Named a National Finalist (Honorable Mention) by the American Prize, “The Dead Teach the Living” pairs emotional clarity with finely tuned ensemble work, featuring Megan Ihnen, mezzo-soprano; Kate Amrine, trumpet; Carolyn Regula, cello; and John Walton conducting the Cape Town Symphony Orchestra.
Now accepting vocal scores. Megan’s Vocal Music Syntopicon is a chapbook series that pairs recently composed vocal music with the 102 Great Ideas of the Great Books Syntopicon, from Beauty and Courage to Time, Truth, and Wisdom. Each selected piece is paired with original collage and zine-style art, so every edition reads as one continuous conversation between sound, image, and idea.
The pilot edition takes shape in November 2026, and review is rolling: send your score whenever it’s ready.
Who Should Submit
- Composers and music creators at any career stage, emerging to established
- Written for voice, any vocal forces or ensemble size
- Composed within the last 40 years
- Connected to one of the 102 Great Ideas
- Rights held or securable for performance and publication
Rolling review, with no submission deadline.
Discography
Megan Ihnen is the ecosystem.
A New Orleans–based vocal artist performing everywhere from experimental stages and orchestra halls to EDM clubs and lounges. She tours nationally with ensembles including Neonautica and Takin’ Souls, coaches artists across the new music community on building sustainable careers, teaches the next generation through the Peabody Institute, and leads the Live Music Project, a platform connecting more than 200,000 listeners to classical music in their communities.
Build a creative life that doesn't erode your soul.
At Sybaritic Studios, I help performers, composers, and arts administrators design working lives that are sustainable, strategic, and deeply aligned with who they are and what they actually want.