Stanford Vocal Studies Announces Yearlong Collaboration with Scott Ordway

The Stanford Department of Music’s Vocal Studies Program is proud to announce a new yearlong collaboration with acclaimed composer Scott Ordway (Associate Professor and Head of Composition, Rutgers University). Known for his innovative mixed-media projects that blend music, text, and visual art, Ordway joins Stanford for an immersive residency series titled Evening Land: Sounding California Through Text and Music.

Ordway’s music has been hailed as “exquisite” (New York Times), “haunting and beautiful” (San Francisco Chronicle), and “a marvel” (Philadelphia Inquirer). His works have been performed at leading venues around the world, including Lincoln Center, Carnegie Hall, Wigmore Hall, and Stanford’s own Bing Concert Hall. Drawing inspiration from literature, philosophy, and the landscapes of the American West, Ordway creates works of “arresting originality” (Gramophone) that speak to urgent cultural and ecological themes.

Evening Land is a yearlong creative exploration of songwriting and vocal music with a thematic focus on landscape, community, and culture in California and the wider American West. Across two intensive residencies, Ordway will lead one-on-one coaching, group workshops, and public talks, fostering collaboration between student composers and vocalists. Together, they will create original vocal works inspired by shared readings and ongoing dialogue about California’s human and natural environments. Ordway’s appointment as a 2025-26 Visiting Scholar at Stanford’s Bill Lane Center for the American West will also cultivate opportunities for the Center to participate in this exciting project. 

The residency will culminate in a world premiere performance on April 25, 2026, featuring a newly composed song cycle by Ordway, performed by Stanford voice students. Alongside his work, student compositions will be showcased, offering diverse interpretations of the voices and places that shape California today.

“This collaboration offers our students a rare opportunity to work closely with one of the most original composers of our time, while also engaging deeply with the landscapes and cultural themes that surround them,” added Kathryne Jennings, Stanford’s Billie Bennett Achilles Director of Vocal Studies.