About NACUSA of Southern Oregon
Our Mission
We engage our community through the creation, performance, and promotion of contemporary art music, while providing resources and opportunities to composers connected with southern Oregon.
History
In 2001, Ken Deveney started a concert series for new music by west coast composers. David McKenzie agreed to be the music director. David McKenzie, Lisa Truelove, Pat Berlet and Ken chose the pieces. David suggested the name SyZyGy for the ensemble. Syzygy is an astronomy term meaning the nearly straight-line configuration of three celestial bodies.
I’lana Cotton lived in the SF Bay area (Peninsula) for about 20 years and was one of the early members the NACUSA San Francisco chapter which was founded by Nancy Bloomer Deussen.
Some members of the original NACUSASOR chapter in 2008. From left: Ken Deveney, Bill Ashworth, I’lana Cotton, Barry Ulrich, Mark Jacobs, Stephen Truelove
As treasurer, I’lana helped obtain 501c3 status for NACUSA and the San Francisco NACUSA chapter.
In 2003 I’lana moved to the Rogue Valley where she discovered SyZyGy and Ken Deveney and she participated in several SyZyGy concerts as a composer/performer. In 2007, I’lana talked with Ken about the possibility and benefits of being part of a national organization by starting a local NACUSA chapter. They invited all the composers they knew in the Rogue Valley to a lunch on the back patio of the First Street Cafe in Talent. They were often joined by Mark Jacobs, Bill Ashworth, Barry Ulrich, Stephen Truelove, Jenifer Jaseau and several others local musicians and composers.
That core group decided to form a local NACUSA chapter for southern Oregon. Ken volunteered to become president, and I’lana became treasurer and also a liaison with NACUSA.
After they got established as a chapter, they held a reading session in the SOU band room. The first public concerts were performances by the Rogue Valley Wind Quintet on Feb. 23, 2008 in Ashland and Apr. 5, 2008 in Grants Pass. Greg Steinke joined as an out-of-town member that spring.
The chapter often used the name SyZyGy for performance groups whenever they didn’t already have a name. The first Student Composer Competition was held in 2009.
Now NACUSA of Southern Oregon usually offers four concerts a season and employs local musicians to perform works by local composers.