Professors Tim Weiss and John Luther Adams conduct a forum for composition and performance majors. Composers will perform, and performers compose. Another course, the Craft of Composition, is designed for students not majoring in composition. Currently, many collaborations are ad hoc - students create them on their own. Although there is not an actual requirement for student performers to play new music, students are doing it, and in a big way.
Performers seem to view it as chic to play new music.
Even at this early stage in their careers some already consider themselves to be new music specialists. Flute student, Claire Chase, for instance, launched a project to expand the flute repertory and as a result of that effort won the 1999 Presser Music Award . Considering Oberlin's dedication to new music, it is not a surprise that the school reaches out to community and attempts to foster new audiences. Two Oberlin graduates, George Walker and Christopher Rouse , have gone on to win Pulitzer Prizes in music composition.