors to entrepreneurs. As a creative writer and music appreciator, Bonnie has a strong interest in the creative process.
Haley Olson
Manager of Membership and Board Liaison
651.251.2810 | holson@composersforum.org
Dell Paulsen
Development and Operations Associate
651.251.2810 | dpaulsen@composersforum.org
Vanessa Rose’s work in the performing arts has spanned from The Metropolitan Opera to The Knights orchestra, the Lark Play Development Center (for playwrights), and the International Contemporary Ensemble. She has led organizations through significant transitions: establishing new executive positions, building effective governance structures, clarifying mission-driven priorities, and strengthening communication strategies.
As a consultant, Vanessa has helped to expand EarShot, the national orchestra program for emerging composers, through the American Composers Orchestra and partners American Composers Forum, League of American Orchestras, and New Music USA. In addition, she has helped groups such as the Talea Ensemble and Arco Collaborative through organizational transitions. Her participation in grant panels includes The Aaron Copland Fund for Music, Opera America’s Female Composer Discovery Grants, and the Brooklyn Arts Council. In 2006, Vanessa Rose completed the League of American Orchestras Orchestra Management Fellowship Program, which included residencies with the Dallas Symphony, Elgin Symphony, Aspen Music Festival and School, and San Francisco Symphony.
A violinist, she attended Indiana University, Eastman School of Music, Mannes College of Music, and the Royal Conservatory in The Hague, The Netherlands.
Dameun Strange
Director of Communications
651.228.2830 | dstrange@composersforum.org
No stranger to ACF, Dameun Strange is a sound artist, multi-instrumentalist, and winner of the 2015 MECA and the 2019 ACF| create. His conceptual chamber works, choral pieces and operas are focused on stories of the African diaspora, often exploring Afro-surrealist and Afrofuturist themes. He now joins the ACF team as Director of Communications.
Aside from his creative pursuits, Dameun has been an arts advocate and a creative consultant to leaders and organizations in the for profit, nonprofit, and public sectors. As a Ron McKinley Philanthropy Fellow, He was a program associate for the Bush Foundation’s Community Innovation Team. He has served on the board of the Metropolitan Regional Arts Council, Compas, Headwaters Foundation for Justice, and Zeitgeist.
Dameun lives in Saint Paul, MN with his wife, Corina and son, Ezra. Like any good nerd, he enjoys a good sci-fi story and has a soft spot for anything related to astrophysics.