Zosha Di Castri
Zosha Di Castri (born 1985) is a Canadian composer and pianist living and working in New York. She is the Francis Goelet Assistant Professor of Music at Columbia University. Her work came to international attention when a specially commissioned piece about the lunar landings opened the BBC Proms 2019. Early life and education. Di Castri was born in Calgary, Alberta, and grew up in St. Albert. She completed her bachelor's of music in piano performance and composition at McGill University, and graduated from Columbia University with a Doctor of Musical Arts degree. Career. Di Castri became  an assistant professor of music at Columbia in 2014. In 2015 her work "Dear Life" was premiered by the National Arts Centre orchestra. Her work has also been performed by the San Francisco Symphony, New World Symphony, Toronto Symphony Orchestra, Orchestre Symphonique de Montreal, and the BBC Symphony Orchestra. On 19 July 2019 her specially commissioned work "Long is the Journey, Short is the Memory" opened the BBC Proms 2019 with the BBC Symphony Orchestra and the BBC Singers conducted by Karina Canellakis. Reviewers praised the composition, and commented on Di Castri's skill as an orchestrator. Di Castri's  compositions are also performed by the JACK Quartet. In 2019, Di Castri released a debut album of her compositions in performances by various ensembles and artists. In 2021, she received a Guggenheim Fellowship.