Faculty

 Described as “contemporary, edgy, descriptive, and extremely soulful,” Sally McCune has become an important voice in contemporary American concert music.  Her work has received performances across North America and Europe and has been recognized by the American Academy of Arts and Letters, the American Composers Orchestra and the New York Foundation for the Arts.   A native of Detroit, she was educated at University of Toronto, California Institute of the Arts and Cornell University where she studied with Mel Powell, Steven Stucky and Roberto Sierra.  McCune has served as guest composer at institutions and festivals across the US, including the Eastman School of Music, University at Buffalo, University of Georgia, University of South Carolina, The College of New Jersey, Seal Bay Festival, Songfest, South Shore Conservatory and at several CBDNA conferences.  She has taught at Cornell University and Syracuse University and is on faculty at Ithaca College.  McCune’s first opera, We Wear the Sea Like a Coat, was premiered jointly by Opera Ithaca and Ithaca College in March of 2022. Her recent piece for chamber orchestra, Spiral, was commissioned and premiered by the Cayuga Chamber Orchestra in November of 2022.  She is published by G. Schirmer, Hal Leonard, Heritage Music Press and Murphy Music Press.