Selim Göncü

Selim Göncü is a Postdoctoral Fellow in Music Composition at the University of Missouri, affiliated with the School of Music under the College of Arts and Science. He currently contributes to the artistic board of the Ninth Planet New Music Ensemble and serves as a director for sfSound. From 2017 to 2019, he was Composer-in-Residence with Ensemble Échappé, a New York-based new music ensemble.

Selim earned his doctoral degree in composition from the University of California, Berkeley, and graduated from the University of Music and Performing Arts Graz with the highest distinction. His primary mentors include Franck Bedrossian, Clemens Gadenstätter, Reinhard Febel, and Edmund Campion.

His research interests revolve around balancing contrasting musical elements, such as raw gestures with transparent textures, elegant timbres with abrupt impulses, and mechanically repetitive loops with freely flowing improvisations. He integrates electronic components into his works, exploring interdisciplinary intersections between composition and technology.

• 2021 Fromm Commissioning Award
• MacDowell Fellowships (2019 and 2022)
• Salvatore Martirano Composition Award
• Ettelson Composer’s Award
• California Prize
• Nicola de Lorenzo Prize in Composition

His professional contributions extend beyond composition to mentorship and leadership. He has received grants such as a Fromm Music Foundation commission for a synthesizer concerto, set to be performed by the Ninth Planet Ensemble. Upcoming projects include a string quartet and electronics piece with the JACK Quartet and a quintet for Splinter Reeds.

Selim’s works are regularly performed by acclaimed ensembles like Ensemble InterContemporain and L’Instant Donné, in festivals such as Wittener Tage für neue Kammermusik and Firenze Suona Contemporanea. His creative process emphasizes experimentation with sound, structure, and electronic media, positioning him as a leading figure in contemporary music innovation.