The WSU School of Music kicked off the 2024 Festival of Contemporary Artists in Music on Thursday with concerts lined up until Saturday night.

Music emeritus professor Charles Argersinger founded the festival in 1989, and it is currently under the direction of music associate professor Ruth Boden, according to the festival’s website. The festival highlights WSU students and faculty composers, and brings in special guests who range from composers and performers.

This year, Dale Trumbore is the guest composer set to perform at 7:30 p.m. Saturday.

Rowena Gonzalez, performer and junior apparel merchandising and design major, said she loves to take music classes on the side and that coming to the festival is a great way to show support for fellow musicians.

“It’s also amazing to see how much progress and work they put into all the pieces that we will be performing,” she said.

Mackenzie Jacobs, performer and sophomore music education major, said it is important to showcase contemporary composers.

“Especially because it’s really easy to get stuck in a very Western music mindset. Especially looking at all these composers that are old white men, “ she said. “They composed amazing things and I’m glad that we do their works, but it’s so important to be able to do works from people who are from a variety of backgrounds.”

Mikiah Harper, performer and freshman music education major, said the composers of the pieces they are performing in the festival are their classmates and professors.

“It’s fun to showcase music to people that we work with on one and help them bring their dreams to life and showcase their work,” she said.

Everyone said they have been working on the pieces they plan to perform since the beginning of the semester.

The festival kicked off Thursday morning with a sneak peak of different performers and pieces, and later that night, a concert at Bryan Hall with music by the in-residence piano trio Pause Trio.

They had a performance Friday in a multimedia style at Kimbrough Concert Hall. The Saturday concert will feature Trumbore and the premiere of her composition “Learning to Breathe,” which WSU Choirs and the Palouse Choral Society will perform in Bryan Hall Theatre.